2 Kings 24 & 2 Chron 36:5-13 background
Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, had been made a tributary king of Judah by the Egyptian Pharaoh (2 Kings 23:31-37). Then Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, makes Jehoiakim his tributary. After 3 years Jehoiakim rebels. A consortium of the Chaldees, Syrians, Moabites, and the people of Ammon come against the kingdom of Judah (probably under orders from Nebuchadnezzar). Jehoiakim is succeeded by his 18 yr old son Jehoiachin. (2 Chron 36:9 says Jehoiachin was only 8 years old)
Babylon has conquered Egypt, now Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem. In the 8th year of Jehoiachin’s reign the Babylonians take him, his household, princes, and officers to Babylon, along with the treasures pillaged from the king’s house and the Temple. Ten thousand captives, including the best of the army and the craftsmen, are carried away leaving only the poorest people. The king of Babylon makes Zedekiah king of Judah at age 21.
After some years, Zedekiah rebels, and near the end of his 10th year as king Nebuchadnezzar comes and lays another siege against Jerusalem, as described in 2 Kings 25 & 2 Chron 36:17-20.
From the days of Jehoiakim on, Jeremiah is in and out of prison, accused of treason.
Note: I have tried to put the following chapters in some sort of chronological order, but have managed, no doubt, very imperfectly.
Jer 26 Jeremiah is tried & acquitted under the reign of Jehoiakim
“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the Lord . . .” The Lord tells Jeremiah to stand in the court of the Temple, and if the people will listen and repent, He will change his intended punishments for their sins. If not, the Temple will be destroyed just as Shiloh was (the site of the Tabernacle before the Temple was built). The Lord reminds them He has continually sent prophets, but they refused to listen.
The priests, prophets, and everyone has heard Jeremiah preaching in the Temple. They all threaten him with death. The princes come from the king’s house to inquire what’s happening. The priests and prophets say, “This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.”
Jeremiah defends himself by saying that the Lord has sent him, “Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.”
The princes and the people tell the priests & prophets that Jeremiah isn’t worthy of death, because he has spoken in the Lord’s name. The elders bring up the example of the prophet Micah in the reign of Hezekiah that had prophesied Zion/Jerusalem would be plowed like a field, tossed up in heaps—that is, destroyed. Did Hezekiah and the people put him to death? No, Hezekiah took Micah’s words to heart and went to the Lord to plead for the nation. The Lord was willing to change what would occur. If we kill Jeremiah we might jeopardize our souls.
Another prophet, Urijah, also prophesies against Jerusalem and the nation, just as Jeremiah had done. When Jehoiakim and his princes and powerful men hear him, Jehoiakim looks for an opportunity to have him put to death. Urijah flees to Egypt, but Jehoiakim sends men to Egypt and they bring him back to be killed. They toss his body into a common grave.
One guy, Ahikam, saves Jeremiah from that fate.
Jer 35 in the days of Jehoiakim (son of king Josiah) Jeremiah contrasts the obedience of one lineage (possibly of priests) vs the disobedience of the nation of Judah
“The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah . . .”
The following is such a good summary of this chapter, I have nothing further to add. May we be as faithful as the Rechabites.
https://bibleask.org/who-were-the-rechabites-in-the-bible/
https://www.gotquestions.org/Rechabites.html
In the last verse of this chapter the Lord promises that because of the faithfulness of the Rechabites there will never lack a man of the descendants of Jonadab “to stand before” the Lord forever. I take that phrase to mean serving in the office of a priest.
Jer 45 The Lord’s promise to Baruch, 4th year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah
Baruch was feeling low, “Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.” The Lord sends Jeremiah to tell Baruch, I will destroy this land that I built & planted. Do you want great things for yourself [such as land and its wealth]? Don’t seek those things, because the land will be destroyed. But I will save your life, no matter where you go. (Later Baruch would be taken, along with Jeremiah, by the leaders of the remnant of the Jews, to Egypt).
Jer 46 in the 4th yr of Jehoiakim, Jeremiah prophesies the eventual conquest of Egypt
Pharaoh-necho of Egypt is at the river Euphrates, feeling pretty full of himself. “Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.” Amongst his army are Ethiopians and Libyans (skilled in hand-to-hand battle), and Lydians (skilled archers). Jeremiah prophesies their defeat, which will cause a lasting Egyptian military weakness. Pharoah is beaten by , king of Babylon. Jeremiah goes on to prophesy that eventually Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, will come even to Egypt and conquer it.
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:
26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the Lord. [After being conquered, Egypt will once again rise as a nation.]
But the Lord promises the Children of Israel that they will one day be gathered again to live in the land of Israel.
27 ¶ But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.
28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
Jer 36 Baruch writes for Jeremiah in Jehoiakim’s 4th yr as king; Jeremiah is in prison at the time
“And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the Lord . . .” Jeremiah is to write the words of the Lord on a scroll in the possibility that the house of Judah (either the kingly lineage or the nation of Judah) will hear all the prophecies of trouble ahead, and will choose to repent and be forgiven. Jeremiah calls on Baruch to act as his scribe, since Jeremiah is in prison. Baruch writes for him, and Jeremiah sends him to read it in the Temple on an official day of fasting that had been called for all the people of the cities of Judah to come. Perhaps this has given rise to the hope that the people might be willing to listen. Baruch is faithful to the task (though it must have been a dangerous thing to do). This is evidence that God has given men free will to choose their own path, but must live with the consequences. People always have the possibility to choose good, and the Lord gives them the benefit of that possibility as He warns them of the consequences and holds out the opportunity to be forgiven if they repent/change their ways & come to Him in truth.
One of the Temple officials goes to the king’s house to tell the princes all Baruch has read in the Temple. They call for Baruch to bring the scroll to them. He does so, perhaps with great hopes. They tell him to read the scroll to them, which he does. They are filled with fear, and tell Baruch to take Jeremiah and hide. They then hide the scroll, but tell the king all it said. The king sends for the scroll and has it read to him and all the princes. The king cuts up the scroll and tosses it in the fire (it was winter and there was a fire going in the hearth). Only three have the courage to protest, but the king doesn’t listen. The scriptures specifically mention that no one tore their clothes in anguish at the blasphemy of burning God’s word. The king sends officers to take Jeremiah and Baruch, “but the Lord hid them.”
The Lord tells Jeremiah to rewrite the words of the scroll. He is to tell king Jehoiakim that because he burnt the warning words of the Lord (that the king of Babylon would come and destroy the land of Judah), the king will not have an heir to sit on the throne, and his own dead body will be tossed out into the elements. The king and his posterity, and his servants, will be punished for their iniquities. All the trouble prophesied against the kingdom will be fulfilled. So Jeremiah and Baruch do as the Lord has told them, and even more prophetic words are added by the Lord to the 2nd scroll.
Jer 27 Jeremiah tells both Jehoiakim and Zedekiah that they must accept Babylonian rule or be destroyed
“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the Lord . . .” Jeremiah is to put on yokes (used for carrying burdens, or for animals used in plowing) and fetters. He is to send them to the kings of Edom, Moab, Tyre, Zidon, and the Ammonites via the messengers they have sent to Zedekiah in Jerusalem, along with a message from God: I am the Creator of the earth and all the people and beasts upon it, and I give control of it to whomever I want. I have given all your lands and animals to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. All nations will serve him, and his son, and his grandson. When their time is up, other nations and kings will conquer Babylon. Any nation that refuses to serve Babylon will be killed by the sword (war), famine, and pestilence/disease. So don’t listen to your prophets, diviners, dreamers, enchanters, and sorcerers who say it won’t be so. They are prophesying lies to you. But those nations willing to be tributary to Babylon will be able to remain in their own lands.
Likewise, Jeremiah tells Zedekiah the same thing when he is made king. He tells the priests and people not to listen to prophets who are pretending to be sent by the Lord, that the treasures of the Temple will shortly be brought back from Babylon (maybe they have some emissaries working toward/negotiating for that end?). If they really ae prophets of the Lord, let them intercede with the Him that whatever treasures are left in the Temple and the king’s house should not be taken as well to Babylon (as they were under Jehoiakim’s son, along with the captives). And yet, they will be carried away to Babylon, and remain there until the Lord brings them back again (when Babylon’s ascendancy it broken).
