Jeremiah 37:10

10 Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian^[a] army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down.”

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Jeremiah 37:10 in Other Translations

KJV

10 For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

ESV

10 For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.'"

NLT

10 Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”

MSG

10 Why, even if you defeated the entire attacking Chaldean army and all that was left were a few wounded soldiers in their tents, the wounded would still do the job and burn this city to the ground.'"

CSB

10 Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire Chaldean army that is fighting with you, and there remained among them only the badly wounded men, each in his tent, they would get up and burn this city down."

Jeremiah 37:10 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 37:10

For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that
fight against you
Supposing the whole army of the Chaldeans had been vanquished and slain by the Egyptians, the confederates of the Jews; or should they be slain by them in a second siege of them, excepting a few next mentioned: and there remained [but] wounded men among them;
and supposing that those of them that were left, that were not slain, were everyone of them wounded men, and so disabled for fighting, as might be thought: [yet] should they rise up every man in his tent;
where he was smitten, and lay wounded; or where he was carried to be cured of his wounds; such should rise up like persons from the dead almost, and fight with such strength and spirit, that they should soon take the city, though in such a condition: and burn this city with fire;
this being a thing determined by the Lord, and nothing should hinder it; for it matters not what the instruments are; though ever so impotent and disabled, they shall do the work allotted to them. Wherefore all the hopes of the Jews, founded upon the departure of the Chaldean army, were vain ones.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Jeremiah 37:10 In-Context

8 Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture it and burn it down.’

9 “This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not!

10 Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down.”

11 After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army,

12 Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there.

Cross References 1

1. Jeremiah 21:10

Footnotes 1

[a]. Or "Chaldean" ; also in verse 11