Jeremiah 37:9

Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart. DECEIVE NOT YOURSELVES - Hebrew, 'your souls.'...

The Prophet confirms the former verse, and it was indeed necessary that this should be added, for though Zedekiah might not have divested himself of all anxiety and fear, he must yet have been moved by that prophecy, and thus he might have become more hardened in his obduracy, as it is the case with hypocrites; who, when they find that they can gain nothing, become furious against God, and run on headlong in their course. This might then have been the case with Zedekiah and also the Jews; hence Jeremiah adds, by way of confirmation, _Elate not your hearts, or, _Deceive not yourselves; that is, on account of the report respecting the Egyptian army. Thus he told the Jews that they had no reason to expect any alleviation. And the reason is added, _For if, _he says, _ye had smitten, the Chaldeans _so that few remained, _yet they would rise up every one from his tent, and burn this city _...

1-10 Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will not be advised; yet sinners are often hardened by a pause in judgments. But if God help us not, no creature can. Whatever instruments God has determined to use, they shall do the work, though they seem unlikely....

Jeremiah’s answer here is even more unfavorable than that which is given in Jeremiah 21:4. So hopeless is resistance that the disabled men among the Chaldaeans would alone suffice to capture the city and burn it to the ground....

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

THUS SAITH THE LORD, DECEIVE NOT YOURSELVES,.... Or, "your souls"; with a false opinion, a vain persuasion and belief of the departure of the Chaldeans never to return; which they would have confirmed by the Lord; or, "lift not up your souls" b; with vain hopes of the above things: self or soul deception is a dreadful thing; and sad is the disappointment when men are elated with a false and vain hope: SAYING, THE CHALDEANS SHALL SURELY DEPART FROM US; they had departed from Jerusalem; but they were persuaded they would depart out of the land of Judea, and go into their own land, the land of Babylon, from whence they came, and never return more: FOR THEY SHALL NOT DEPART; out of the land of Judea, into their own land; at least not till they had done the work they were sent about. b אל תשאו נפשתיכם "ne efferatis animas vestras", Tigurine version, Calvin; "ne tollatis (in spem) animas ve...

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 37, 38. FORTUNES OF JEREMIAH DURING THE SIEGE (588- 586). JEREMIAH 37:1. Zedekiah, made vassal-king in place of his nephew, Jehoiachin (in 597) sends Jehucal (Jeremiah 38:1) and Zephaniah (Jeremiah 21:1, where a similar inquiry earlier in the siege is recorded) to ask for Jeremiah's intercession with Yahweh (_cf._ Isaiah 37:4), at a time when the siege has been raised through the Egyptian expedition of Pharaoh (Hophra, 589- 564; _cf._ Jeremiah 44:30). Jeremiah sends back to say that the Babylonians will return, and

YOURSELVES. your own souls. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13....

B. Jeremiah's Response Jeremiah 37:6-10 TRANSLATION (6) Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, (7) Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Thus shall you say unto the king of Judah who sent you unto me to inquire of me: Behold, the army of Pharaoh which has come out to help you shall return to its own land, to Egypt. (8) The Chaldeans shall return and fight against this city, and capture it, and burn it. (9) Thus says the LORD: Do not deceive yourselves by thinking that the Chaldeans are permanently withdrawing, for they are not leaving. (10) For if you smite the entire army of the Chaldeans who are fighting against you and there remained among them only wounded men, each of them lying in his tent, they would arise and burn this city. COMMENTS Jeremiah rightly sensed that the king's request for prayer was in reality an inquiry as