Jer 29 Jeremiah sends a letter to those carried away into Babylon under Jehoiachin
After Nebuchadnezzar carried away the “best” of the kingdom of Judah (in the reign of Jehoiachin) as captives into Babylon, Jeremiah sends a letter to their elders. He tells them to settle for the long run: build houses, plant gardens, take wives and have families (so your population can continue to grow) where you are. Seek the peace of the city where you are—in other words, don’t foment rebellion. In the peace of that city you will find peace. Don’t listen to any who pretend to be prophets that say anything different, for “I have not sent them, saith the Lord.”
10 ¶ For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
The Lord tells them not to look to the king (Zedekiah) and the remnant still in Jerusalem and the land around it, because they will yet be destroyed by sword (war), famine, and pestilence (disease). They will also be conquered and carried away captive, because they have not listened to the prophets I have sent to them. They have committed villany, adultery, lied in God’s name. Don’t listen to the false prophets who prophesy lies in the name of God. Zedekiah and the false prophet of his time, named Ahab (remember wicked king Ahab at the time of Elijah!), will be killed before your eyes, and roasted with fire.
Shemaiah sends a letter from Babylon to the people left in Jerusalem attacking Jeremiah for sending his letter to the captives in Babylon telling them to settle down for a long captivity. He says Jeremiah ought to be arrested and put in prison.
Shemaiah’s letter is read to Jeremiah. “Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie: Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the Lord; because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord.”
Jer 20 Jeremiah is arrested by a Temple authority
Pashur, a governor of the Temple, hears of Jeremiah’s prophesies. He whacks Jeremiah and locks him up next to the Temple (in the high gate of Benjamin, Jeremiah’s tribe(. Next day he brings him out, presumably for “questioning”, and Jeremiah says his name is not Pashur, but an all-around terror, “For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it . . .”
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jeremiah/20-1.htm explanation of who Pashur was
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jeremiah/20-2.htm Pashur arrests Jeremiah, explanation
https://biblehub.com/topical/m/magor-missabib.htm Magor-missabib
“ . . . and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
5 Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.
Jeremiah pours out his heart to God. He feels like he’s been ill-used by the Lord, because people make fun of him constantly. He has spoken God’s word, but it’s got him nothing but trouble. So he thought he’d just quit speaking in God’s name, but His word was like a fire in him, until he couldn’t hold back from speaking. Even his old friends conspire to report on him if he says (or if they can entrap him into saying) anything they don’t want people to hear, in order to destroy him.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jeremiah/20-10.htm
But then Jeremiah takes heart, remembering that the Lord is behind him. All his persecutors will stumble into shame (or, be found out for what they are), which won’t ever be forgotten. “But, O Lord of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.” That is, Jeremiah has laid his case before God. He knows that the Lord tests the righteous to prove what’s in their heart and what they are made of. “Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.”
And yet Jeremiah struggles. He alternates between praising God and cursing the day he was born.
Jer 21 Zedekiah sends to Jeremiah for a message of hope, and Jeremiah prophesies destruction
King Zedekiah sends the priests Pashur (see Jer 20) and Zephaniah to Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord (or, to try to get him to intercede on behalf of the nation). Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, has his armies and his allies the Chaldeans besieging Jerusalem, capital of the kingdom of Judah. But Jeremiah only has bad news to send back—that the city will be taken, and that those who survive the siege, the fighting, the famine, the pestilence will be killed by the conquerors. The Lord will hand them over to their enemies, who will have no pity nor mercy on them.
Jeremiah tells them, “Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.” The way of life is to leave the city and surrender. Those that remain in the city will die. As for the king, if he doesn’t execute justice against the oppressor, he will find God’s justice executed on him for his ill deeds. This seems in reference to Jeremiah’s own case of unjust treatment by his enemies.
