Jeremiah 37:17

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon. THE KING ASKED HIM SECRETLY. Zedekiah was ashamed to be seen by his courtiers consulting Jeremiah (; , "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only." So Joseph of Arimathea came originally to Jesus "secretly, for fear of the Jews," but with a very different issue from that of Zedekiah, ). THOU SHALL BE DELIVERED INTO THE HAND OF THE KING OF BABYLON Had Jeremiah consulted his earthly interests he...

From these words we learn, that King Zedekiah, though he had not obeyed good and wise counsels, nor even God and his truth, was not yet one of the worst, for of his own self he called the Prophet to him, and wished to find out whether he could in any way appease God. There is here, in short, a description given of the character of Zedekiah: he was unwilling to submit to God and his word, and yet he was not so cruel as to become enraged against the Prophet; nor had he wholly cast away all fear of God, all concern for religion, and all regard for prophetic teaching. For he no doubt sent for Jeremiah as God’s true servant, and in some degree honored him, and wished God to be propitious to himself. But this is usually the case with hypocrites: they would willingly be reconciled with God, but at the same time they wish to remain free, that is, to retain their own sinful dispositions; in short...

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...

Verse Jeremiah 37:17. _IS THERE_ ANY _WORD FROM THE LORD?_] Is there any farther revelation? _THERE IS: - THOU SHALT BE DELIVERED_] What bold faithfulness! And to a king, in whose hands his life now lay....

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

THEN ZEDEKIAH THE KING SENT AND TOOK HIM OUT,.... After Jeremiah had been in prison for some time; and the Chaldean army being returned, and having renewed their siege, the king is frightened; and knowing the prophet was in prison, sends a messenger to take him out from thence, and bring him to him; which was accordingly done: AND THE KING ASKED HIM SECRETLY IN HIS HOUSE; he took him into some private apartment, and there alone conferred with him, for fear of his princes and courtiers; who he knew bore no good will to the prophet, and would be ready to charge him with timidity; AND SAID unto him, IS THERE [ANY] WORD FROM THE LORD? he means any particular word of prophecy, any late one, and what concerned their present circumstances, showing what would be the issue of the return of the Chaldean army; for prophecy did not come at all times, nor even according to the will of man, but alw...

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 ...

IS THERE... THERE IS = Does there exist....... There does exist. Hebrew. _yesh_... _yesh_. See notes on Proverbs 8:21; Proverbs 18:24. and Luke 7:25....

See introd. summary to ch....