Then said Jeremiah, [It is] false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
Then said {H559} Jeremiah {H3414}, It is false {H8267}; I fall not away {H5307} to the Chaldeans {H3778}. But he hearkened {H8085} not to him: so Irijah {H3376} took {H8610} Jeremiah {H3414}, and brought {H935} him to the princes {H8269}.
Yirmeyahu answered, "That is a lie! I am not deserting to the Kasdim"; but Yir'iyah wouldn't listen to him. So he arrested Yirmeyahu and brought him to the officials.
“That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials.
Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I am not falling away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him; so Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
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Jeremiah 40:4
And now, behold, 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. -
Jeremiah 40:6
Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land. -
Psalms 52:1
¶ To the chief Musician, Maschil, [A Psalm] of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God [endureth] continually. -
Psalms 52:2
Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. -
Matthew 5:11
Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. -
Matthew 5:12
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. -
Psalms 27:12
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
Jeremiah 37:14 records a pivotal moment in the prophet Jeremiah's life, highlighting the severe opposition and injustice he faced during Jerusalem's final days.
Context of Jeremiah 37:14
This verse takes place during the intense siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonian (Chaldean) army under King Nebuchadnezzar. Earlier, the Babylonians had temporarily withdrawn their forces due to the approach of Pharaoh's army from Egypt (Jeremiah 37:5). During this brief respite, Jeremiah attempted to leave Jerusalem to go to his hometown, Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin, to claim some family property as instructed by God (Jeremiah 32:6-7). However, he was stopped at the Benjamin Gate by a captain of the guard named Irijah, who falsely accused him of deserting to the Chaldeans.
Jeremiah had consistently prophesied that Judah would fall to Babylon due to their persistent disobedience, urging submission to the invading power to avoid even greater destruction (e.g., Jeremiah 27:8). This unpopular message made him deeply suspected of being sympathetic to the enemy, leading to this baseless accusation.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insight
The Hebrew word for "false" used by Jeremiah is sheqer (שֶׁקֶר), which carries a strong meaning of a lie, deception, or falsehood. Jeremiah's direct and emphatic use of this term highlights the absolute untruthfulness and maliciousness of Irijah's accusation. He was not merely mistaken; he was propagating a deliberate falsehood, possibly out of prejudice or a desire to gain favor with the ruling elite.
Practical Application
Jeremiah's experience in this verse resonates deeply with anyone who has faced false accusations or been misunderstood for standing by their convictions. It reminds us that: