Jeremiah 37:7-17

7 Thus says the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, Thus shall you tell the king of Yehudah, who sent you to me to inquire of me: Behold, Par`oh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Mitzrayim into their own land.

8 The Kasdim shall come again, and fight against this city; and they shall take it, and burn it with fire.

9 Thus says the LORD, Don't deceive yourselves, saying, The Kasdim shall surely depart from us; for they shall not depart.

10 For though you had struck the whole army of the Kasdim who fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yes would they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

11 It happened that, when the army of the Kasdim was broken up from Yerushalayim for fear of Par`oh's army,

12 then Yirmeyahu went forth out of Yerushalayim to go into the land of Binyamin, to receive his portion there, in the midst of the people.

13 When he was in the gate of Binyamin, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Yeriyah, the son of Shelemyahu, the son of Hananyah; and he laid hold on Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying, You are falling away to the Kasdim.

14 Then said Yirmeyahu, It is false; I am not falling away to the Kasdim. But he didn't listen to him; so Yeriyah laid hold on Yirmeyahu, and brought him to the princes.

15 The princes were angry with Yirmeyahu, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Yonatan the Sofer; for they had made that the prison.

16 When Yirmeyahu was come into the dungeon-house, and into the cells, and Yirmeyahu had remained there many days;

17 Then Tzidkiyahu the king sent, and fetched him: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? Yirmeyahu said, There is. He said also, You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Bavel.

Jeremiah 37:7-17 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.