(Jer 22-25 to be covered in Jeremiah part 4 to come; Jer 26 & 27 above)
Jer 28 the false prophet Hananiah speaks in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah
Hananiah, son of Azur the prophet, speaks to Jeremiah in the Temple, in front of the priests and people. Hananiah says, “I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.” [Perhaps Hananiah has spies or allies in Babylon that pass on the rumors there?]
Jeremiah responds in front of everyone basically, that plenty of prophets in the past have likewise made such claims against other countries and kingdoms. Whose words come to pass, those are the ones who were in truth sent by God.
Hananiah takes the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and breaks it. (ref Jer 27) He says in such a way the Lord will break the yoke of Babylon from all the nations he’s conquered within 2 years. Jeremiah leaves.
The Lord sends Jeremiah to confront Hananiah and tell him, “Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.” Jeremiah says to Hananiah, as well, “Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord.”
Hananiah dies the same year.
Jer 37 Jeremiah imprisoned in a dungeon, then the court of prison early in Zedekiah’s reign
Following Nebuchadrezzer/Nebuchadnezzer’s carrying away Jehoiakim & all to Babylon (but the nation of Judah still wouldn’t listen to Jeremiah), Pharoah’s army from Egypt comes to help Jerusalem vs the Chaldeans (who leave). Zedekiah sends Jeremiah to pray for his people. But the Lord tells Jeremiah to tell the king that the Pharaoh’s army will leave and the Chaldeans will return, take Jerusalem, and burn it with fire. Don’t kid yourselves, thinking the Chaldean’s will leave. They won’t. And even if you could beat the Chaldeans so that only their wounded were left, they would come and burn the city.
When the Chaldeans leave the siege of Jerusalem at the coming of Pharaoh’s army, Jeremiah leaves Jerusalem to go back to his people, the tribe of Benjamin. But just as he is at the gate of his hometown, he is taken back to Jerusalem under a charge of treason, accused of being an ally of the Chaldeans, because of what he prophesied. Jeremiah denies the accusation, but he is imprisoned in a dungeon nevertheless.
After Jeremiah has been imprisoned a long time, Zedekiah brings him secretly to his own house and asks if there’s any word from the Lord. Jeremiah says, Yes, you will be delivered into the hand of Babylon’s king. Then Jeremiah asks the king, What’s my crime, for which I’ve been put in prison? Where are those “prophets” who told you the king of Babylon wouldn’t come against you? (essentially, I told you the truth, so why have you put me in prison?) Jeremiah petitions the king not to send him back to prison, lest he die there. Zedekiah makes Jeremiah’s imprisonment less harsh, has him put in less austere confinement, and orders that he be given bread from the bakers until it is all gone. And that’s where Jeremiah stays. One would think that after all these warnings that the king would follow Jeremiah's (the Lord's) counsel. But it seems evident to me that Zedekiah was weak and intimidated by the princes/elders of the people.
(Jer 29 above; 30-31 to be covered in part 4, ch 32 below; Jer 35-36 in the days of Jehoiakim above; 37 early in Zedekiah’s reign)
Jer 32 Jeremiah imprisoned in the 10th year of Zedekiah, while Jerusalem is under siege; destruction is reiterated, but then a return to the Land of Promise in the future—a beautiful chapter
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house.”
Jeremiah has been prophesying impolitic predictions that Jerusalem will be conquered by Babylon and King Zedekiah will be taken to Babylon.
The Lord tells Jeremiah that his cousin will come to him in prison and offer to sell him some of his land inheritance in Anathoth (in the land of the tribe of Benjamin), as is his right by the laws of inheritance. (Remember from the Law of Moses and the Book of Ruth that the nearest of kin had first right to buy an inheritance for sale). When this happens, Jeremiah knows he wasn’t just dreaming it up himself. He has the means to buy it, and does (17 silver shekels, apparently a small sum; see commentary linked below) The transaction is lawfully witnessed by Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe/ally/friend. Jeremiah tells Baruch to put these evidences in a earthenware pot/jar and bury it for long term safe keeping, because God has promised that His people will one day return to possess the land.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jeremiah/32-9.htm
Jeremiah then prays and praises God as the powerful Creator of all, and “there is nothing too hard for thee: Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them . . . Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings . . .”
