Jeremiah 37:14

14 But Jeremiah said, "¹A lie! I am not going over to the Chaldeans "; yet he would not listen to him. So Irijah arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials.

Jeremiah 37:14 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 37:14

Then said Jeremiah, [it is] false
Or a "falsehood" ^F11; as undoubtedly it was; I fall not away to the Chaldeans;
for the Chaldean army was gone from the city; nor did Jeremiah like so well to be with an idolatrous people; for after the city was taken, when Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard gave him his choice, either to go with him to Babylon, where he promised to take care of him; or to go to Gedaliah, who was made governor of Judah; he chose rather to be with him, and his poor company: but he hearkened not to him;
would not hear his defence, or however would not give any credit to it, being unwilling to let slip this opportunity of doing him ill will: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes;
the princes of Zedekiah's court, or the princes of the people, the civil magistrates; or it may be the great sanhedrim, who he knew had no good disposition towards the prophet.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (rqv) "mendacium est", Vatablus; "falsitas, calumnia", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 37:14 In-Context

12 that Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin in order to take possession of some property there among the people.

13 While he was at the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he arrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are going over to the Chaldeans!"

14 But Jeremiah said, "A lie! I am not going over to the Chaldeans "; yet he would not listen to him. So Irijah arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials.

15 Then the officials were angry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison .

16 For Jeremiah had come into the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah stayed there many days.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 27:12; Psalms 52:1, 2; Jeremiah 40:4-6; Matthew 5:11, 12

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "falling"