Jeremiah 37:3

KJV

And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.

KJV (with Strong's)

And Zedekiah {H6667} the king {H4428} sent {H7971} Jehucal {H3081} the son {H1121} of Shelemiah {H8018} and Zephaniah {H6846} the son {H1121} of Maaseiah {H4641} the priest {H3548} to the prophet {H5030} Jeremiah {H3414}, saying {H559}, Pray {H6419} now unto the LORD {H3068} our God {H430} for us.

Complete Jewish Bible

Tzidkiyahu the king sent Y'hukhal the son of Shelemyahu and Tz'fanyahu the son of Ma'aseiyah, the cohen, to the prophet Yirmeyahu with the message, "Please pray to ADONAI our God for us."

Berean Standard Bible

Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”

American Standard Version

And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto Jehovah our God for us.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 37:3 records a critical juncture during the final Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, where King Zedekiah, facing imminent destruction, dispatches two high-ranking officials—Jehucal, a royal prince, and Zephaniah, a prominent priest—to the imprisoned prophet Jeremiah. Their urgent mission is to convey the king's desperate plea: "Pray now unto the LORD our God for us." This act underscores the dire circumstances of Judah, the king's belated and crisis-driven recognition of Jeremiah's prophetic authority, and the nation's profound spiritual decline on the brink of divine judgment.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Jeremiah 37 is situated within the broader narrative of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry during the final decades of the Kingdom of Judah, leading up to its destruction by Babylon. Specifically, this chapter details the renewed Babylonian siege of Jerusalem after a temporary withdrawal. The preceding chapters, particularly [Jeremiah 34](/jeremiah/34 "Jeremiah 34 - Zedekiah's Covenant and Judgment") and [Jeremiah 36](/jeremiah/36 "Jeremiah 36 - Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah's Scroll"), describe King Zedekiah's vacillating loyalty to Babylon and his repeated failure to heed Jeremiah's warnings of impending judgment. Jeremiah 37:1-2 sets the stage, noting Zedekiah's succession and the people's continued refusal to listen to the Lord's words through Jeremiah. Verse 3 then marks a brief, desperate turning point where the king, under immense pressure, seeks Jeremiah's intercession, even as Jeremiah himself is imprisoned for his unpopular prophecies. The subsequent verses in [Jeremiah 37:4-10](/jeremiah/37-4 "Jeremiah 37:4-10 - Jeremiah's Prophecy Against Pharaoh's Army") reveal Jeremiah's response, confirming that the Egyptian intervention offering false hope will fail and Babylon will indeed conquer Jerusalem.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The historical backdrop is the final phase of the Neo-Babylonian Empire's expansion and its subjugation of Judah. King Nebuchadnezzar had already besieged Jerusalem in 597 BC, deporting King Jehoiachin and many elites, and installing Zedekiah as a vassal king. Zedekiah's rebellion against Babylon, fueled by a misguided alliance with Egypt, provoked Nebuchadnezzar's decisive return. The cultural context reveals a society steeped in idolatry and social injustice, despite the presence of the Temple and the Mosaic Law. The sending of officials to a prophet for prayer was a common practice in times of national crisis, reflecting a belief in the prophet's unique access to the divine, even if the nation had largely ignored God's commands. The presence of a priest (Zephaniah) alongside a royal official (Jehucal) underscores the combined religious and political desperation of the king, seeking both spiritual and practical relief from the siege.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Jeremiah. It highlights **Judah's persistent unfaithfulness and delayed repentance**, demonstrating a pattern of seeking God only when human solutions have failed, rather than out of genuine contrition. Zedekiah's plea is a desperate reaction to an existential threat, not a transformation of heart, echoing the lament found in [Jeremiah 8:20](/jeremiah/8-20 "Jeremiah 8:20 - The Harvest is Past"). It also underscores **the unwavering authority and enduring call of the true prophet**, even when persecuted. Despite Jeremiah's imprisonment and years of rejection, his prophetic legitimacy and perceived efficacy in prayer are still acknowledged by the very powers that opposed him. Finally, the verse introduces the theme of **intercessory prayer in the face of divine judgment**. While the king seeks mediation, the broader narrative of Jeremiah reveals that God's judgment, once definitively pronounced due to deep-seated unrepentance, may not be averted by human intercession (cf. [Jeremiah 15:1](/jeremiah/15-1 "Jeremiah 15:1 - God's Refusal to Relent")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **sent (Hebrew, _shâlach'_):** This verb (H7971) signifies a formal dispatch or sending forth, often with authority or for a specific purpose. In this context, it emphasizes the king's deliberate and urgent action, not merely a casual request. It implies that Jehucal and Zephaniah were official envoys, carrying the king's weighty message, underscoring the gravity of the situation and Zedekiah's desperate need for divine intervention.