There is a seeming inconsistency in these words, that God recompenses the iniquities of the fathers on their posterity, but He gives everyone according to his own behavior. We see this in our society/culture: children and even generations suffer the consequences of their parents’ poor choices, such as alcoholism, law breaking, abuse. The opposite is true as well, children and posterity benefit from the wise choices and good lives of their parents. And yet in our court/Justice system people are tried for their own crimes, not for their parents’ or any others’. It’s a difficult reconciliation of this life. We trust, however, that all will be made right in the end—Judgment Day. Otherwise, it would be too difficult to live, it has seemed to me.
Jeremiah continues, referencing God bringing the Children of Israel out of Egypt, “with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey . . .” And yet the people didn’t obey God’s voice (through the prophets), nor the Law of Moses (the Law of God). Thus, God has brought the consequences down on the people. God had promised them that if they would honor their parents (implying that they would honor their parents’ teachings: the parents were enjoined/obligated to teach the Law of Moses to their children), they would live long on the land. Such is the natural rise and fall of every nation/culture/civilization, when they live faithfully by just laws they prosper over time, and when they are corrupt they eventually weaken themselves and fall.
Jeremiah puts it to the Lord that he knows his nation is to be destroyed, how can it rise again (the buried evidence of the sale of the land contract testifies)? The Lord replies, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”
The Lord reiterates the destructions that will come upon the city, including the burning of it by the Chaldeans in recompense for the inhabitants burning incense & making offerings to Baal on their rooftops. They have provoked Him, turned their backs on Him, despite that “I taught them [via the prophets], rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.” They have defiled the Temple with their false gods, they have sacrificed their children by fire unto Baal/Molech. The city will be given to the sword, famine, and pestilence.
And yet, He promises to gather them again from the lands they have been scattered, and brought back to live in safety in the Land of Promise. The desolate land will be inhabited, as God has promised. Lands will once again be bought and sold, and life return to normal.
38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
Jer 33 while Jeremiah was still in prison the Lord calls for repentance, offering forgiveness—He seems to be speaking of the future when the people return from the Babylonian captivity
“Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison . . .” The lord says “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not . . . Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.”
9 ¶ And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.
10 Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,
11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.
12 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
The Lord promises that as sure as day and night continue, so will His promises be fulfilled.
15 ¶ In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.
17 ¶ For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
Jer 34 Jerusalem is yet under siege by Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah calls for a proclamation of liberty
The Lord sends Jeremiah with dire warnings of destruction, but holds out hope for a reprieve, if only Zedekiah will Proclaim Liberty to those in servitude. So Zedekiah, the princes, and the people make a covenant to set their Jewish servants free (proclaiming a Jubilee, as in the Law of Moses). And they do so! But then they have second thoughts, and press them back into service.
The Lord sends Jeremiah to rebuke the people, reminding them that in the Law of Moses, after 6 years of service, Hebrew servants were to be freed in the 7th year. But their ancestors failed to live the Law, and they have also broken their Temple covenant to live that law. So will the Lord return them to the sword, and famine, and pestilence, and scattering among all the kingdoms of the earth. They will be given into the hands of their enemies, and become carrion for the scavenging birds and beasts.
It appears that Nebuchadnezzar had drawn back from the siege, and perhaps that is when Zedekiah and the wealthy went back on their word and repressed their servants.
(see above for Jer 35-36 in the days of Jehoiakim; 37 early in Zedekiah’s reign)
Jer 38 Jeremiah, in the muck & mire, is rescued by an Ethiopian Eunuch; counsel to Zedekiah
A group of princes, hearing Jeremiah’s prophecies that all who remain in the city Jerusalem will die by the sword, famine, and pestilence (but those that join the Chaldeans will survive), petition the king to put Jeremiah to death, because he is weakening the will of the defenders of the city. Zedekiah gives them leave to do as they like. It is clear that Zedekiah feels intimidated by the princes of the people, who may be his seniors in age and power. So they take Jeremiah from the less austere part of the prison he has been kept in, and toss him in the dungeon: “and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.”
