14 Then said H559 Jeremiah, H3414 It is false; H8267 I fall not away H5307 to the Chaldeans. H3778 But he hearkened H8085 not to him: so Irijah H3376 took H8610 Jeremiah, H3414 and brought H935 him to the princes. H8269
[[To the chief Musician, H5329 Maschil, H4905 A Psalm of David, H1732 when Doeg H1673 the Edomite H130 came H935 and told H5046 Saul, H7586 and said H559 unto him, David H1732 is come H935 to the house H1004 of Ahimelech.]] H288 Why boastest H1984 thou thyself in mischief, H7451 O mighty H1368 man? the goodness H2617 of God H410 endureth continually. H3117 Thy tongue H3956 deviseth H2803 mischiefs; H1942 like a sharp H3913 razor, H8593 working H6213 deceitfully. H7423
And now, behold, I loose H6605 thee this day H3117 from the chains H246 which were upon thine hand. H3027 If it seem good H2896 H5869 unto thee to come H935 with me into Babylon, H894 come; H935 and I will look well H7760 H5869 unto thee: but if it seem ill H7489 H5869 unto thee to come H935 with me into Babylon, H894 forbear: H2308 behold, H7200 all the land H776 is before H6440 thee: whither it seemeth H413 good H2896 and convenient H3477 H5869 for thee to go, H3212 thither go. H3212 Now while he was not yet gone back, H7725 he said, Go back H7725 also to Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam H296 the son H1121 of Shaphan, H8227 whom the king H4428 of Babylon H894 hath made governor H6485 over the cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 and dwell H3427 with him among H8432 the people: H5971 or go H3212 wheresoever it seemeth convenient H3477 H5869 unto thee to go. H3212 So the captain H7227 of the guard H2876 gave H5414 him victuals H737 and a reward, H4864 and let him go. H7971 Then went H935 Jeremiah H3414 unto Gedaliah H1436 the son H1121 of Ahikam H296 to Mizpah; H4708 and dwelt H3427 with him among H8432 the people H5971 that were left H7604 in the land. H776
Blessed G3107 are ye, G2075 when G3752 men shall revile G3679 you, G5209 and G2532 persecute G1377 you, and G2532 shall say G2036 all manner G3956 of evil G4190 G4487 against G2596 you G5216 falsely, G5574 for my sake. G1752 G1700 Rejoice, G5463 and G2532 be exceeding glad: G21 for G3754 great G4183 is your G5216 reward G3408 in G1722 heaven: G3772 for G1063 so G3779 persecuted they G1377 the prophets G4396 which G3588 were before G4253 you. G5216
Blessed G3107 are ye, G2075 when G3752 men G444 shall hate G3404 you, G5209 and G2532 when G3752 they shall separate G873 you G5209 from their company, and G2532 shall reproach G3679 you, and G2532 cast out G1544 your G5216 name G3686 as G5613 evil, G4190 for the Son G5207 of man's G444 sake. G1752 Rejoice ye G5463 in G1722 that G1565 day, G2250 and G2532 leap for joy: G4640 for, G1063 behold, G2400 your G5216 reward G3408 is great G4183 in G1722 heaven: G3772 for G1063 in G2596 the like manner G5024 did G4160 their G846 fathers G3962 unto the prophets. G4396
If G1487 ye be reproached G3679 for G1722 the name G3686 of Christ, G5547 happy G3107 are ye; for G3754 the spirit G4151 of glory G1391 and G2532 of God G2316 resteth G373 upon G1909 you: G5209 on G2596 G3303 their part G846 he is evil spoken of, G987 but G1161 on G2596 your part G5209 he is glorified. G1392 But G1063 let G3958 none G3361 G5100 of you G5216 suffer G3958 as G5613 a murderer, G5406 or G2228 as a thief, G2812 or G2228 as an evildoer, G2555 or G2228 as G5613 a busybody in other men's matters. G244 Yet G1161 if G1487 any man suffer as G5613 a Christian, G5546 let him G153 not G3361 be ashamed; G153 but G1161 let him glorify G1392 God G2316 on G1722 this G5129 behalf. G3313
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Jeremiah 37
Commentary on Jeremiah 37 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 37
Jer 37:1-21. Historical Sections, Thirty-seventh through Forty-fourth Chapters. The Chaldeans Raise the Siege to Go and Meet Pharaoh-hophra. Zedekiah Sends to Jeremiah to Pray to God in Behalf of the Jews: in Vain, Jeremiah Tries to Escape to His Native Place, but Is Arrested. Zedekiah Abates the Rigor of His Imprisonment.
1. Coniah—curtailed from Jeconiah by way of reproach.
whom—referring to Zedekiah, not to Coniah (2Ki 24:17).
