37:1ffKing Jehoiakim died on the way to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:6). His son Jehoiachin was appointed king but was taken Captive to Babyton three months later. Nebuchadnezzar then appointed Zedekiah as his vassal in Judah.
Life Application Study BibleJeremiahChapter 37
Jeremiah 37
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original page: 1263
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
37Jeremiah 37
Zedekiah Calls for Jeremiah
137 Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachin* son of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. He was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar* of Babylon. 2But neither King Zedekiah nor his attendants nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the LORD said through Jeremiah. 3Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us.” 4Jeremiah had not yet been imprisoned, so he could come and go among the people as he pleased. 5At this time the army of Pharaoh Hophra* of Egypt appeared at the southern border of Judah. When the Babylonian* army heard about it, they withdrew from their siege of Jerusalem. 6Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: 7“ This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The king of Judah sent you to ask me what is going to happen. Tell him, ‘Pharaoh's army is about to return to Egypt, though he came here to help you. ®Then the Babylonians* will come back and capture this city and burn it to the ground.’ 9“ This is what the LORD says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren't! 10Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”
Jeremiah Is Imprisoned
1111 When the Babylonian army left Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's approaching army, 12Jeremiah started to leave the city on his way to the territory of Benjamin, to claim his share of the property among his relatives there.* 13But as he was walking through the Benjamin Gate, a sentry arrested him and said, “You.are defecting to the Babylonians!” The sentry making the arrest was Irijah son of Shelemiah, grandson of Hananiah. 14“That’s not true!” Jeremiah protested. “I had no intention of doing any such thing.” But Irijah wouldn't listen, and he took Jeremiah before the officials. *They were furious with Jeremiah and had him flogged and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary. Jonathan’s house had been converted into a prison. 16Jeremiah was put into a dungeon cell, where he remained for many days. 17Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, “Do you have any messages from the LORD?” “Yes, I dol” said Jeremiah. “ You will be defeated by the king of Babylon.” 18Then Jeremiah asked the king, “What crime have I committed? What have I done against you, your attendants, or the people that I should be imprisoned like this? '?Where are your prophets now who told you the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land? 20Listen, my lord the king, I beg you. Don’t send me back to the dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for I will die there.” 21So King Zedekiah commanded that Jererniah not be returned to the dungeon. Instead, he was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. The king also commanded that Jeremiah be given a loaf of fresh bread every day as long as there was any left in the city. So Jeremiah was put in the palace prison.
Textual footnotes
- of Nebuchadnezzar.
- 37:1a Hebrew Coniah, a variant spelling of Jehoiachin.
- 37:1b Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling
- 37:5a Hebrew army of Pharaoh; see 44:30.
- 37:5b Or Chaldean; also in 37:10, 11.
- 37:8 Or Chaldeans; also in 37:9, 13.
- 37:12 Hebrew to separate from there in the midst of the people.
Life Application Notes 4 notes
37:2,3King Zedekiah and his officials did not want to listen to Jeremiah’s words, but they wanted the blessings of his Prayers. They wanted a superficial religion that wouldn't cost anything. God is not pleased with those who come to him seeking only what they can get rather than seeking to have a relationship with him. We would not accept that kind of relationship with someone else, and we shouldn't expect God to accept it from us.
37:5When Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem in 589 B.C., Pharaoh Hophra marched against him at Zedekiah’s invitation. Jerusalem looked to Egypt for help in spite of Jeremiah’s warnings. But the Egyptians were no help, for as soon as the Babylonians turned on them, they retreated. Jeremiah's warnings had been correct.
37:17Zedekiah teetered between surrender and resistance. Too frightened and weak to exercise authority, he asked Jeremiah to come secretly to the palace. perhaps hoping for some better news from God. Zedekiah was desperate. He wanted to hear a word from the LORD, but he feared the political ramifications of being caught talking to Jeremiah.