Jeremiah 38:3

3 Thus says the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Bavel, and he shall take it.

Jeremiah 38:3 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 38:3

Thus saith the Lord, this city shall surely be given into the
hand of the king of Babylon's army
When those found in it should be put to the sword, or carried captive: this the prophet declares with the greatest certainty; and what he had often affirmed for twenty years past, and now stands to it, having had fresh assurances from the Lord that so it would be; and which he faithfully published; though he had received some favours from the court, had his liberty enlarged, and was now eating the king's bread, he was not to be bribed by these things to hold his peace; but the nearer the ruin of the city was, the more confident was he of its destruction: which shall take it;
or, "that it may take it" F15; being delivered into its hands by the Lord, without whose permission the Chaldean army could never have taken it: or "and he shall take it" F16; that is, the king of Babylon.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 (hdklw) "ut capiat eam", Schmidt.
F16 "Et capiet illam", Cocceius; "et capiet eam", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

Jeremiah 38:3 In-Context

1 Shefatyah the son of Mattan, and Gedalyahu the son of Pashchur, and Yukhal the son of Shelemyahu, and Pashchur the son of Malkiyah, heard the words that Yirmeyahu spoke to all the people, saying,
2 Thus says the LORD, He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he who goes forth to the Kasdim shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey, and he shall live.
3 Thus says the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Bavel, and he shall take it.
4 Then the princes said to the king, Let this man, we pray you, be put to death; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them: for this man doesn't seek the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
5 Tzidkiyahu the king said, Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not he who can do anything against you.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.