Jeremiah 37:9

9 "This is what the Lord says: People of Jerusalem, do not fool yourselves. Don't say, 'The Babylonian army will surely leave us alone.' They will not!

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 "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Jehucal and Zephaniah, I know Zedekiah king of Judah sent you to seek my help. Tell this to King Zedekiah: 'The army of the king of Egypt came here to help you, but they will go back to Egypt.

8 After that, the Babylonian army will return and attack Jerusalem and capture it and burn it down.'

9 "This is what the Lord says: People of Jerusalem, do not fool yourselves. Don't say, 'The Babylonian army will surely leave us alone.' They will not!

10 Even if you defeated all of the Babylonian army that is attacking you and there were only a few injured men left in their tents, they would come from their tents and burn down Jerusalem!"

11 So the Babylonian army left Jerusalem to fight the army of the king of Egypt.