Jeremiah 32:4

And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes; HIS EYES SHALL BEHOLD HIS EYES - i:e., only before reaching Babylon, which he was not to see. Jeremiah 39:6 harmonizes this prophecy () with the seemingly opposite prophecy . "He shall not see it" (Babylon)....

When, therefore, the king saw that he would not be exempt from the common judgment, he was especially displeased with Jeremiah; for kings seek to be exempt from all laws, and when they allow the people to be reproved, they yet wish themselves to be deemed sacred. As then Jeremiah classed the king Zedekiah with all the common people, it was a thing not to be endured by a proud king. Hence his indignation was such, that he shut up Jeremiah in prison; and he became implacable, even when God’s hand pressed hard on him. It afterwards follows, —...

1-15 Jeremiah, being in prison for his prophecy, purchased a piece of ground. This was to signify, that though Jerusalem was besieged, and the whole country likely to be laid waste, yet the time would come, when houses, and fields, and vineyards, should be again possessed. It concerns ministers to make it appear that they believe what they preach to others. And it is good to manage even our worldly affairs in faith; to do common business with reference to the providence and promise of God....

Verse Jeremiah 32:4. _AND SHALL SPEAK WITH HIM MOUTH TO MOUTH_] He shall be reduced to a state of the most abject servitude. The _slave_ was obliged to fix his eyes on every motion of the master whilst giving his orders, who often condescended to give them only by _dumb signs_....

EXPOSITION Jeremiah was far from wishing to depress his fellow countrymen to the point of disbelieving in the inalienable promises of God to Israel, He fully recognized an element of truth in the preaching of the "false prophets," viz. that Jehovah was still the God of his people Israel, though for wise purposes he chose to hide his face for a time. His own faith was intense, to the pitch of an even Roman heroism (see Livy, Jeremiah 26:11). The opportunity (or rather—see below—the fight) of purchasing a piece of ground at Anathoth was the occasion which called forth the most striking proof of his sublime confidence in God. Not that he understood how it could be God's will that he, in the besieged city, should constitute himself a landed proprietor. He had his difficulties; but instead of brooding over them, he laid them Before Jehovah in prayer. And the Divine revelation

AND ZEDEKIAH KING OF JUDAH SHALL NOT ESCAPE OUT OF THE HAND OF THE CHALDEANS,.... This is a continuation of the prophecy of Jeremiah, repeated by the king to him, and which concerns himself more especially; who, upon the taking of the city, would endeavour to make his escape, as he did; but should not be able, Jeremiah 52:8; BUT SHALL SURELY BE DELIVERED INTO THE HAND OF THE KING OF BABYLON; not only into the hands of his army, and of his generals, but into his own hand personally; since it follows: AND SHALL SPEAK WITH HIM MOUTH TO MOUTH, AND HIS EYES SHALL BEHOLD HIS EYES; converse together face to face, eye to eye; but no doubt with different tones and looks; the king of Babylon upbraiding the king of Judah with perjury and ingratitude, and looking upon him with indignation and contempt; the other speaking faintly, and looking down with grief, sham

Jeremiah 32:1. _The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem : and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house. For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying. Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shalt surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes; and he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the Lord: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper._...

CHAPTER 32 Jeremiah in Prison _ 1. Shut up in the court of the prison (Jeremiah 32:1) _ 2. The revelation of the Lord concerning Hanameel (Jeremiah 32:6) 3. The prophet's prayer (Jeremiah 32:16) 4. Jehovah's answer (Jeremiah 32:26) Jeremiah 32:1. The siege of Jerusalem began in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign. It was in the tenth year, a year later (Jeremiah 39:1) that we find Jeremiah in prison.

JEREMIAH 32. THE REDEMPTION OF LAND AT ANATHOTH. A token of confidence in the future restoration. Probably not much more than Jeremiah 32:6 is original. This narrative, it should be noticed, is both preceded (Jeremiah 32:30 f.) and followed (Jeremiah 32:33) by restoration prophecies. JEREMIAH 32:1. In 587 B.C., during the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, Jeremiah was a prisoner in the guard-court, used for specially-treated prisoners (Jeremiah 37:20 f.); the explanation given is that he had prophesied ...

HIS EYES SHALL BEHOLD HIS EYES: he should go to Babylon (Jeremiah 34:3). Yet Ezekiel (Jeremiah 12:13) declared that he should not "see" Babylon. Both statements were true; for we read that Zedekiah did "see" the king of Babylon at Riblah, but his eyes being put out there (2 Kings 25:6; 2 Kings 25:7), he never _saw_ Babylon, though he was _led_ there. See Jeremiah 52:10; Jeremiah 52:11....