1 - 5 Request From Zedekiah
1 Now Zedekiah the son of Josiah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king in the land of Judah, reigned as king in place of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. 2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD which He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. 3 Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray to the LORD our God on our behalf.” 4 Now Jeremiah was [still] coming in and going out among the people, for they had not [yet] put him in the prison. 5 Meanwhile, Pharaoh’s army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who had been besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they lifted the [siege] from Jerusalem.
Zedekiah, the brother of Jehoiakim, becomes king in the place of Coniah or Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim (verse 1; 2Chr 36:10). This fulfills the word of judgment on the wicked Jehoiakim (Jer 36:30). Zedekiah becomes king because Nebuchadnezzar makes him king. With Zedekiah taking office as king over Judah, the final phase of the two tribes realm in the land begins. Zedekiah is a man who does not listen to the words of the LORD, nor do his servants and the people of the land (verse 2). This is how widespread the apostasy is.
The fact that he does not listen to the words of the LORD does not mean that he has rejected the LORD, as did Jehoiakim in the previous chapter. There is a certain religiosity there. His asking Jeremiah to pray for him, that is, to consult the LORD for him, speaks of this (verse 3). However, he uses the LORD only for his own interests, for he has no intention of obeying Him at all. Jeremiah is more of a predictor of the future to him than a prophet of God. He has consulted Jeremiah before, but has done nothing with what the latter has said to him on behalf of the LORD (Jer 21:1-10).
Jeremiah still has freedom of movement (verse 4). The city is already in the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, but has rebelled. The armies of the king of Babylon are in front of the city. When the Chaldeans hear that Pharaoh’s army has come up from Egypt to liberate Jerusalem (verse 7), they move away from Jerusalem to fight against Pharaoh (verse 5).
6 - 10 Answer of Jeremiah
6 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 7 “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Thus you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army which has come out for your assistance is going to return to its own land of Egypt. 8 The Chaldeans will also return and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire.”‘ 9 Thus says the LORD, ‘Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go. 10 For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were [only] wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’”
Nebuchadnezzar’s army leaving the city, gives the inhabitants of Jerusalem hope. However, that hope will prove to be vain. This is evident in the LORD’s word to Jeremiah (verse 6). Jeremiah is to tell Zedekiah that Pharaoh’s army will return to Egypt (verse 7). Therefore, they will not succeed in helping Jerusalem. On the contrary, Nebuchadnezzar’s army that has gone away will return to Jerusalem and take the city and burn it (verse 8).
The LORD lets it be known once again that they must not deceive themselves with the deceptive words that the Chaldeans will go away, for they will not (verse 9)! In fact, even though they themselves would fight against the Chaldean army and defeat it, and only a few gravely wounded Chaldean men would remain, those men would then carry out God’s purpose (verse 10).
11 - 15 Jeremiah Charged With Treason
11 Now it happened when the army of the Chaldeans had lifted [the siege] from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 that Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin in order to take possession of [some] property there among the people. 13 While he was at the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he arrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are going over to the Chaldeans!” 14 But Jeremiah said, “A lie! I am not going over to the Chaldeans”; yet he would not listen to him. So Irijah arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 Then the officials were angry at Jeremiah and beat him, and they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they had made into the prison.
When the army of the Chaldeans has moved away from Jerusalem and the siege is lifted, there is freedom to go out of the city again (verse 11). Jeremiah also uses that freedom, for he has an inheritance in Benjamin and he can now go and accept it (verse 12).
But it turns out to be too early to take possession of it. In any case, he is stopped by the captain of the guard the moment he wants to go out of the city through the Gate of Benjamin (verse 13). The Gate of Benjamin is so called because behind it is the road to the territory of Benjamin. The captain of the guard Irijah, the son of Shelemiah – and probably the brother of Jehucal (verse 3) – arrests him and accuses him of wanting to defect to the Chaldeans. Jeremiah vigorously denies this, but his defense is in vain (verse 14). Irijah arrests him and brings him to the officials, the leaders and judges of the city.
The officials are angry at Jeremiah (verse 15). Without trial they beat him and put him in jail. That jail is the writer Jonathan’s house, which they have made into a jail. If a scribe’s house has become a jail, it does indicate that the scribe is not a scribe who writes about the freedom of the LORD. It is in that house that Jeremiah, the prophet of the LORD, who had the words of the LORD written down, is imprisoned. This is his second captivity after an earlier short one (Jer 20:1-3).
Jeremiah is imprisoned because they hate his message. They hate him because he preaches the word of God. It is the perfect opportunity for them to silence this man. The accusation is fabricated, but they believe it themselves and find in it a motive to silence their conscience. It is like the opposition to the preaching of the apostles and prophets and especially to that of the Lord Jesus.
16 - 21 Jeremiah in Prison
16 For Jeremiah had come into the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah stayed there many days. 17 Now King Zedekiah sent and took him [out]; and in his palace the king secretly asked him and said, “Is there a word from the LORD?” And Jeremiah said, “There is!” Then he said, “You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon!” 18 Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “[In] what [way] have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where then are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’? 20 But now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my petition come before you and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may not die there.” 21 Then King Zedekiah gave commandment, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guardhouse and gave him a loaf of bread daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse.
Jeremiah stays “many days” in prison, in the deepest hidden and filthiest vaults of it (verse 16). Then Zedekiah sends for him (verse 17). He wants to know something from him. No one must know that he is talking to Jeremiah. That’s why it happens in his house, in secret. Zedekiah wants to know if there is a word from the LORD. By this he means a word favorable to him. Jeremiah’s answer sounds powerful that there is indeed a word. That word is now a personal word for Zedekiah and its content is that he will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon.
Despite the prison where he has been for many days now and which is a horror to him, Jeremiah speaks God’s words to Zedekiah. He does not detract from God’s message to free himself. He does not negotiate about it. That does not mean that he may not take the opportunity to ask the question of why he is in prison of the highest authority (verse 18). He is not asking for pity, but for justice. Is Zedekiah also able to tell him what he has done wrong that he, Zedekiah, has put him in prison? In this he is like Joseph in prison, who also says that he is innocent (Gen 40:14-15). He holds Zedekiah responsible for this.
He also asks him about his prophets who prophesied that the king of Babylon will not go against him and the land (verse 19). Where are they now with their big mouth? Surely Zedekiah has seen with his own eyes that he has come? If so, let the king listen to him for once, to his request not to have to go back to the house of the Jonathan the scribe, that terrible prison, so that he will not die there (verse 20). It is an ironic situation. The false prophets of the lies that have been so clearly exposed are walking free around and the true prophet whose words have been so clearly proven true is in prison.
Zedekiah allows his request, but he does not release him, although he is convinced of Jeremiah’s innocence (verse 21). He is spiritually very much akin to Pilate who also condemns the Lord Jesus against his better judgment (Lk 23:22-24). For Jeremiah, it is a relief that he does not have to return to his old prison. He is still in secure custody, but also assured of bread that he receives every day from the bakers’ street, until there is no more bread. He will stay there until the Babylonians free him.