Jeremiah 38:2

2 "Thus says the LORD, 'He who 1stays in this city will die by the 2sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own 3life as booty and stay alive.'

Jeremiah 38:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 38:2

Thus saith the Lord, he that remaineth in this city
Of Jerusalem; that does not go out of it, and surrender himself to the Chaldeans; but continues in it fighting against them: shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence;
that is, by one or other of these: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live:
that goes out of the city, throws down his arms, delivers up himself to the Chaldean army, and submits to their mercy, shall have quarters given him, and his life shall be spared: for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live;
or, "his soul, and it shall live" F14; comfortably and in safety; he shall escape with his life, and that shall be preserved from the sword, famine, and pestilence; and whereas it was, as it were, lost, it shall be recovered out of the jaws of death, out of the above calamities it was exposed to; and so be like a prey taken out of the hands of the mighty, and be quite safe.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (yxw llvl wvpn wl htyhw) "et erit illi anima ejus in praedam et vivet", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 38:2 In-Context

1 Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD , 'He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as booty and stay alive.'
3 "Thus says the LORD , 'This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.' "
4 Then the officials said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm."
5 So King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you."

Cross References 3

  • 1. Jeremiah 21:9
  • 2. Jeremiah 34:17; Jeremiah 42:17
  • 3. Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 39:18; Jeremiah 45:5
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