Jeremiah 37:17

17 Therefore king Zedekiah sent, and took him away, and asked him privily in his house, and said, Guessest thou, whether a word is of the Lord? And Jeremy said, There is. And Jeremy said, Thou shalt be betaken into the hand of the king of Babylon. (And so King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah, and had him brought to his house, and privately asked him, Knowest thou, is there a word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is. And Jeremiah said, Thou shalt be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.)

Jeremiah 37:17 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 37:17

Then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out
After Jeremiah had been in prison for some time; and the Chaldean army being returned, and having renewed their siege, the king is frightened; and knowing the prophet was in prison, sends a messenger to take him out from thence, and bring him to him; which was accordingly done: and the king asked him secretly in his house;
he took him into some private apartment, and there alone conferred with him, for fear of his princes and courtiers; who he knew bore no good will to the prophet, and would be ready to charge him with timidity; and said
unto him, is there [any] word from the Lord?
he means any particular word of prophecy, any late one, and what concerned their present circumstances, showing what would be the issue of the return of the Chaldean army; for prophecy did not come at all times, nor even according to the will of man, but always according to the will of God, and when he thought fit; this the king knew very well, and he wanted a comfortable word, some good news of the failure of the present attempt: and Jeremiah said, there is;
but not such an one as he wanted; it was of the same strain with the former, and confirmed all that the prophet had from time to time told him and his predecessor what would certainly be the case: for, said he, thou shall be delivered into the hand of the king of
Babylon;
which was boldly and faithfully said, to be said to the face of the king himself, risking his life in so doing; or, at least, exposing himself to severer treatment, if severer could be used.

Jeremiah 37:17 In-Context

15 Wherefore the princes were wroth against Jeremy, and beat him, and sent him into the prison, that was in the house of Jonathan, the scribe; for he was sovereign on the prison (for he was the ruler of the prison).

16 Therefore Jeremy entered into the house of the pit, and into the prison of travail; and Jeremy sat there many days (and Jeremiah sat there for many days).

17 Therefore king Zedekiah sent, and took him away, and asked him privily in his house, and said, Guessest thou, whether a word is of the Lord? And Jeremy said, There is. And Jeremy said, Thou shalt be betaken into the hand of the king of Babylon. (And so King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah, and had him brought to his house, and privately asked him, Knowest thou, is there a word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is. And Jeremiah said, Thou shalt be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.)

18 And Jeremy said to Zedekiah, the king, What have I sinned to thee, and to thy servants, and to thy people, for thou hast sent me into the house of [the] prison? (And Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, What have I sinned against thee, and thy officers, and thy people, so that thou hast sent me into the prison house?)

19 Where be your prophets, that prophesied to you, and said, The king of Babylon shall not come on you, and on this land? (Where be your prophets, who prophesied to you, and said, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, or against this land?)