Yirmeyah 38:2

2 Thus saith Hashem, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the cherev, by the ra’av, and by the dever; but he that goeth forth to the Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall live; for he shall have his nefesh for plunder, and shall live.

Yirmeyah 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Yirmeyah 38:2 In-Context

1 8 Then Shephatyah Ben Mattan, and Gedalyah Ben Pashchur, and Yuchal Ben Shelemyah, and Pashchur Ben Malkiyah, heard the Devarim that Yirmeyah had spoken unto kol HaAm, saying,

2 Thus saith Hashem, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the cherev, by the ra’av, and by the dever; but he that goeth forth to the Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall live; for he shall have his nefesh for plunder, and shall live.

3 Thus saith Hashem, This city shall surely be given into the yad of the army of Melech Bavel, which shall capture it.

4 Therefore the sarim said unto HaMelech, Let now this ish be put to death; for thus he weakeneth the hands of the anshei hamilchamah that are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such devarim unto them; for this ish seeketh not the shalom of this people, but the hurt.

5 Then Tzidkiyah HaMelech said, Hinei, he is in your yad (hand, power); for HaMelech is not he that can do anything against you.