An Ethiopian Eunuch of the king’s household (who was not just a nobody servant) goes to the king and speaks up for Jeremiah: he will die there, as there is no bread left in the city. The king gives the man permission to take 30 soldiers and rescue Jeremiah. They take a bunch of old yucky rags and a cord to pull Jeremiah up from the pit. They lower the cord and toss in the rags, telling Jeremiah to put the rags in his armpits so the cords won’t cut into him while they pull him up. Jeremiah does so, and they pull him up. He then stays in the less austere confinement of the court of the prison.
Zedekiah, still only in his 30s or so, sends again for Jeremiah, this time to the inner chambers of the Temple. He says, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to tell me the truth, not hiding anything from me. Jeremiah says, If I tell you, you’ll surely put me to death, and you won’t follow any counsel I give anyway. The king swears (secretly) that he won’t have Jeremiah put to death, nor put into the hands of his enemies. So Jeremiah tells the king, If you put yourself in the hands of the Babylonians you will live and the city won’t be burned. But if you don’t, they will take the city and you will not escape them. Zedekiah replies, But what about the Jews that have already gone over to the Chaldeans? They will take me before the Chaldeans and ridicule me (implying that they will encourage the king’s demise). But Jeremiah promises him that if the king does what he says, he will be ok. If the king doesn’t follow his counsel, Jeremiah tells him that all the women and children left of his household, as well as himself, will be taken to Babylon and he, the king, will have caused Jerusalem to be burned.
Zedekiah says, Don’t let anyone know what you’ve told me, and you won’t die. If the princes hear about your coming and talking to me and try to get you to tell them all (promising they won’t kill you if you do), tell them you presented your petition not to be returned to prison. As the king predicted, the princes send for Jeremiah, and Jeremiah tells them what the king had advised. They don’t press him any further, and Jeremiah is left to live in the court of the prison until Jerusalem is taken.
Jer 39, 52 Jerusalem is captured, the nobles & heirs are killed, Jeremiah & the Ethiopian are spared
1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. [about a year and a half of siege; life became desperate for the besieged]
Jerusalem is captured by the Babylonian army. Zedekiah and his army flee by night, but the Chaldeans catch up with them in the plains of Jericho. They take Zedekiah and entourage to the Babylonian king who has Zedekiah’s sons/heirs and all the nobles killed right in front of him. Then he has Zedekiah’s eyes put out and takes him in chains to Babylon. The Chaldeans burn the city and break down the walls of Jerusalem. All but the poorest people of Judah are carried away captive to Babylon. Those poor are given fields and vineyard in the land.
Nebuchadrezzar, the Babylonian king, orders that Jeremiah be set free from his prison and taken to his home. While he was in prison, the Lord had told Jeremiah to tell his Ethiopian friend/protector that despite the destruction of Jerusalem, the Lord would deliver him from his enemies “For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.”
Jeremiah 52 just gives more details of the destruction of Jerusalem. It also mentions that Jehoiachin was taken from prison in Babylon and the Babylonian king elevated him among other captured kings there, feeding and clothing him with honor the rest of his life. This was no doubt meant to be another slap in the face for Zedekiah. It’s a clue as to the relative wealth of the rulers of these kingdoms and empires, the number of people they fed, clothed, and housed; not only their personal household (numerous wives, concubines, children) and attendants, as well as princes and bureaucracies, but the rivals and foreigners they wanted to keep tabs on.
Jer 40 Jeremiah is freed, Gedaliah made governor over remnant in Judah
“Nebuzar-adan the [Babylonian] captain of the guard [while at] Ramah, when he had taken [Jeremiah] being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon . . . took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place . . . I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go . . . So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.”
Gedaliah had been made governor over those left in Judah. Jeremiah goes to live among those people. The Jews left in Judah are augmented by Jews that had been living in the countries of Moab, Edom, among the Ammonites and other countries, who came back to Judah to live under Gedaliah. They were able to gather a good harvest from the land. A plot to kill the governor is alleged, but he doesn’t put any stock in it.
