Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there [any] word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Then Tzidkiyahu the king sent and had him brought; and the king asked him secretly, in his palace, "Is there any word from ADONAI?" "There is," Yirmeyahu said. "You will be handed over to the king of Bavel."
Berean Standard Bible:
Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
American Standard Version:
then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched him: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from Jehovah? And Jeremiah said, There is. He said also, Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.
Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.
¶ Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that [is] in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, [As] the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
And the prince that [is] among them shall bear upon [his] shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with [his] eyes.
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Commentary for Jeremiah 37:17
Jeremiah 37:17 is set within the broader context of the final days of the Kingdom of Judah, as the Babylonian Empire is exerting its dominance over the region. King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, is depicted as a ruler who is vacillating between seeking the counsel of the prophet Jeremiah and succumbing to the pressures of his court officials and the political climate of the time.
In this verse, Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah and questions him privately, seeking a divine message regarding Judah's fate. The king's inquiry, "Is there any word from the LORD?" reflects his desperation for guidance in the face of impending doom. Jeremiah, who has consistently warned of Judah's coming destruction due to the people's disobedience to God, confirms that there is indeed a message from the LORD. He delivers the grim prophecy that Zedekiah will be handed over to the king of Babylon, indicating that resistance is futile and that surrender to Babylonian rule is inevitable.
The themes present in this verse include divine judgment, the consequence of disobedience, the role of a prophet as a messenger of God, and the tension between political expediency and divine authority. Jeremiah's unwavering delivery of the divine message, despite the personal risk it entails, underscores his commitment to his prophetic role, even when the message is dire and unwelcome. The historical context is the siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, which eventually led to the city's fall, the destruction of the Temple, and the Babylonian exile of the Judeans. Jeremiah 37:17 captures a moment of personal and national crisis, highlighting the stark reality that Judah's leaders and people must face the consequences of their actions.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
Strong's Number: H6667 There are 62 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: צִדְקִיָּה Transliteration: Tsidqîyâh Pronunciation: tsid-kee-yaw' Description: or צִדְקִיָּהוּ; from צֶדֶק and יָהּ; right of Jah; Tsidkijah, the name of six Israelites; Zedekiah, Zidkijah.
Strong's Number: H4428 There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: מֶלֶךְ Transliteration: melek Pronunciation: meh'-lek Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.
Strong's Number: H7971 There are 790 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שָׁלַח Transliteration: shâlach Pronunciation: shaw-lakh' Description: a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, [idiom] earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).
Strong's Number: H3947 There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: לָקַח Transliteration: lâqach Pronunciation: law-kakh' Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
Strong's Number: H7592 There are 157 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שָׁאַל Transliteration: shâʼal Pronunciation: shaw-al' Description: or שָׁאֵל; a primitive root; to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand; ask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.
Strong's Number: H5643 There are 36 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: סֵתֶר Transliteration: çêther Pronunciation: say'-ther Description: or (feminine) סִתְרָה; (Deuteronomy [32:38), from סָתַר; a cover (in a good or a bad, a literal or a figurative sense); backbiting, covering, covert, [idiom] disguise(-th), hiding place, privily, protection, secret(-ly, place).
Strong's Number: H1004 There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: בַּיִת Transliteration: bayith Pronunciation: bah'-yith Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out).
Strong's Number: H559 There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אָמַר Transliteration: ʼâmar Pronunciation: aw-mar' Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
Strong's Number: H1697 There are 1290 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: דָּבָר Transliteration: dâbâr Pronunciation: daw-baw' Description: from דָבַר; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause; act, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dearth, decree, deed, [idiom] disease, due, duty, effect, [phrase] eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, [phrase] glory, [phrase] harm, hurt, [phrase] iniquity, [phrase] judgment, language, [phrase] lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, [idiom] ought, [idiom] parts, [phrase] pertaining, [phrase] please, portion, [phrase] power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, [idiom] (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, [phrase] sign, [phrase] so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, [phrase] song, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, task, [phrase] that, [idiom] there done, thing (concerning), thought, [phrase] thus, tidings, what(-soever), [phrase] wherewith, which, word, work.
Strong's Number: H3068 There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יְהֹוָה Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw' Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
Strong's Number: H3414 There are 133 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יִרְמְיָה Transliteration: Yirmᵉyâh Pronunciation: yir-meh-yaw' Description: or יִרְמְיָהוּ; from רוּם and יָהּ; Jah will rise; Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine Israelites; Jeremiah.
Strong's Number: H3426 There are 129 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יֵשׁ Transliteration: yêsh Pronunciation: yaysh Description: perhaps from an unused root meaning to stand out, or exist; entity; used adverbially or as a copula for the substantive verb (הָיָה); there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection); (there) are, (he, it, shall, there, there may, there shall, there should) be, thou do, had, hast, (which) hath, (I, shalt, that) have, (he, it, there) is, substance, it (there) was, (there) were, ye will, thou wilt, wouldest.
Strong's Number: H5414 There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: נָתַן Transliteration: nâthan Pronunciation: naw-than' Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.
Strong's Number: H3027 There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יָד Transliteration: yâd Pronunciation: yawd Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
Strong's Number: H894 There are 233 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: בָּבֶל Transliteration: Bâbel Pronunciation: baw-bel' Description: from בָּלַל; confusion; Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire; Babel, Babylon.