* **prophet (Hebrew, _nâbîyʼ'_):** The term (H5030) denotes an inspired person, one who speaks on behalf of God, often revealing future events or delivering divine messages. Despite Jeremiah's unpopularity, imprisonment, and the king's prior disregard for his prophecies, Zedekiah still recognized Jeremiah's legitimate standing as a "prophet" of the LORD. This acknowledgment, though belated, highlights Jeremiah's established reputation as God's messenger, even among those who resisted his message.
* **Pray (Hebrew, _pâlal'_):** This root verb (H6419) primarily means "to judge" (officially or mentally), but by extension, it also means "to intercede" or "to make supplication." The king's request is for Jeremiah to act as a mediator, to intercede with God on behalf of the nation. This reflects a deep-seated belief in the power of a righteous person's prayer to influence divine action, even if in this case, it was a desperate, last-ditch effort.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest":** This clause establishes the key actors and the official nature of the communication. King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, initiates the action. The two envoys, Jehucal (a royal official, likely a prince or high-ranking courtier) and Zephaniah (a priest, indicating a religious dimension to the mission), represent the highest levels of both secular and spiritual authority in the kingdom. Their dispatch signifies the extreme desperation and the king's acknowledgment of Jeremiah's unique access to God, despite Jeremiah's controversial status and imprisonment.
* **"to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,":** This phrase identifies the recipient of the king's message: Jeremiah, specifically referred to by his office as "the prophet." This designation is crucial, emphasizing that the king sought Jeremiah not as a political advisor or a friend, but as God's anointed messenger. The word "saying" introduces the direct quote of the king's urgent plea, highlighting the directness of the communication.
* **"Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.":** This is the core of the king's desperate request. The imperative "Pray now" conveys extreme urgency. The address "unto the LORD our God" uses both the covenant name of God (Yahweh, H3068) and the general term for God (Elohim, H430), indicating an appeal to the God of Israel, the God with whom they had a covenant relationship, even though they had largely broken it. The phrase "for us" reveals the collective desperation of the nation, seeking relief from the Babylonian siege through divine intervention, a last-ditch effort when all human strategies had failed.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several literary devices. There is significant **Irony** in King Zedekiah's actions. For years, he and his predecessors, along with the people, had largely ignored, persecuted, and even imprisoned Jeremiah for his prophetic messages, which consistently warned of God's impending judgment and the futility of resistance against Babylon. Now, on the brink of destruction, the king desperately turns to the very prophet he had scorned, seeking his intercession. This highlights the human tendency to seek God only in moments of extreme crisis, rather than in consistent obedience. The act of sending high-ranking officials also serves as **Symbolism**, representing Judah's final, desperate attempt to avert a divinely ordained catastrophe. It symbolizes a superficial turning to God, a plea for rescue without genuine repentance. Furthermore, the verse contains an element of **Foreshadowing**, as the king's plea, despite its urgency, will ultimately prove ineffective in averting the prophesied judgment, subtly hinting at the unyielding nature of God's righteous decree against unrepentant sin.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 37:3 serves as a poignant illustration of the human condition in the face of divine judgment. It reveals a crisis-driven religiosity, where the unfaithful turn to God only when all other options are exhausted, seeking a miraculous deliverance without true repentance or a change of heart. This contrasts sharply with a genuine, covenantal relationship with God, characterized by consistent obedience and trust. The verse also underscores the profound theological truth that while God is merciful and responsive to prayer, His justice is equally steadfast. When a nation has persistently rejected His warnings and violated His covenant, even the intercession of a righteous prophet may not avert a divinely determined judgment, especially if that judgment is intended to bring about a deeper purification or fulfill a specific prophetic word.