Jer 41 Governor Gedaliah is assassinated, but the conspiracy is overpowered
It turns out that the conspiracy to assassinate Governor Gedaliah was real. He and his guard (both Jewish & Chaldean) are killed on the sly. When 80 men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria come to make an offering to the Lord at Mizpah where Gedaliah’s court was, the assassins come out to meet them and bring them into the city, where they kill them also—except 10 who offer a bribe. The leader of the assassins, named Ishmael, takes the court and people of Mizpah captive and heads over to the Ammonites. A man named Johanan leads a force after them, and the captives manage to join him. Ishmael and 8 of his followers escape to the Ammonites. Johanan leads the captives he’s freed to a place near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt for fear of reprisals for Ishmael’s killing of Chaldeans.
Jer 42 The Jews that are left consult Jeremiah and ask for his blessing in fleeing to Egypt
Johanan and his followers come to Jeremiah and ask for his blessing. They promise that whatever the Lord says to do, whether to stay or to go into exile in Egypt. Jeremiah promises to tell them whatever the Lord says to do.
After 10 days Jeremiah returns to them with the Lord’s answer: they should stay in the land of Judah, and the Lord will bless them. He will deliver them from the hand of the king of Babylon, that is, cause him to have mercy on them, so they can remain in peace. But if they refuse the voice of the Lord and go to Egypt anyway (thinking they will be spared from war and hunger), they will find the war, famine, and pestilence they were trying to flee. They will die, never to see their homeland again. The Lord has seen the deception of their hearts in promising to do whatever the Lord counsels.
Jer 43 The leaders of the remnant of Judah go to Egypt, taking Jeremiah & Baruch with them
After having promised Jeremiah that they would do whatever the Lord said, whether to stay in the land of Judah or to go to Egypt, the leaders accuse Jeremiah of lying, and being influenced by the scribe Baruch (who had previously written for Jeremiah, see Jer 36) in order to turn them in to the Chaldeans. They take Jeremiah and Baruch along with all the remnant of Judah and move to Egypt.
The Lord tells Jeremiah to hide large stones in the clay of a brickkiln (or pavement) by the entry of one of) Pharoah’s houses (that in Tahpanhes), in front of the men of Judah, and to prophesy that Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, will come, conquer, and burn Egypt and her gods with fire.
https://bibleatlas.org/full/tahpanhes.htm Tahpanhes: city in the Nile delta of Egypt, on the caravan route
Jer 44 Jeremiah vs the Jews in Egypt: they worship the gods of Egypt, despite Jeremiah’s warnings
“The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying . . .” You’ve seen all that Judah & Jerusalem have suffered because of their wickedness, though I sent prophets from early in the day to plead with them not to turn to abominations, but they wouldn’t listen. So why are you committing the same evil? You burn incense to the gods of Egypt; have you forgotten the wickedness of the women/wives in Judah, and what it cost you? The destruction of your nation and land. “They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.”
12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:
14 So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.
But in this large gathering the men, who knew their wives had been burning incense to other gods, and the women themselves, tell Jeremiah, As for what you have to say to us in the name of the Lord, we’ll do whatever we want, “to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.”
In a classic case of people seeing the same facts and coming to different (even opposite) conclusions, Jeremiah sees the worship of false gods as the cause of the destruction of Judah, while the women (with their men’s backing) see all their troubles brought on by failing to worship gods other than God. This points to the importance of educating women in the truth, and the influence women have on not only their children but their men.
Jeremiah then prophesies that because of their idolatrous worship He will see they are punished for their unfaithfulness to Him, “Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.” [Possibly Jeremiah & Baruch were among those that made it back to Judah, where Jeremiah had a pot buried with a land deed in it? Jeremiah was known by the Babylonians as counselling Judah and the other nations to submit to Babylonian rule. He had been saved from captivity in Babylon before, so it would be consistent for him to be saved again.]
29 ¶ And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
30 Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will give Pharaoh-hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.
(see above for Jeremiah 45 & 46, under the reign of Jehoiakim)
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