Jeremiah 37:16-21

16 ¹When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days,

17 King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him ²secretly in his house and said, "Is there any word from the LORD?" Jeremiah said, "There is." Then he said, ³"You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."

18 Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, "What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, ⁴that you have put me in prison?

19 ⁵Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land'?

20 Now hear, please, O my lord the king: ⁶let my humble plea come before you and ⁷do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there."

21 So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to ⁸the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers' street, ⁹until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in ¹⁰the court of the guard.

Jeremiah 37:16-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 37

This chapter makes mention of the reign of Zedekiah, and what happened in it; of his message to Jeremiah, to pray for the kingdom; of the king of Babylonian's raising the siege of Jerusalem, on hearing the king of Egypt was coming to its relief; of the assurance the prophet gave that the Chaldean army would return again, and destroy the city; of the prophet's attempt to depart the city, his imprisonment, conversation with Zedekiah, and his clemency to him. A short account is given of Zedekiah, and of the disobedience of him and his people to the word of the Lord, Jer 37:1,2; of the message sent by him to the prophet to pray for them, Jer 37:3; the time, when Jeremiah was at liberty, and the siege of Jerusalem was raised, Jer 37:4,5; the prophet's answer to them from the Lord, assuring them the Chaldeans would return and burn the city, Jer 37:6-10; the prophet attempting to go out of the city is stopped, and charged as a deserter to the Chaldeans; is had before the princes, and beat and imprisoned, Jer 37:11-15; but the king sending for him out of prison, and having some private discourse with him, upon the prophet's expostulation and intercession, his confinement was mitigated, and bread allowed him, Jer 37:16-21.

Cross References

• 1. See Jeremiah 38:6-14
• 2. Jeremiah 38:16
• 3. See Jeremiah 21:7
• 4. [See ver. 15 above]
• 5. [Jeremiah 28:2, 11, 17]
• 6. [Jeremiah 38:26]
• 7. [Jeremiah 38:28]
• 8. See Jeremiah 32:2
• 9. Jeremiah 38:9; Jeremiah 52:6; Ezekiel 4:10, 16
• 10. See Jeremiah 32:2