Yirmeyah 37:12-21

12 Then Yirmeyah went forth out of Yerushalayim to go into the Eretz Binyamin, to get [his] chelek from there among HaAm.

13 And when he was in the Sha’ar Binyamin, a ba’al pekidut (captain of the guard) was there, shmo Yiriyah Ben Shelemyah Ben Chananyah; and he arrested Yirmeyah HaNavi, saying, Thou fallest away as a deserter to the Kasdim (Chaldeans).

14 Then said Yirmeyah, Sheker; I fall not away as a deserter to the Kasdim (Chaldeans). But he paid heed not to him; so Yiriyah arrested Yirmeyah, and brought him to the sarim.

15 Therefore the sarim were enraged with Yirmeyah, and had him beaten, and put him in house arrest in the Bais Yohonatan the Sofer; for they had made that the bais hakeleh (prison).

16 When Yirmeyah was entered into the bais habor (dungeon), and into the cells, and Yirmeyah had remained there yamim rabbim;

17 Then HaMelech Tzidkiyah sent, and brought him out; and HaMelech asked him baseter (secretly) in his Bais (Palace), and said, Is there Devar from Hashem? And Yirmeyah said, There is; for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the yad Melech Bavel.

18 Moreover Yirmeyah said unto HaMelech Tzidkiyah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy avadim, or against Am Hazeh, that ye have put me in bais hakeleh?

19 Where are now your nevi’im which prophesied unto you, saying, Melech Bavel shall not come against you, nor against HaAretz hazot?

20 Therefore hear now, O adoni HaMelech; let now my techinnah be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the Bais Yehonatan HaSofer, lest I die there.

21 Then HaMelech Tzidkiyah commanded that they should commit Yirmeyah into the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard, and that they should give him daily kikar lechem (loaf of bread) out of the street of ha’ofim (the bakers), until all the lechem in the Ir was gone. Thus Yirmeyah remained in the Khatzer (courtyard) of the Guard.

Yirmeyah 37:12-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 37

This chapter makes mention of the reign of Zedekiah, and what happened in it; of his message to Jeremiah, to pray for the kingdom; of the king of Babylonian's raising the siege of Jerusalem, on hearing the king of Egypt was coming to its relief; of the assurance the prophet gave that the Chaldean army would return again, and destroy the city; of the prophet's attempt to depart the city, his imprisonment, conversation with Zedekiah, and his clemency to him. A short account is given of Zedekiah, and of the disobedience of him and his people to the word of the Lord, Jer 37:1,2; of the message sent by him to the prophet to pray for them, Jer 37:3; the time, when Jeremiah was at liberty, and the siege of Jerusalem was raised, Jer 37:4,5; the prophet's answer to them from the Lord, assuring them the Chaldeans would return and burn the city, Jer 37:6-10; the prophet attempting to go out of the city is stopped, and charged as a deserter to the Chaldeans; is had before the princes, and beat and imprisoned, Jer 37:11-15; but the king sending for him out of prison, and having some private discourse with him, upon the prophet's expostulation and intercession, his confinement was mitigated, and bread allowed him, Jer 37:16-21.