Jeremiah 37:1

Jeremiah in Prison

1 Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin[a] son of Jehoiakim.

Jeremiah 37:1 in Other Translations

KJV
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.
ESV
1 Zedekiah the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim.
NLT
1 Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. He was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
MSG
1 King Zedekiah son of Josiah, a puppet king set on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the land of Judah, was now king in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim.
CSB
1 Zedekiah son of Josiah reigned as king in the land of Judah in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made him king.

Jeremiah 37:1 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 37:1

And King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned
The brother of Jehoiakim, whose untimely death, and want of burial, are prophesied of in the preceding chapter. The name of Zedekiah was Mattaniah before he was king; his name was changed by the king of Babylon, who made him king, ( 2 Kings 24:17 ) ; instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim:
the same with Jehoiakim, or jeconiah, called Coniah by way of contempt; he reigned but three months, and so was not reckoned as a king, not being confirmed by the king of Babylon, but was carried captive by him, and his uncle placed in his stead: whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah;
to whom he became tributary, and swore homage and fealty, ( 2 Chronicles 36:13 ) .

Jeremiah 37:1 In-Context

1 Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim.
2 Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehukal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: “Please pray to the LORD our God for us.”
4 Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison.
5 Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

Cross References 3

  • 1. S 2 Kings 24:17
  • 2. 1 Samuel 11:1; Ezekiel 17:13
  • 3. S 2 Kings 24:8,12; 2 Chronicles 36:10; Jeremiah 22:24

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Hebrew "Koniah," a variant of "Jehoiachin"
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