Jeremiah 37:7

7 "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'This is what you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire [of] me, "Look, the army of Pharaoh, which set out to help you, [is] going to return to his land Egypt.

Jeremiah 37:7 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 37:7

Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel
Which are the usual titles and characters the Lord takes to himself, when he spake by the prophet; see ( Jeremiah 34:2 Jeremiah 34:13 ) ; thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me, to
inquire of me;
in an oracular way; for by this it seems that they were not only sent to desire the prophet to pray for them, but to obtain an oracle from the Lord, confirming it to them, that the Chaldean army which was gone would not return any more; this they were willing to believe, but wanted to have a confirmation of it from the Lord; and so the Targum,

``to seek an oracle from me;''

or to ask instruction or doctrine from me: now these messengers are bid to go back and tell the king, his nobles, and all the people of the land, what follows: behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return
to Egypt, into their own land;
being afraid to face the Chaldean army; or being defeated and driven back by it. Josephus ^F1 says there was a battle fought between the Egyptians and Chaldeans, in which the latter were conquerors, and put the former to flight, and drove them out of all Syria. Jarchi relates a fable, how that the Egyptian army came by ships, and that at sea they saw strange appearances, upon which they said one to another, what means this? they replied, these are our fathers, whom the fathers of those we are going to help drowned in the sea; and immediately returned to their own land.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Anitqu. l. 10. c. 7. sect. 3.

Jeremiah 37:7 In-Context

5 And the army of Pharaoh had come out from Egypt, and the Chaldeans, who were laying siege to Jerusalem, heard their report and they withdrew from Jerusalem.

6 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the prophet, {saying},

7 "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'This is what you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire [of] me, "Look, the army of Pharaoh, which set out to help you, [is] going to return to his land Egypt.

8 And the Chaldeans will return, and they will fight against this city, and they will capture it, and they will burn it with fire." '

9 Thus says Yahweh: 'You must not deceive yourselves, {saying}, "Surely the Chaldeans will go from us," for they will not go.