Jeremiah 37:9

9 The LORD proclaims: Don't let yourself be deceived into thinking that the Babylonians will withdraw for good. They won't!

Jeremiah 37:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 37:9

Thus saith the Lord, deceive not yourselves
Or, "your souls"; with a false opinion, a vain persuasion and belief of the departure of the Chaldeans never to return; which they would have confirmed by the Lord; or, "lift not up your souls" ^F2; with vain hopes of the above things: self or soul deception is a dreadful thing; and sad is the disappointment when men are elated with a false and vain hope: saying, the Chaldeans shall surely depart from us;
they had departed from Jerusalem; but they were persuaded they would depart out of the land of Judea, and go into their own land, the land of Babylon, from whence they came, and never return more: for they shall not depart;
out of the land of Judea, into their own land; at least not till they had done the work they were sent about.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (Mkytvpn wavt la) "ne efferatis animas vestras", Tigurine version, Calvin; "ne tollatis (in spem) animas vestras", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 37:9 In-Context

7 The LORD, the God of Israel, proclaims: Tell the king of Judah who sent his emissaries to seek advice from me: "Pharaoh's army that came to assist you is heading back to Egypt.

8 The Babylonians will return and attack this city. They will capture it and burn it down."

9 The LORD proclaims: Don't let yourself be deceived into thinking that the Babylonians will withdraw for good. They won't!

10 Even if you were to crush the entire Babylonian army that's attacking you and only the wounded in their tents remained, they would rise up and burn this city down.

11 Now when the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem due to Pharaoh's advance,

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb lacks for good.