1Po Konjáhovi, synu Jehojakimovu, se stal králem Sidkijáh, syn Jošíjáhův; babylónský král Nabuchodonosor ho ustanovil králem v Judsku, 2ale neposlouchal on, ani jeho služebníci, ani lid země Hospodinova slova, která mluvil skrze proroka Jeremiáše. 3Král Sidkijáh vzkázal po Jehuchalovi, synu Šelemjáhovu, a po knězi Sefanjáhovi, synu Masejáhovu, proroku Jeremiášovi: Modli se za nás k Hospodinu, našemu Bohu! 4Jeremiáš chodil volně mezi lidem, neboť ho ještě nevsadili do žaláře. 5Faraónovo vojsko vytáhlo tehdy z Egypta; Chaldejci, kteří obléhali Jeruzalém, když o tom uslyšeli, odtáhli od Jeruzaléma. 6Tu Hospodin oslovil proroka Jeremiáše: 7Tak praví Hospodin, Bůh Izraele: Řekněte judskému králi, který vás poslal ke mně, abyste se poradili se mnou: Faraónovo vojsko, které vám vytáhlo na pomoc, se zase vrátí do své země, do Egypta. 8Vrátí se také Chaldejci, znovu budou bojovat proti tomuto městu, dobudou ho a spálí. 9Tak praví Hospodin: Neklamte se, nemyslete si: Jistě od nás odejdou Chaldejci – neboť neodejdou! 10I kdybyste pobili všechno vojsko Chaldejců, kteří proti vám bojují a zůstalo z nich jen několik raněných, povstane každý ze svého stanu a zapálí toto město. 11Když tedy odtáhlo chaldejské vojsko od Jeruzaléma kvůli vojsku faraónovu, 12vyšel Jeremiáš z Jeruzaléma, aby se odebral do Benjaminova území. Chtěl se tam u tamějších lidí ujmout svého majetku. 13Když však přišel k Benjaminské bráně, tu strážný jménem Jirijaj, syn Šelemjáha, syna Chananjáhova, zadržel proroka Jeremiáše se slovy: Utíkáš k Chaldejcům! 14Jeremiáš odpověděl: To je lež! Neutíkám k Chaldejcům! Jirijaj však nechtěl slyšet, Jeremiáše zatkl a přivedl k úředníkům. 15Ti se na Jeremiáše rozhněvali, zbili ho a uvěznili v domě písaře Jehonatana. Udělali z jeho domu vězení. 16Tak se dostal Jeremiáš do podzemního sklepení a zůstal tam mnoho dní. 17Král Sidkijáh však pro něho poslal, vzal ho k sobě a ve svém domě se ho tajně ptal: Řekl něco Hospodin? Jeremiáš odpověděl: Ano, a dodal: Budeš vydán do rukou babylónského krále! 18A dále řekl Jeremiáš králi Sidkijáhovi: Čím jsem se provinil proti tobě, tvým služebníkům nebo tvému lidu, že jste mě vsadili do žaláře? 19Kde jsou vaši proroci, kteří vám prorokovali: Babylónský král na vás a na tuto zemi nepřijde!? 20Nyní tedy slyš, můj pane, králi! Vyslyš milostivě mou prosbu a neposílej mě zpět do domu písaře Jehonatana, abych tam neumřel. 21Král Sidkijáh tedy přikázal, aby byl Jeremiáš zavřen ve vězeňském dvoře a aby mu dávali každý den chléb z ulice pekařů, dokud vůbec byl v městě chléb. A tak zůstal Jeremiáš ve vězeňském dvoře.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 HISTORICAL SECTIONS, THIRTY-SEVENTH THROUGH FORTY-FOURTH CHAPTERS. THE CHALDEANS RAISE THE SIEGE TO GO AND MEET PHARAOH-HOPHRA. ZEDEKIAH SENDS TO JEREMIAH TO PRAY TO GOD IN BEHALF OF THE JEWS: IN VAIN, JEREMIAH TRIES TO ESCAPE TO HIS NATIVE PLACE, BUT IS ARRESTED. ZEDEKIAH ABATES THE RIGOR OF HIS IMPRISONMENT. (Jer. 37:1-21)
Coniah--curtailed from Jeconiah by way of reproach.
whom--referring to Zedekiah, not to Coniah (
2Kgs 24:17).
2 Amazing stupidity, that they were not admonished by the punishment of Jeconiah [CALVIN], (
2Chr 36:12,
2Chr 36:14)!
