Chapter Twenty-One

1–7. King Zedekiah asks Jeremiah about the fate of the Judean state. Jeremiah’s answer. 8–10. Jeremiah’s counsel to the people. 11–14. Exhortation to the royal house.

Jer 21:1-7 When Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Jerusalem, King Zedekiah sent to ask the prophet Jeremiah about the fate of the city, saying that perhaps the Lord would help the Jews. Jeremiah says that God will not only refuse to help, but will Himself fight against the Jews and will deliver both the king himself and all who remain alive into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 21:1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying, Jeremiah 21:2. “Inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us; perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful deeds and will cause him to withdraw from us. Zedekiah clearly hoped that the Lord might answer him in the same way He answered King Hezekiah in a similar circumstance (2 Sam 19:2 and following). But Zedekiah certainly did not deserve God’s mercy (compare Jer 37:1 and following; 2 Sam 24:19 and following). —The siege properly had not yet begun—they were expecting skirmishes with enemies outside the city (verse 4).

Jeremiah 21:3. Jeremiah said to them: Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, Jeremiah 21:4. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls; and I will bring them together into the midst of this city; The Jewish forces, which were outside the city, will all take refuge behind its walls.

Jeremiah 21:8. And to this people you shall say: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death; Jeremiah 21:9. He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war; Jeremiah 21:10. for I have set My face against this city for evil and not for good, declares the Lord; it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. Turning now to the people, the prophet counsels those who wish to save their lives to surrender to the Chaldeans. Jer 21:11-14 To the royal house, that is, to all members of the royal court who administer justice, Jeremiah urges that they administer justice righteously. Otherwise, the Lord will destroy the strongholds of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 21:13. Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the Lord, —you who say, “Who will come down against us, or who will enter our strongholds? Jerusalem was surrounded by mountains, yet it itself stood out in the valley of Jerusalem like a rock, so that in order to approach it, enemies had to climb mountains, and then, in order to take it, they again had to climb the hills on which Jerusalem was situated. Hence the confidence of the inhabitants of Jerusalem in their safety. Special remark. The address to the royal house (verses 11–14) probably has in view not Zedekiah but Jehoiakim. In fact, here the royal court is exhorted to perform righteous judgment and thus the salvation of Jerusalem is still supposed to be possible. Meanwhile, it was no longer possible under Zedekiah (see verses 5–7).