Jeremiah 37
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CHAPTER 37
Jeremiah in Prison (37:1–21)
1–3 In this chapter, Jeremiah jumps ahead again to the last two years of Zedekiah’s reign. Zedekiah had been placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:17), but toward the end of his reign he rebelled against Babylon (2 Kings 24:20). This brought on the final siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (2 Kings 25:1–2). Fearing the end was near, Zedekiah asked Jeremiah to pray to God for help (verse 3). This was the second time Zedekiah had sent messages to ask for Jeremiah’s assistance (see Jeremiah 21:1–2).
4–5 During the siege of Jerusalem, the Egyptian army marched out to oppose Babylon; the leaders of Judah had asked the Egyptians to come to their aid. In order to deal with the advancing Egyptian army, the Babylonians temporarily suspended their siege and withdrew from Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 34:21–22).
6–10 The Lord instructed Jeremiah to tell the king that the Egyptian army would retreat back to Egypt and the Babylonians would resume their siege and eventually destroy Jerusalem. The Lord’s judgment on the city was now irreversible. Even if all the Babylonians were wounded, they would still overcome Jerusalem (verse 10); the Lord had determined it.
11–15 During the temporary lifting of the siege, Jeremiah attempted to visit his hometown in the territory of Benjamin, but at the city gate he was arrested and charged with treason. Even though the charge was false, Jeremiah was put in prison.
16–17 Zedekiah in his palace was more fearful than Jeremiah in his prison; the king again sent for Jeremiah to ask him if he had received any new word from the Lord (verse 17). But the word had not changed: Zedekiah would surely be handed over to the king of Babylon (verse 17)–a prophecy that would soon be fulfilled (2 Kings 25:4–7).
18–21 Jeremiah then protested his arrest to the king. Jeremiah’s prophecies about the Babylonian invasion had come true, but the prophecies of Zedekiah’s prophets had proved false: they had said the Babylonians wouldn’t attack Jerusalem. They were the false prophets, not Jeremiah. Why weren’t they in prison!
Perhaps Zedekiah had realized by this time that Jeremiah was a true prophet. In any event, he granted Jeremiah’s request to be moved to a safer place (verse 21), the courtyard of the guard (see Jeremiah 32:2). In addition, the king ordered that Jeremiah be properly fed—that is, as long as there was food in the city (see 2 Kings 25:3).