# Jeremiah 37 š: Jeremiah Imprisoned
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#š Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#š Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#š§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#āļø Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#š Key Principles / š Life Application]]
> [[#š¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#āļø Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#š Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#š Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#š Internal Notes]]
## š Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Introduction to Incidents During the Reign of Zedekiah
[[#Verse 01.]]Ā Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded JeconiahĀ son of Jehoiakim as king. He was elevated to the throne of the land of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.Ā
[[#Verse 02.]]Ā Neither he nor the officials who served him nor the people of Judah paid any attention to what theĀ LordĀ said through the prophet Jeremiah.
### The Lord Responds to Zedekiahās Hope for Help
[[#Verse 03.]]Ā King Zedekiah sentĀ JehucalĀ son of Shelemiah and the priest ZephaniahĀ son of Maaseiah to the prophet Jeremiah to say, āPlease pray to theĀ LordĀ our God on our behalf.āĀ
[[#Verse 04.]]Ā (Now Jeremiah had not yet been put in prison.Ā So he was still free to come and go among the people as he pleased.Ā
[[#Verse 05.]]Ā At that time the Babylonian forcesĀ had temporarily given up their siege against Jerusalem. They had had it under siege, but withdrew when they heard that the army of Pharaoh had set out from Egypt.)Ā
[[#Verse 06.]]Ā TheĀ Lordās message came to the prophet Jeremiah,Ā
[[#Verse 07.]]Ā āThis is what theĀ LordĀ God of Israel has said, āThis is what you must say to the king of Judah who sent you to seek my help.Ā āBeware,Ā Pharaohās army that was on its way to help you is about to go back home to Egypt.Ā
[[#Verse 08.]] Then the Babylonian forcesĀ will return. They will attack the city and will capture it and burn it down.Ā
[[#Verse 09.]]Ā Moreover, I, theĀ Lord, warn you not to deceive yourselves into thinking that the Babylonian forcesĀ will go away and leave you alone. For they will not go away.Ā
[[#Verse 10.]]Ā For even if you were to defeat all the Babylonian forcesĀ fighting against you so badly that only wounded men were left lying in their tents, they would get up and burn this city down.āāā
### Jeremiah is Charged with Deserting, Arrested, and Imprisoned
[[#Verse 11.]]Ā The following events also occurredĀ while the Babylonian forcesĀ had temporarily withdrawn from Jerusalem because the army of Pharaoh was coming.Ā
[[#Verse 12.]]Ā Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the territory of Benjamin. He wanted to make sure he got his share of the property that was being divided up among his family there.Ā
[[#Verse 13.]]Ā But he only got as far as the Benjamin Gate.Ā There an officer in charge of the guards named Irijah,Ā who was the son of Shelemiah and the grandson of Hananiah, stopped him. He seized Jeremiah and said,Ā āYou are deserting to the Babylonians!āĀ
[[#Verse 14.]]Ā Jeremiah answered, āThatās a lie! I am not deserting to the Babylonians.āĀ But Irijah would not listen to him. Irijah put Jeremiah under arrest and took him to the officials.Ā
[[#Verse 15.]]Ā The officials were very angryĀ with Jeremiah. They had him flogged and put in prison in the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary, which they had converted into a place for confining prisoners.
[[#Verse 16.]]Ā SoĀ Jeremiah was put in prison in a cell in the dungeon in Jonathanās house.Ā HeĀ was kept there for a long time.
[[#Verse 17.]]Ā Then King Zedekiah had him brought to the palace. There he questioned him privately and asked him,Ā āIs there any message from theĀ Lord?ā Jeremiah answered, āYes, there is.ā Then he announced,Ā āYou will be handed over to the king of Babylon.āĀ
[[#Verse 18.]]Ā Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, āWhat crime have I committed against you, or the officials who serve you, or the people of Judah? What have I done to make you people throw me into prison?Ā
[[#Verse 19.]]Ā Where now are the prophets who prophesied to you thatĀ the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land?Ā
[[#Verse 20.]]Ā But now please listen, your royal Majesty,Ā and grant my plea for mercy.Ā Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary. If you do, I will die there.ā
[[#Verse 21.]]Ā Then King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be committed to the courtyard of the guardhouse. He also ordered that a loaf of breadĀ be given to him every day from the bakersā street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah was keptĀ in the courtyard of the guardhouse.
## š Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
## š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Zedekiah, a son of Josiah, was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar instead of Coniah (37:1).
2. Pharaoh's army came out of Egypt, and the Babylonians temporarily withdrew from Jerusalem (37:5). Jeremiah 44:30 names a Pharaoh of this period as Hophra.
3. Jeremiah warned that even if only wounded Babylonian soldiers were left, they would burn the city (37:10).
4. Jeremiah tried to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his share of property (37:12).
5. He was arrested at the Benjamin Gate by a guard named Irijah (37:13).
6. He was beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which had been turned into a prison (37:15).
7. He was held in a dungeon or vaulted cell for many days (37:16).
8. Zedekiah secretly brought Jeremiah to the palace to ask for a word from the Lord (37:17).
9. Jeremiah asked not to be sent back to Jonathan's house, where he feared he would die (37:20).
10. He received a loaf of bread daily from the bakers' street (37:21), showing that Jerusalem had streets for particular trades.
## š§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## āļø Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Word that leaders secretly sought but would not obey. Zedekiah asked, "Is there any word from the Lord?" (37:17), and Pilate stood face to face with Jesus and asked, "What is truth?" (John 18:38).
## š Key Principles / š Life Application
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## š¬ Discussion Questions
1. Zedekiah asked Jeremiah to pray for the nation, yet he did not listen to God's words (37:2-3). Why do people sometimes want God's help without His lordship?
2. Jeremiah was falsely accused of deserting to the Babylonians (37:13-14). How should Christians respond when their motives are misjudged?
3. Zedekiah asked Jeremiah in secret for a word from the Lord (37:17). What keeps people from following God openly?
## āļø Key Verses to Remember
- š verse 2: Neither the king nor the people listened to the words the Lord spoke through Jeremiah.
- š verse 17: Zedekiah secretly asks, "Is there any word from the Lord?" Jeremiah answers, "There is."
- š verse 21: Jeremiah is given a loaf of bread daily from the bakers' street until the bread runs out.
## š Related Passages/Cross Reference
- š [[John 18#Verse 37.|John 18:37-38]] - Pilate asks, "What is truth?"
- š [[Mark 06#Verse 20.|Mark 6:20]] - Herod liked to listen to John, yet was perplexed.
- š [[Matthew 05#Verse 11.|Matthew 5:11-12]] - Blessed are you when people falsely accuse you.
- š [[Acts 24#Verse 24.|Acts 24:24-25]] - Felix trembles but delays.
- š [[2 Kings 24#Verse 17.|2 Kings 24:17]] - Nebuchadnezzar makes Zedekiah king.
## š Devotional Reflection
š SOAP: [[Jeremiah 37 - SOAP|God Can Use Your Enemies to Bless You]]
## š Internal Notes