Jeremiah 21:9

He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. HE THAT ABIDETH IN THIS CITY SHALL DIE ... BUT HE THAT ... FALLETH TO THE CHALDEANS ... SHALL LIVE - repeated in ; Jeremiah 38:17. FALLETH TO - deserts to. HIS LIFE SHALL BE UNTO HIM FOR A PREY - proverbial, to make one's escape with life, like a valuable spoil or prey that one carries off: the narrowness of the escape, and the joy felt at it, are included in the idea ()....

_Thou shalt say to this people, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death. _Which was the way of death? _Whosoever, _he says, _abides in this city, shall die by the sword, or by famine, or by pestilence _This was incredible to the Jews, and they were no doubt inflamed with rage when they heard that they were to perish in the holy city which God protected; for there he had his sanctuary, and there his rest was. But the Prophet had already dissipated all these delusions; he could, therefore, boldly threaten them, though they still alleged their vain pretences: he had shewed reasons enough why they could hope for nothing less than exile from God, for they had so many times, and so obstinately, and in such various ways provoked him. This, then, he says, is the _way of death, _it is by remaining in the city. And he mentions several kinds of evils, and sh...

1-10 When the siege had begun, Zedekiah sent to ask of Jeremiah respecting the event. In times of distress and danger, men often seek those to counsel and pray for them, whom, at other times, they despise and oppose; but they only seek deliverance from punishment. When professors continue in disobedience, presuming upon outward privileges, let them be told that the Lord will prosper his open enemies against them. As the king and his princes would not surrender, the people are exhorted to do so. No sinner on earth is left without a Refuge, who really desires one; but the way of life is humbling, it requires self-denial, and exposes to difficulties....

HE THAT ... FALLETH TO THE CHALDEANS - This was to counsel desertion, and would have been treason in an ordinary man: but the prophets Spoke with an authority above that even of the king, and constantly interfered in political matters with summary decisiveness. Compare Matthew 24:16. A PREY - Something not a man’s own, upon which he seizes in the midst of danger, and hurries away with it. So must the Jews hurry away with their lives as something more than they had a right to, and place them in the Chaldaean camp as in a place of safety....

EXPOSITION The chapter falls into three parts, two of which seem to be in some sort of connection, while the third is isolated. First comes a warning to the messengers of Zedekiah of the unfortunate issue of the rebellion against Babylon; this is followed by a counsel to the people to give up their futile resistance, and "fall away" to the Chaldeans. The last four verses contain an exhortation to the "house of David" to fulfill their high duties with greater conscientiousness, for fear of the judgment which had already begun to take effect when the former part of this chapter was written. Compare Zedekiah's embassy to Jeremiah with that of Hezekiah to Isaiah on a similar emergency (Isaiah 37:2). JEREMIAH 21:1 PASHUR. A different Pashur from the one

HE THAT ABIDETH IN THIS CITY,.... Imagining himself safe there; not fearing its being taken by the king of Babylon; though it was so often foretold by the prophet of the Lord that it should: SHALL DIE BY THE SWORD, AND BY THE FAMINE, AND BY THE PESTILENCE: by the first of these, in sallying out against the enemy; and by the other two, which raged within the city: BUT HE THAT GOETH OUT, AND FALLETH TO THE CHALDEANS THAT BESIEGE YOU, HE SHALL LIVE; not fall upon them, as the words may be literally rendered; so it would describe such that went out of the city and sallied upon them; whereas it designs such who should go out of the city, and surrender themselves unto the Chaldeans; submit to them, so as to obey them, as the Targum adds; such shall have their lives spared: AND HIS LIFE SHALL BE UNTO HIM FOR A PREY; it shall be like a spoil or booty taken out of an enemy's hands; it shall b...

CHAPTER 21 The Prophetic Warning _ 1. Zedekiah's inquiry (Jeremiah 21:1) _ 2. Jehovah's answer through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 21:3) Jeremiah 21:1. It has been said that this chapter is historically misplaced and therefore must be considered an evidence of the composite authorship of this book. The Spirit of God for some reason unknown to us has put it in this place. Zedekiah sent unto Jeremiah Pashur (a different one from the Pashur in the preceding chapter) to inquire as to Nebuchadrezzar, the King of Babylon. This is of course Nebuchadnezzar. The form of his name found in Jeremiah is derived more correctly from the Babylonian, which is “Nabukudurri-usur.” Here the great king is mentio

THE OUTCOME OF THE SIEGE (588 B.C.). Zedekiah, apparently at an early stage of the siege of Jerusalem (whilst Jeremiah 37:3 refers to a similar, but later, incident) sends envoys, Pashhur (not the same as in Jeremiah 20:1) and Zephaniah (Jeremiah 29:25; Jeremiah 37:3; Jeremiah 52:24), to ask the prophet if Yahweh will cause the besiegers to withdraw (go up, Jeremiah 34:21). Jeremiah replies that Yahweh is against Jerusalem, and will deliver king and pe

HE THAT GOETH OUT, &C. Many acted on this promise (Jeremiah 39:9; Jeremiah 52:15). FALLETH. shall fall. HE SHALL LIVE. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "then (or so) shall he live". BE UNTO HIM FOR. PREY: i.e. he shall save his life, but it will be dearly bought. Compare Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 39:18; Jeremiah 1:6. The phrase occurs only in Jeremiah....

See introd. note to section. Owing to such advice Jeremiah was later charged with lack of patriotism, and in fact with treachery (Jeremiah 37:13 ff., Jeremiah 38:2 ff.)....