Jeremiah 38:3

3 And this is what the Lord says: 'This city of Jerusalem will surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. He will capture this city!'"

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.

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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 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people. He said:

2 "This is what the Lord says: 'Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, or hunger, or terrible diseases. But everyone who surrenders to the Babylonian army will live; they will escape with their lives and live.'

3 And this is what the Lord says: 'This city of Jerusalem will surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. He will capture this city!'"

4 Then the officers said to the king, "Jeremiah must be put to death! He is discouraging the soldiers who are still in the city, and all the people, by what he is saying to them. He does not want good to happen to us; he wants to ruin us."

5 King Zedekiah said to them, "Jeremiah is in your control. I cannot do anything to stop you."