Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jeremiah 37

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  The Egyptians having raised the seige of the Chaldeans, king Zedekiah sends to Jeremiah to pray for the people.
6  Jeremiah prophesies the Chaldeans' certain return and victory.
11  He is taken for a fugitive, beaten, and put in prison.
16  He assures Zedekiah of the captivity.
18  Intreating for his liberty, he obtains some favour.
Verse 1

And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
A. M. 3406-3416. B.C. 598-588. Zedekiah
2 Kings 24:17, 1 Chronicles 3:15, 2 Chronicles 36:10
Coniah
22:24,28, 24:1
Jeconiah
52:31, 2 Kings 24:12, 1 Chronicles 3:16, 2 Chronicles 36:9
Jehoiachin
made.
Ezekiel 17:12-21
Verse 2

But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.
neither
2 Kings 24:19,20, 2 Chronicles 36:12-16, Proverbs 29:12, Ezekiel 21:25, 1 Thessalonians 4:8
the prophet
Heb. the hand of the prophet.
Exodus 4:13, Leviticus 8:36, 2 Samuel 10:2, 12:25, 1 Kings 14:18, 16:7, Proverbs 26:6, Hosea 12:10; *marg:
Verse 3

And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.
Zephaniah
21:1,2, 29:21,25, 52:24
Pray
2:27, 21:1,2, 42:2-4,20, Exodus 8:8,28, 9:28, 10:17, Numbers 21:7, 1 Samuel 12:19, 1 Kings 13:6, Acts 8:24
Verse 4

Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.
for
15, 32:2,3
Verse 5

Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
Pharaoh's
This was Pharaoh Hophra, or Apries, as he is called by Herodotus, who succeeded his father Psammis on the throne of Egypt, A.M. 3410, B.C. 594, and reigned twenty-five years. Having entered into a confederacy with Zedekiah, (Eze 17:15,) he marched out of Egypt with a great army to his relief; which caused Nebuchadnezzar to raise the siege of Jerusalem to meet him; during which period the transactions detailed here took place.
7, 2 Kings 24:7, Ezekiel 17:15
they
11, 34:21
Verse 7

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
Thus
3, 21:2, 2 Kings 22:18
Pharaoh's
17:5,6, Proverbs 21:30, Isaiah 30:1-6, 31:1-3, Lamentations 4:17, Ezekiel 17:17, 29:6,7,16
Verse 8

And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
32:29, 34:21,22, 38:23, 39:2-8
Verse 9

Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
Deceive
Obadiah 1:3, Matthew 24:4,5, Galatians 6:3,7, Ephesians 5:6, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, James 1:22
yourselves
Heb. your souls.
Verse 10

For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
though
21:4-7, 49:20, 50:45, Leviticus 26:36-38, Isaiah 10:4, 30:17
wounded men
Heb. men thrust through.
51:4, Isaiah 13:15, 14:19
yet
Joel 2:11
Verse 11

And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,
that
broken
Heb. made to ascend.
Verse 12

Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.
went
1 Kings 19:3,9, Nehemiah 6:11, Matthew 10:23, 1 Thessalonians 5:22
the land
1:1, Joshua 21:17,18, 1 Chronicles 6:60
separate himself thence
or, slip away from thence.
Verse 13

And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
in the
38:7, Zechariah 14:10
Hananiah
38:1,10-17, 36:12
Thou
18:18, 20:10, 21:9, 27:6,12,13, 28:14, 38:4,17, Amos 7:10, Luke 23:2, Acts 6:11, 24:5-9,13, 2 Corinthians 6:8
Verse 14

Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
said
40:4-6, Nehemiah 6:8, Psalms 27:12, 35:11, 52:1,2, Matthew 5:11,12, Luke 6:22,23,26, 1 Peter 3:16, 4:14-16
false
Heb. falsehood. or, a lie.
Verse 15

Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
the princes
20:1-3, 26:16, Matthew 21:35, 23:34, 26:67,68, Luke 20:10,11, 22:64, John 18:22, Acts 5:28,40, 16:22-24, 23:2,3, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, Hebrews 11:36-38
put
Genesis 39:20, 2 Chronicles 16:10, 18:26, Acts 5:18, 12:4-6, Revelation 2:10
in the
20, 38:6,26
Verse 16

When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
A. M. 3415. B.C. 589. into the dungeon
38:6,10-13, Genesis 40:15, Lamentations 3:53,55
cabins
or, cells.
Verse 17

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
asked
38:5,14-16,24-27, 1 Kings 14:1-4
Is there
3, 21:1,2, 1 Kings 22:16, 2 Kings 3:11-13, Mark 6:20
thou shalt
21:7, 24:8, 29:16-18, 32:3-5, 34:21,22, 39:6,7, Ezekiel 12:12,13, Ezekiel 17:19-21, 21:25-27
Verse 18

Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
26:19, Genesis 31:36, 1 Samuel 24:9-15, 26:18-21, Proverbs 17:13,26, Daniel 6:22, John 10:32, Acts 23:1, 24:16, 25:8,11,25, 26:31, Galatians 4:16
Verse 19

Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
Where
2:28, Deuteronomy 32:36,37, 2 Kings 3:13
your
6:14, 8:11, 14:13-15, 23:17, 27:14-18, 28:1-5,10-17, 29:31, Lamentations 2:14, Ezekiel 13:10-16
Verse 20

Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
be accepted before
Heb. fall before.
36:7; *marg:
lest
26:15, 38:6-9, Acts 23:16-22, 25:10,11, 28:18,19
Verse 21

Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
into the
32:2,8, 38:13,28
and that
1 Kings 17:4-6, Job 5:20, Psalms 33:18,19, 34:9,10, 37:3,19, Proverbs 16:7, 21:1, Isaiah 33:16, Matthew 6:33
until
38:9, 52:6, Deuteronomy 28:52-57, 2 Kings 25:3, Lamentations 2:11,12,19,20, 4:4,5,9,10, Lamentations 5:10
Thus
38:13,28, 39:14,15, Acts 12:5, 24:27, 28:16,30, Ephesians 4:1, 6:20, 2 Timothy 1:8, 2 Timothy 2:9

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