* [James 5:16](/james/5-16 "James 5:16 - The Prayer of a Righteous Person") - "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." This verse affirms the general principle of the power of intercessory prayer, which Zedekiah sought from Jeremiah.
* [Jeremiah 7:16](/jeremiah/7-16 "Jeremiah 7:16 - God Forbids Prayer for Them") - "Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee." This earlier command to Jeremiah highlights the limits of intercession when God's judgment is irreversible due to persistent sin.
* [Isaiah 1:15](/isaiah/1-15 "Isaiah 1:15 - God Rejects Vain Prayers") - "And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood." This passage from Isaiah illustrates God's rejection of prayers from those whose lives are characterized by unrighteousness, providing a parallel to Judah's situation.

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 37:3 offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. It challenges us to examine the nature of our own prayers and our relationship with God. Are we like Zedekiah, turning to God only in moments of extreme crisis, seeking Him as a last resort for deliverance from self-inflicted consequences? Or is our relationship marked by consistent communion, obedience, and seeking His will in all circumstances? The verse reminds us that while God is always accessible, true repentance and a transformed heart are foundational to a relationship that truly honors Him. It also highlights the vital role of spiritual leaders and intercessors, whose prayers can be powerful, yet it also cautions against viewing prayer as a magical formula to manipulate God or avert consequences for unrepentant sin. Our ultimate hope should be in God's character and His sovereign plan, trusting that even in judgment, His purposes are just and ultimately redemptive.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways do I tend to seek God only when I am in desperate circumstances, rather than consistently in all seasons of life?**
* **How does this passage challenge my understanding of repentance and its relationship to prayer?**
* **What does Zedekiah's belated request for prayer reveal about the nature of true faith versus crisis-driven religiosity?**
* **How can I cultivate a more consistent and authentic relationship with God, rather than approaching Him merely as a "fire escape" in times of trouble?**

### FAQ
**Why did King Zedekiah send for Jeremiah after persecuting him and ignoring his prophecies?**

Answer: King Zedekiah's actions were driven by extreme desperation and a belated, crisis-induced recognition of Jeremiah's genuine prophetic authority. Despite having imprisoned Jeremiah and repeatedly ignored his warnings, Zedekiah, facing the imminent destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, realized that human solutions had failed. He understood that Jeremiah was a true prophet of the LORD, whose prayers might hold sway with God. This was not a sign of true repentance or a change of heart, but rather a desperate, last-ditch effort to avert divine judgment through the intercession of God's acknowledged messenger. It highlights the human tendency to turn to God only when all other options are exhausted, as seen in many biblical accounts of kings and nations in distress.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 37:3, with its depiction of a desperate king seeking an intercessor in a time of ultimate crisis, powerfully foreshadows humanity's universal need for a perfect mediator. Zedekiah's plea to Jeremiah, a human prophet, ultimately proved insufficient to avert the deserved judgment for Judah's unrepentant sin. This inadequacy points to the profound necessity of a greater intercessor, one who is not merely a human prophet but the divine Son of God. Jesus Christ is the ultimate and perfect mediator between God and humanity, as declared in [1 Timothy 2:5](/1_timothy/2-5 "1 Timothy 2:5 - One Mediator Between God and Man"): "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Unlike Jeremiah, whose intercession could not override God's righteous judgment against persistent rebellion, Christ's intercession is founded upon His perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice. He is the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), providing the only true basis for reconciliation with a holy God. Zedekiah's desperate, crisis-driven prayer for temporary relief stands in stark contrast to the eternal salvation and reconciliation offered through faith in Christ, who not only intercedes for us but also provides the means for true repentance and forgiveness, transforming hearts rather than merely averting immediate consequences. His sacrifice on the cross fully satisfied God's righteous demands, offering a path to God's favor that no human prophet or king could ever provide (cf. [Hebrews 9:12](/hebrews/9-12 "Hebrews 9:12 - Christ's Eternal Redemption")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Jeremiah 21:1

¶ The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

Jeremiah 21:2

Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

Jeremiah 42:20

For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do [it].

Jeremiah 42:2

And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, [even] for all this remnant; (for we are left [but] a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

Jeremiah 42:4

Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard [you]; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, [that] whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare [it] unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

Jeremiah 2:27

Saying to a stock, Thou [art] my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned [their] back unto me, and not [their] face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

1 Kings 13:6

And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as [it was] before.