Yirmeyah 37

1 7 And Melech Tzidkiyah Ben Yoshiyah reigned instead of Coneyahu [Yehoyakin] Ben Y’hoyakim, whom Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel put on the throne in Eretz Yehudah.

2 But neither he, nor his avadim, nor the Am HaAretz, did pay heed unto the Divrei Hashem, which He spoke by Yirmeyah HaNavi.

3 And HaMelech Tzidkiyah sent Yehukhal Ben Shelemyah and Tzephanyah Ben Maaseiyah the Kohen to Yirmeyah HaNavi, saying, Hitpalel na (pray now) unto Hashem Eloheinu for us.

4 Now Yirmeyah came in and went out among HaAm; for they had not put him into bais hakeleh (prison).

5 Then the army of Pharaoh was come forth out of Mitzrayim; and when the Kasdim (Chaldeans) that besieged Yerushalayim heard news of them, they withdrew from Yerushalayim.

6 Then came the Devar Hashem unto Yirmeyah HaNavi saying,

7 Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel; Thus shall ye say to Melech Yehudah, that sent you unto Me to enquire of Me; Hinei, the army of Pharaoh, which is come forth l’ezrah (to help, support) you, shall return to Mitzrayim into their own land.

8 And the Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall return, and fight against HaIr hazot (this City, i.e., Jerusalem) and capture it, and burn it down with eish.

9 Thus saith Hashem; Deceive not nafshoteichem, saying, The Kasdim (Chaldeans) shall surely depart from us; for they shall not depart.

10 For though ye had struck down kol chayil Kasdim (the whole army of the Chaldeans) that fight against you, and there remained but anashim medukarim (wounded men) among them, yet should they rise up every ish in his ohel, and with eish burn down HaIr hazot.

11 And it came to pass, that when the army of the Kasdim (Chaldeans) was withdrawn from Yerushalayim because of the army of Pharaoh,

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 Commentary

Chapter 37

The Chaldean army will return. (1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (11-21)

Verses 1-10 Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will not be advised; yet sinners are often hardened by a pause in judgments. But if God help us not, no creature can. Whatever instruments God has determined to use, they shall do the work, though they seem unlikely.

Verses 11-21 There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, ( Isaiah 26:20 ) . Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who judges righteously. Jeremiah obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, and would not, to obtain mercy of man, be unfaithful to God or to his prince; he tells the king the whole truth. When Jeremiah delivered God's message, he spake with boldness; but when he made his own request, he spake submissively. A lion in God's cause must be a lamb in his own. And God gave Jeremiah favour in the eyes of the king. The Lord God can make even the cells of a prison become pastures to his people, and will raise up friends to provide for them, so that in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Chapter Summary

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.