2. Amazing stupidity, that they were not admonished by the punishment of Jeconiah [Calvin], (2Ch 36:12, 14)!
3. Zedekiah … sent—fearing lest, in the event of the Chaldeans overcoming Pharaoh-hophra, they should return to besiege Jerusalem. See on Jer 21:1; that chapter chronologically comes in between the thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth chapter. The message of the king to Jeremiah here in the thirty-seventh chapter is, however, somewhat earlier than that in the twenty-first chapter; here it is while the issue between the Chaldeans and Pharaoh was undecided; there it is when, after the repulse of Pharaoh, the Chaldeans were again advancing against Jerusalem; hence, while Zephaniah is named in both embassies, Jehucal accompanies him here, Pashur there. But, as Pashur and Jehucal are both mentioned in Jer 38:1, 2, as hearing Jeremiah's reply, which is identical with that in Jer 21:9, it is probable the two messages followed one another at a short interval; that in this Jer 37:3, and the answer, Jer 37:7-10, being the earlier of the two.
Zephaniah—an abettor of rebellion against God (Jer 29:25), though less virulent than many (Jer 29:29), punished accordingly (Jer 52:24-27).
4. Jeremiah … not put … into prison—He was no longer in the prison court, as he had been (Jer 32:2; 33:1), which passages refer to the beginning of the siege, not to the time when the Chaldeans renewed the siege, after having withdrawn for a time to meet Pharaoh.
5. After this temporary diversion, caused by Pharaoh in favor of Jerusalem, the Egyptians returned no more to its help (2Ki 24:7). Judea had the misfortune to lie between the two great contending powers, Babylon and Egypt, and so was exposed to the alternate inroads of the one or the other. Josiah, taking side with Assyria, fell in battle with Pharaoh-necho at Megiddo (2Ki 23:29). Zedekiah, seeking the Egyptian alliance in violation of his oath, was now about to be taken by Nebuchadnezzar (2Ch 36:13; Eze 17:15, 17).
7. shall return—without accomplishing any deliverance for you.
8. (Jer 34:22).
9. yourselves—Hebrew, "souls."
10. yet … they—Even a few wounded men would suffice for your destruction.
11. broken up—"gone up."
12. Benjamin—to his own town, Anathoth.
to separate himself—Margin translates, "to slip away," from a Hebrew root, "to be smooth," so, to slip away as a slippery thing that cannot be held. But it is not likely the prophet of God would flee in a dishonorable way; and "in the midst of the people" rather implies open departure along with others, than clandestine slipping away by mixing with the crowd of departing people. Rather, it means, to separate himself, or to divide his place of residence, so as to live partly here, partly there, without fixed habitation, going to and fro among the people [Ludovicus De Dieu]. Maurer translates, "to take his portion thence," to realize the produce of his property in Anathoth [Henderson], or to take possession of the land which he bought from Hanameel [Maurer].
13. ward—that is, the "guard," or "watch."
Hananiah—whose death Jeremiah predicted (Jer 28:16). The grandson in revenge takes Jeremiah into custody on the charge of deserting ("thou fallest away," Jer 38:19; 52:15; 1Sa 29:3) to the enemy. His prophecies gave color to the charge (Jer 21:9; 38:4).
15. scribe—one of the court secretaries; often in the East part of the private house of a public officer serves as a prison.
16. dungeon … cabins—The prison consisted of a pit (the "dungeon") with vaulted cells round the sides of it. The "cabins," from a root, "to bend one's self."
17. secretly—Zedekiah was ashamed to be seen by his courtiers consulting Jeremiah (Joh 12:43; 5:44; 19:38).
thou shalt be delivered—Had Jeremiah consulted his earthly interests, he would have answered very differently. Contrast Jer 6:14; Isa 30:10; Eze 13:10.
18. What—In what respect have I offended?
19. Where are now your prophets—The event has showed them to be liars; and, as surely as the king of Babylon has come already, notwithstanding their prophecy, so surely shall he return.
20. be accepted—rather, "Let my supplication be humbly presented" (see on Jer 36:7), [Henderson].
lest I die there—in the subterranean dungeon (Jer 37:16), from want of proper sustenance (Jer 37:21). The prophet naturally shrank from death, which makes his spiritual firmness the more remarkable; he was ready to die rather than swerve from his duty [Calvin].
21. court of the prison—(Jer 32:2; 38:13, 28).
bakers' street—Persons in the same business in cities in the East commonly reside in the same street.
all the bread … spent—Jeremiah had bread supplied to him until he was thrown into the dungeon of Malchiah, at which time the bread in the city was spent. Compare this verse with Jer 38:9; that time must have been very shortly before the capture of the city (Jer 52:6). God saith of His children, "In the days of famine they shall be satisfied" (Ps 37:19; Isa 33:16). Honest reproof (Jer 37:17), in the end often gains more favor than flattery (Pr 28:23).