Jeremiah 37:17 kjv
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.
Jeremiah 37:17 nkjv
then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, "Is there any word from the LORD?" And Jeremiah said, "There is." Then he said, "You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!"
Jeremiah 37:17 niv
Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, "Is there any word from the LORD?" "Yes," Jeremiah replied, "you will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon."
Jeremiah 37:17 esv
King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, "Is there any word from the LORD?" Jeremiah said, "There is." Then he said, "You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."
Jeremiah 37:17 nlt
Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, "Do you have any messages from the LORD?" "Yes, I do!" said Jeremiah. "You will be defeated by the king of Babylon."
Jeremiah 37 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 32:3 | "For thus says the LORD: You shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and you shall capture him, and you shall carry him to Babylon." | Jeremiah 32:3 (Fulfillment) |
| Jeremiah 34:2 | "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire." | Jeremiah 34:2 (Direct Prophecy) |
| 2 Kings 25:7 | "And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and Zedekiah blinded the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon." | 2 Kings 25:7 (Historical Fulfillment) |
| Ezekiel 12:13 | "I will also spread My net over him, And he shall be taken in My snare; And I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there." | Ezekiel 12:13 (Parallel Prophecy) |
| Jeremiah 21:7 | "And afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, the sword, and the famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will give them into his hand, and he will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will show them no pity, he will not spare them, nor show compassion, nor have mercy." | Jeremiah 21:7 (Fulfills "not delivered...nor mercifully dealt with") |
| Jeremiah 37:19 | "Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against this land or against this city’?" | Jeremiah 37:19 (Fulfills "contrary to what you say") |
| 2 Chronicles 36:12 | "He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD." | 2 Chronicles 36:12 (Zedekiah's Disobedience) |
| Jeremiah 21:1-2 | "Jeremiah 21:1-2 (God's instruction to Jeremiah regarding Zedekiah's request for prayer) | Jeremiah 21:1-2 (Setting for earlier prophecy) |
| Psalm 107:40 | "He pours contempt upon princes and causes them to wander in a pathless waste." | Psalm 107:40 (Fulfills contempt/downfall) |
| Proverbs 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Proverbs 16:18 (Principle behind Zedekiah's fall) |
| Jeremiah 52:4 | "So it came to the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it, and built siege works all around it." | Jeremiah 52:4 (Start of siege) |
| Jeremiah 34:3 | "Thus says the LORD: You shall not escape, but you shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and you shall die in his sight." | Jeremiah 34:3 (Stronger declaration of fate) |
| Hosea 8:5 | "The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces." | Hosea 8:5 (Idolatry and judgment) |
| Isaiah 1:2-3 | "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: ‘I have nourished and brought up sons, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.’" | Isaiah 1:2-3 (Israel's lack of understanding) |
| Matthew 27:3-5 | "Then Judas, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself." | Matthew 27:3-5 (Contrast in repentance) |
| Jeremiah 38:23 | "And they will bring all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from them, but you will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.”" | Jeremiah 38:23 (Direct prediction of consequence) |
| Romans 9:14 | "What then shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? By no means!" | Romans 9:14 (God's justice) |
| 1 Peter 2:23 | "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued to entrust himself to him who judges justly." | 1 Peter 2:23 (Jesus' model of suffering) |
| Jeremiah 22:24 | "As I live, declares the LORD, even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, yet I would pull it off." | Jeremiah 22:24 (Divine sovereignty over kings) |
| Jeremiah 2:27 | "They say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’ For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’" | Jeremiah 2:27 (Reversal of hope in God) |
| Jeremiah 37:20 | "But now hear, please, the request of your servant, and let me fall into the hands of this young man, Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, so that I may not fall back into the palace of Zedekiah, and there he may cause me to fall into their hands." | Jeremiah 37:20 (Jeremiah's personal plea within the context) |
| Jeremiah 29:31 | "Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Colaniah, because he has prophesied to you, behold, I will punish him." | Jeremiah 29:31 (Divine judgment on false prophecy) |
Jeremiah 37 verses
Jeremiah 37 17 Meaning
Jeremiah is told that the king of Judah will be handed over to his enemies. God assures Jeremiah that Zedekiah's fate is sealed and he will be delivered into the hands of those who seek his life. Despite any perceived hope for leniency or escape, God declares Zedekiah will be delivered without rescue, emphasizing the inevitability of his downfall.
