Jeremiah 37:8

10 For were you to smite the whole army of the Chaldeans, who fight against you, and there remained of them wounded men, they would rise up, each from his tent, and burn this city with fire 11 And it was that after the army of the Chaldeans had gone up from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army, 12 Jeremiah went forth from Jerusalem, to go to the land of Benjamin, that he might withdraw himself there among the people. 13 When he was at the gate of Benjamin, the captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, who laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans: 14 And Jeremiah said, It is false, I am not falling away to the Chaldeans; but he did not hearken to him. And Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah and brought him to the princes. 15 And the princes were incensed against Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in the house of prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they made that the house of prison. 16 When Jeremiah came into the dungeon and into the cells, and had been there many days, 17 Then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out; and the king asked him privately and said, Is there a word from Jehovah? and Jeremiah said, There is: and he hath said, Into the hand of the king of Babylon shall thou be delivered. 18 And Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, What sin have I done against thee and thy servants and this people, that ye have delivered me into the house of prison?

37:1-10 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.

And the Chaldeans shall come again,.... To Jerusalem, after they have defeated or drove back the Egyptian army: and fight against this city; with fresh rigour and resolution; being exasperated by the methods taken to oblige them to raise the siege: and take it, and burn it with fire; as they did, Jeremiah 39:8.

Then came the word of the Lord to this effect: Jeremiah 37:7 . "Thus saith Jahveh, the God of Israel: Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah who hath sent you to me to ask at me, Behold, the army of Pharaoh, which marched out to your help, will return to Egypt, their own land. Jeremiah 37:8 . And the Chaldeans shall return and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. Jeremiah 37:9 . Thus saith Jahveh: Do not deceive yourselves by thinking, The Chaldeans will quite withdraw from us; for they will not withdraw. Jeremiah 37:10 . For, even though he had beaten the whole army of the Chaldeans who are fighting with you, and there remained of them only some who had been pierced through and through, yet they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire." In order to cut off every hope, the prophet announces that the Egyptians will bring no help, but withdraw to their own land before the Chaldeans who went out to meet them, without having accomplished their object; but then the Chaldeans will return, continue the siege, take the city and burn it. To assure them of this, he adds: "Ye must not deceive yourselves with the vain hope that the Chaldeans may possibly be defeated and driven back by the Egyptians.

The destruction of Jerusalem is so certain that, even supposing you were actually to defeat and repulse the Chaldeans, and only some few grievously wounded ones remained in the tents, these would rise up and burn the city." In הלוך ילכוּ the inf. abs. is to be observed, as strengthening the idea contained in the verb: "to depart wholly or completely;" הלך is here to "depart, withdraw." אנשׁים in contrast with חיל are separate individuals. מדקּר, pierced through by sword or lance, i.e., grievously, mortally wounded.

Micah and Isaiah, a little later, speak of such opposition, in Judah, as habitual Micah 2:6; Isaiah 30:10-11; much more in Israel, where the opposition to God's law was more fundamental, and where God's prophet's had been all but exterminated. Even Asa, in his degenerate days, imprisoned Hanani for prophesying that he would "have wars" 2 Chronicles 16:7, 2 Chronicles 16:10; Joash killed Zechariah son of Jehoiada 2 Chronicles 24:20-21; Amaziah silenced the prophet who rebuked him, "Art thou made of the king's council? forbear. Why shouldest thou be smitten?" 2 Chronicles 25:15-16. Jehoiakim sent even into Egypt to fetch Uriah and killed him Jeremiah 26:20-23. Jeremiah's life was one continuous encounter with false accusations Jeremiah 20:10; Jeremiah 37:13; Jeremiah 38:4, contradictions by false prophets (Jeremiah 23:17 ff; Jeremiah 27:9-10, Jeremiah 27:14-16; Jeremiah 28; Jeremiah 29), hatred Jeremiah 15:10, mockery Jeremiah 17:15; Jeremiah 20:7-8; Jeremiah 23:33, persecution Jeremiah 17:18, imprisonment Jeremiah 20:2; Jeremiah 32:3; Jeremiah 33:1; Jeremiah 37:15-21; Jeremiah 38:6-13, attempts to destroy him (Jeremiah 11:18-21; Jeremiah 18:18, Jeremiah 18:20-23; Jeremiah 26:8 ff; Jeremiah 36:26). The complaint was, as here, "wherefore dost thou prophesy?" Jeremiah 32:3.

Honest reproof (Jeremiah 37:17), in the end often gains more favor than flattery (Proverbs 28:23). CHAPTER 38 Jeremiah 38:1-28. J EREMIAH P REDICTS THE C APTURE OF J ERUSALEM , FOR W HICH H E I S C AST INTO A D UNGEON , ## BUT I S T RANSFERRED TO THE P RISON C OURT ON THE I NTERCESSION OF E BED - MELECH , AND H AS A S ECRET I NTERVIEW WITH Z EDEKIAH. All this was subsequent to his imprisonment in Jonathan's house, and his release on his interview with Zedekiah. The latter occurred before the return of the Chaldeans to the siege; the similar events in this chapter occurred after it. 1. Jucal —Jehucal (Jeremiah 37:3). Pashur —(Jeremiah 21:1; compare Jeremiah 21:9 with Jeremiah 38:2). The deputation in Jeremiah 21:1, to whom Jeremiah gave this reply, if not identical with the hearers of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:1), must have been sent just before the latter "heard" him speaking the same words. Zephaniah is not mentioned here as in Jeremiah 21:1, but is so in Jeremiah 37:3. Jucal is mentioned here and in the previous deputation (Jeremiah 37:3), but not in Jeremiah 21:1. Shephatiah and Gedaliah here do not occur either in Jeremiah 21:1 or Jeremiah 37:3. The identity of his words in both cases is natural, when uttered, at a very short interval, and one of the hearers (Pashur) being present on both occasions. unto all the people —They had free access to him in the court of the prison (Jeremiah 32:12). 2.

12 . humbled not himself ] Jeremiah consistently advised Zedekiah to submit to the Chaldeans; but the king partly through fear of his princes, partly through illusive hopes, could never bring himself to do this; cp. Jeremiah 21:1-7 ; Jeremiah 34:8-22 ; Jeremiah 37:1-10 ; Jeremiah 37:17 ; Jeremiah 38:17-23 .