3 Zedekiah . . . sent--fearing lest, in the event of the Chaldeans overcoming Pharaoh-hophra, they should return to besiege Jerusalem. See on
Jer 21:1; that chapter chronologically comes in between the thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth chapter. The message of the king to Jeremiah here in the thirty-seventh chapter is, however, somewhat earlier than that in the twenty-first chapter; here it is while the issue between the Chaldeans and Pharaoh was undecided; there it is when, after the repulse of Pharaoh, the Chaldeans were again advancing against Jerusalem; hence, while Zephaniah is named in both embassies, Jehucal accompanies him here, Pashur there. But, as Pashur and Jehucal are both mentioned in
Jer 38:1-
Jer 38:2, as hearing Jeremiah's reply, which is identical with that in
Jer 21:9, it is probable the two messages followed one another at a short interval; that in this
Jer 37:3, and the answer,
Jer 37:7-
Jer 37:10, being the earlier of the two.
Zephaniah--an abettor of rebellion against God (
Jer 29:25), though less virulent than many (
Jer 29:29), punished accordingly (
Jer 52:24-
Jer 52:27).
4 Jeremiah . . . not put . . . into prison--He was no longer in the prison court, as he had been (
Jer 32:2;
Jer 33:1), which passages refer to the beginning of the siege, not to the time when the Chaldeans renewed the siege, after having withdrawn for a time to meet Pharaoh.
5 After this temporary diversion, caused by Pharaoh in favor of Jerusalem, the Egyptians returned no more to its help (
2Kgs 24:7). Judea had the misfortune to lie between the two great contending powers, Babylon and Egypt, and so was exposed to the alternate inroads of the one or the other. Josiah, taking side with Assyria, fell in battle with Pharaoh-necho at Megiddo (
2Kgs 23:29). Zedekiah, seeking the Egyptian alliance in violation of his oath, was now about to be taken by Nebuchadnezzar (
2Chr 36:13;
Ezek 17:15,
Ezek 17:17).
7 shall return--without accomplishing any deliverance for you.
8 (
Jer 34:22).
9 yourselves--Hebrew, "souls."
10 yet . . . they--Even a few wounded men would suffice for your destruction.
11 broken up--"gone up."
12 Benjamin--to his own town, Anathoth.
to separate himself--Margin translates, "to slip away," from a Hebrew root, "to be smooth," so, to slip away as a slippery thing that cannot be held. But it is not likely the prophet of God would flee in a dishonorable way; and "in the midst of the people" rather implies open departure along with others, than clandestine slipping away by mixing with the crowd of departing people. Rather, it means, to separate himself, or to divide his place of residence, so as to live partly here, partly there, without fixed habitation, going to and fro among the people [LUDOVICUS DE DIEU]. MAURER translates, "to take his portion thence," to realize the produce of his property in Anathoth [HENDERSON], or to take possession of the land which he bought from Hanameel [MAURER].
13 ward--that is, the "guard," or "watch."
Hananiah--whose death Jeremiah predicted (
Jer 28:16). The grandson in revenge takes Jeremiah into custody on the charge of deserting ("thou fallest away,"
Jer 38:19;
Jer 52:15;
1Sam 29:3) to the enemy. His prophecies gave color to the charge (
Jer 21:9;
Jer 38:4).
15 scribe--one of the court secretaries; often in the East part of the private house of a public officer serves as a prison.
16 dungeon . . . cabins--The prison consisted of a pit (the "dungeon") with vaulted cells round the sides of it. The "cabins," from a root, "to bend one's self."
17 secretly--Zedekiah was ashamed to be seen by his courtiers consulting Jeremiah (
John 12:43;
John 5:44;
John 19:38).
thou shalt be delivered--Had Jeremiah consulted his earthly interests, he would have answered very differently. Contrast
Jer 6:14;
Isa 30:10;
Ezek 13:10.
18 What--In what respect have I offended?
19 Where are now your prophets--The event has showed them to be liars; and, as surely as the king of Babylon has come already, notwithstanding their prophecy, so surely shall he return.
20 be accepted--rather, "Let my supplication be humbly presented" (see on
Jer 36:7), [HENDERSON].
lest I die there--in the subterranean dungeon (
Jer 37:16), from want of proper sustenance (
Jer 37:21). The prophet naturally shrank from death, which makes his spiritual firmness the more remarkable; he was ready to die rather than swerve from his duty [CALVIN].
21 court of the prison-- (
Jer 32:2;
Jer 38:13,
Jer 38:28).
bakers' street--Persons in the same business in cities in the East commonly reside in the same street.
all the bread . . . spent--Jeremiah had bread supplied to him until he was thrown into the dungeon of Malchiah, at which time the bread in the city was spent. Compare this verse with
Jer 38:9; that time must have been very shortly before the capture of the city (
Jer 52:6). God saith of His children, "In the days of famine they shall be satisfied" (
Ps 37:19;
Isa 33:16). Honest reproof (
Jer 37:17), in the end often gains more favor than flattery (
Pro 28:23).
All this was subsequent to his imprisonment in Jonathan's house, and his release on his interview with Zedekiah. The latter occurred before the return of the Chaldeans to the siege; the similar events in this chapter occurred after it.