Jeremiah 37 17 Context
This verse occurs within the final siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah has been imprisoned due to his prophecies of doom, which many officials view as treasonous. The current chapter depicts Zedekiah, the king of Judah, seeking God's guidance through Jeremiah. However, Zedekiah has a history of ignoring God's word and relying on his own counsel or false prophets. The chapter highlights God's persistent communication through Jeremiah, even in Zedekiah's defiant and compromised state, underscoring the finality of judgment due to continued disobedience. Jeremiah's plea in the preceding verses is for mercy from those who wish to harm him within the palace.
Jeremiah 37 17 Word analysis
וְעַתָּה֙ (ve'attah): "And now." This is a common conjunctive particle introducing a statement of immediate consequence or transition. It connects the preceding words of God to the current declaration.
שְׁמַ֤ (shema'): "Hear." This is an imperative verb, a strong command for active listening and heeding. It signifies God demanding Jeremiah's attention to a crucial and unavoidable truth.
נָא֙ (na): "Please" or "I pray." A particle of entreaty or emphasis, softening the imperative somewhat, though in this divine context, it functions more as an intensified imperative to ensure reception.
אֶת־תְּחִנַּ֨ת (et-tehinna): "the plea" or "the petition." The Hebrew word תְּחִנַּה (tehinna) denotes favor or supplication, often seeking grace. This refers to Jeremiah's personal request to be spared a painful fate within the palace.
עַבְדְּךָ֙ ('avdekha): "your servant." Jeremiah's self-designation, emphasizing his submission and service to God, which also serves to highlight the personal nature of his plea.
וְאִם־ (ve'im): "and if." Introduces a conditional statement, setting up an alternative scenario.
יַפִּ֣יל (yappil): "he casts down" or "he drops." From the root נָפַל (naphal), to fall. In this context, it refers to Jeremiah being handed over or cast down into the hands of others.
בִּי֙ (bi): "me" or "upon me."
אֶל־יַד־ ('el-yad): "into the hand of." This prepositional phrase signifies being delivered into the power or control of someone.
בַּחוּרִ֔ים (bachurim): "young men" or "youths." This refers to those who have power and agency. It specifically relates to the individual(s) whom Jeremiah wishes to fall into the hands of for his immediate safety. In the larger context of this chapter, this refers to individuals like Ebed-melech who could act on his behalf within the court.
group by words-group analysis:
- "hear now, please, the plea of your servant": This phrase highlights Jeremiah's vulnerability and his earnest request for a specific outcome for himself, appealing to his servant status and God's willingness to hear.
- "and if he casts me down into the hand of young men": This refers to the possibility of Jeremiah being handed over by officials to other guards or individuals within the palace, potentially those less sympathetic or even hostile, leading to his further suffering. The choice of "young men" can also imply those with youthful vigor, possibly associated with harsher treatment or the execution of orders without seasoned mercy. The specific intent is to avoid a fall into the hands of those who would prolong his misery or deny him succuaded to fall back to Zedekiah’s palace custody for eventual harsher treatment.
Jeremiah 37 17 Bonus section
This verse reflects a profound theological tension: God's hearing of an individual's plea even while decreeing judgment upon a nation and its leadership. The promise to Jeremiah highlights God's attentiveness to His prophets, even in their moments of personal distress. The use of "young men" in Jeremiah's request points to specific people in the palace who might be involved in moving prisoners. This verse contrasts sharply with Zedekiah's own obstinate disregard for God's prophets, as mentioned in Jeremiah 38:24-27, where Zedekiah hides the words of Jeremiah from his princes, revealing his fear and compromise. The divine declaration regarding Zedekiah's inescapable fate echoes God's ultimate authority and justice, which is not swayed by human machinations or pleas for leniency when judgment is justly deserved. The narrative emphasizes that personal mercy and national judgment can coexist in God's dealings.
Jeremiah 37 17 Commentary
God acknowledges Jeremiah's plea for his own personal safety amidst the impending national doom. However, He immediately contrasts this personal appeal with the unwavering prophetic declaration about Zedekiah. While Jeremiah hopes for a merciful intervention on his behalf by certain individuals ("young men"), God reassures him that his immediate safety would indeed be facilitated by those who would receive him (implied context is from figures like Ebed-melech). This provision for Jeremiah's immediate well-being does not, however, alter the absolute judgment against King Zedekiah, who, despite Jeremiah's plea, will be irrevocably delivered into the hands of his enemies without any hope of divine rescue or compassionate treatment. The verse confirms God's sovereign control over all circumstances, including the personal intercessions within the larger framework of divine judgment.