Jeremiah 37:11

And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, WHEN THE ARMY OF THE CHALDEANS WAS BROKEN UP - `gone up.'...

11-21 There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Isaiah 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who judges righteously. Jeremiah obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, and would not, to obtain mercy of man, be unfaithful to God or to his prince; he tells the king the whole truth. When Jeremiah delivered God's message, he spake with boldness; but when he made his own request, he spake submissively. A lion in God's cause must be a lamb in his own. And God gave Jeremiah favour in the eyes of the king. The Lord God can make even the cells of a prison become pastures to his people, and will raise up fr...

WAS BROKEN UP FOR FEAR OF - Or, “had got them up from the face of.” It was simply a strategic movement....

EXPOSITION Nothing worthy of relation appears to have happened to Jeremiah till the latter period of the reign of Zedekiah. The first two verses of this chapter form the transition. The embassy to Jeremiah mentioned in verse 3 took place after the temporary withdrawal of the Chaldeans from Jerusalem. JEREMIAH 37:1 CONIAH; _i.e._ Jehoiachin (see on Jeremiah 22:24). WHOM NEBUCHADREZZAR … MADE KING. Zedekiah, not Jehoiachin, is referred to (see 2 Kings 24:17). JEREMIAH 37:3 AND ZEDEKIAH THE KING SENT. Th

AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN THE ARMY OF THE CHALDEANS WERE BROKEN UP FROM JERUSALEM,.... When the siege of the city was broken up and raised: or, when they "went up from Jerusalem" c; were gone from it; FOR FEAR OF PHARAOH'S ARMY; or rather "because of Pharaoh's army" d. The word "fear" is not in the text; nor did they leave Jerusalem for fear of his army, but to meet it, and give it battle, as they did; however, by this means there was a freer egress and regress from and to the city. c בחעלות "cum recessisset", Cocceius; "ascendisset", Schmidt. d מפני חיל "propter exercitum", Cocceius, Schmidt; "propter copias", Junius Tremellius, Piscator....

AND IT CAME TO PASS Five phases of Jeremiah's prison experiences are recorded: (1) He is arrested in the gate and committed to a dungeon on the false charge of treason (Jeremiah 37:11). (2) he is released from the dungeon, but restrained to the court of the prison; (3) he is imprisoned in the miry dungeon and kept in prison court (Jeremiah 38:1). (4) he is again released from the dungeon and kept in the prison court (Jeremiah 38:13) until the capture of the city; (5) carried in chains from the city by Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, he is finally released at Ramah. ...

JEREMIAH AND ZEDEKIAH AND THE FALL OF JERUSALEM (37-39) CHAPTER 37 _ 1. Jeremiah's warning (Jeremiah 37:1) _ 2. Jeremiah's arrest (Jeremiah 37:11) Jeremiah 37:1. To understand more fully these Chapter s it must be remembered that the besieging army before the gates of Jerusalem was temporarily withdrawn, because an Egyptian army had appeared against it. This was no doubt an occasion for the false prophets to preach their false hope, so that the people were deceived. Once more Zedekiah sent to the prophet a deputation (Jeremiah 21:1) after Nebuchadnezzar had made him king. The occasion was on

Jeremiah, during the interval in the siege, is leaving the city by a northern gate on private business (perhaps connected with the earlier incident of Jeremiah 32:6 ff.), when he is arrested by the officer on duty under charge of desertion (plausible in view of Jeremiah 21:9; _cf._ Jeremiah 38:19). His denial is disregarded, and he is beaten and imprisoned by the princes (those friendly to him, _cf._ Jeremiah 26:16; Jeremiah 36:19, were now probably exiles). After a lengthy imprisonment, the king sends for him secretly ...

See introd. summary to ch....

II. THE PROPHET CONFINED Jeremiah 37:11 to Jeremiah 38:28 Jeremiah experienced a great deal of suffering at the hands of the national leaders during those last dark days before the fall of Jerusalem. He was arrested about the middle of the Chaldean siege. He spent the last nine months or so before the fall of the city being bounced around from one detention area to another[325] as the king and his advisers tried to determine what to do with this troublesome prophet. On more than one occasion the prophet was given opportunity to change his message, to deliver some favorable oracle, and thereby improve his miserable lot. If ever a man had reason to compromise his message Jeremiah had it. The fact that through all his personal suffering he refused to alter his basic message authenticates him as a genuin