Jeremiah 37:11-21·~1 min

Jeremiah Imprisoned

When the Chaldean army withdraws because of Pharaoh's approach, Jeremiah sets out from Jerusalem toward Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. At the Benjamin Gate Irijah seizes him and accuses him of deserting to the Chaldeans; though Jeremiah denies the charge, the officials beat him and imprison him in Jonathan the secretary's house, which has been turned into a prison.

W¹¹hen the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army, ¹²Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people. ¹³But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!” ¹⁴“That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” ¹⁵The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.

After many days in the dungeon cells of the house, Jeremiah is secretly brought before King Zedekiah, who asks whether there is any word from the LORD. Jeremiah answers that there is: the king will be handed over to Babylon; he also protests his innocence and asks not to be returned to Jonathan's house lest he die there, so Zedekiah orders him moved to the court of the guard and given a daily loaf of bread until the supply in the city is exhausted.

¹⁶So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time. ¹⁷Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” ¹⁸Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people, that you have put me in prison? ¹⁹Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land’? ²⁰But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.” ²¹So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Section summaryAs the Chaldeans withdraw temporarily, Jeremiah tries to go from Jerusalem to Benjamin, but he is seized at the Benjamin Gate by Irijah, accused of defecting to Babylon, and handed over to hostile officials. They beat and imprison him in Jonathan's house, then after many days Zedekiah secretly summons him, hears again that he will be delivered into Babylon's hand, and orders Jeremiah transferred to the court of the guard with a daily ration of bread while any remains in the city.

Role in the chapterThis closing section shows the prophet suffering the rejection of his message while the king's fearful half-measures fail to become actual obedience.