Jeremiah 37

Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to the LORD’s words, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.

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

Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people, for they had not put him into prison.

Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

Then the LORD’s word came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

“The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land.

The Chaldeans will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’

“The LORD says, ‘Don’t deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely depart from us;” for they will not depart.

For though you had struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and only wounded men remained among them, they would each rise up in his tent and burn this city with fire.’”

When the army of the Chaldeans had withdrawn from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,

then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the middle of the people.

When he was in Benjamin’s gate, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!”

Then Jeremiah said, “That is false! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.” But he didn’t listen to him; so Irijah seized Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.

The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.

When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,

then Zedekiah the king sent and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” He also said, “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”

Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

Now where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you, nor against this land’?

Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”

Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter introduces the reign of Zedekiah, Judah’s final king, and charts the tension between his reliance on political maneuvering and military alliances and the word of the Lord delivered through Jeremiah, who insists that deliverance will not come through human strategy but is impossible apart from divine intervention.

Flow.

Zedekiah ascends the throne under Babylonian appointment but ignores the Lord's warnings delivered by Jeremiah.
Though the king sends messengers to request Jeremiah’s prayers, he has not turned from his rebellion against God’s word.
When news of Egypt’s approaching army causes temporarily withdrawal of the Chaldeans, the Lord declares through Jeremiah that this relief is illusory and Babylon will return to destroy Jerusalem.
Jeremiah’s attempt to leave the city on personal business is misinterpreted as treason; he is arrested, imprisoned, then later brought before Zedekiah, where he reiterates the Lord’s judgment but pleads for mercy from prison.

Connections. Following chapter 36, in which Jehoiakim rejected and destroyed Jeremiah’s scroll, chapter 37 shows the continuity of prophetic witness under a new king who likewise resists God’s word. Though Zedekiah appears more ambivalent—seeking private audience with Jeremiah—he ultimately follows the same path of unbelief. The chapter sets the stage for chapter 38, where Jeremiah’s prophetic faithfulness leads to deeper suffering, as the nation moves toward final judgment.

What it teaches. The persistence of divine judgment is declared despite shifting political circumstances, for the Lord sovereignly directs the movements of nations (WCF 5.3) and will fulfill His word regardless of human hopes (HC LD 10). Jeremiah’s message that Egypt would withdraw and Babylon return underscores that no alliance can thwart God’s ordained purpose for Judah’s chastisement (WCF 3.7). The false prophets’ predictions stand condemned by their failure, affirming that true prophecy aligns with God’s righteous judgment (BC, Art. 5), and Jeremiah’s unjust imprisonment reflects the suffering of those who speak faithfully in God’s name (WCF 20.4).

Apply. Jeremiah receives a daily loaf in prison, a provision not of freedom but of endurance, as God sustains the witness of His servants even in confinement.

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