Jeremiah 37:4 kjv
Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.
Jeremiah 37:4 nkjv
Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.
Jeremiah 37:4 niv
Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison.
Jeremiah 37:4 esv
Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison.
Jeremiah 37:4 nlt
Jeremiah had not yet been imprisoned, so he could come and go among the people as he pleased.
Jeremiah 37 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 1:1-3 | Words of Jeremiah to Jerusalem... The word of the LORD came to him. | Initial Calling & Commission |
| Jeremiah 18:18 | "Come, let us devise plans against Jeremiah. For instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet." | Opposition Faced by Jeremiah |
| Jeremiah 20:2 | Then Pashhur the priest... struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks... | Specific Instance of Imprisonment |
| Jeremiah 26:10-11 | When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD and sat down in the New Gate of the LORD's house. Then the priests and the prophets said to the princes... "This man deserves to die..." | Prior Accusation & Sentence |
| Jeremiah 29:24-28 | Send to Shemaiah the Nehelamite and to Zephaniah the priest... because he has not restrained Jeremiah the prophet who prophesies to us in Babylon... | Response to False Prophecy |
| Jeremiah 34:2-5 | Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him... You shall die by the sword... and your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon... But you shall be buried in peace... | Prophecy of Zedekiah's Fate |
| Jeremiah 37:3 | For they had hired with him to strengthen his hands against the people of this land to proclaim to them that they should have no mercy, nor that he should hear them in any way. | Context of his imprisonment |
| Jeremiah 37:11-14 | But when the Chaldean army had departed from Jerusalem because of the army of Pharaoh, then Jeremiah the prophet was arrested... and he was put in the cell in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they had made it a prison. | Specifics of Re-arrest |
| Jeremiah 37:15-21 | Jeremiah was put in the dungeon... But after a time... King Zedekiah sent and brought him out. And the king questioned him in his house secretly... | Zedekiah's Interaction |
| 2 Kings 24:18 | Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. | Zedekiah's Parentage |
| 2 Kings 25:4-7 | When Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, he and all the soldiers of the war fled... they pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him... And they put out the eyes of Zedekiah. | Fulfillment of Prophecy |
| Ezekiel 12:13 | And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my trap. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there. | Parallel Prophecy of Blindness |
| Isaiah 6:9-10 | And he said, "Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull... lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn and be healed.” | Divine Hardening |
| John 12:40 | "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.” | New Testament application |
| Romans 11:25 | Lest you be wise in your own conceit, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. | Spiritual Hardening |
| Acts 28:26 | "Go to this people and say, ‘You will indeed hear, but never understand; you will indeed see, but never perceive.’ | Prophetic Deafness |
| 2 Corinthians 3:14 | But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the Old Testament, the same veil remains, because it is in Christ that it is taken away. | Veil of Ignorance |
| 2 Timothy 3:8 | Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of corrupt minds, and disqualified regarding the faith. | Opposition to Truth |
| 1 Peter 4:12 | Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. | Persecution of Believers |
| 1 Corinthians 10:13 | No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. | God's Faithfulness |
Jeremiah 37 verses
Jeremiah 37 4 Meaning
Jeremiah 37:4 describes Jeremiah being released from prison by King Zedekiah, who had imprisoned him for prophesying the city's downfall. The verse highlights Zedekiah's personal intervention, overriding the officials' actions.
Jeremiah 37 4 Context
Jeremiah 37 takes place during the final siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. King Zedekiah had revolted against Babylon, breaking his treaty. The Egyptian army had arrived, briefly relieving the siege, causing false hope. Jeremiah consistently prophesied that Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians and that Zedekiah would be captured. Because his message was unpopular and perceived as aiding the enemy, the officials, including the princes and priests, had imprisoned Jeremiah in a dungeon. This verse marks a temporary reprieve, initiated by King Zedekiah himself, who seems to have a troubled conscience or seeks divine counsel, even if he ultimately rejects God's warning.
Jeremiah 37 4 Word analysis
- “Now when...” : Indicates the transition in events following the Babylonian army's temporary withdrawal due to Pharaoh's advance.
- “King Zedekiah”: The reigning monarch of Judah, installed by Nebuchadnezzar, but who rebelled. His reign was marked by indecisiveness and disobedience to God’s prophets.
- “sent...”: This action shows Zedekiah’s personal decision, distinct from the collective actions of his officials who had imprisoned Jeremiah.
- “and fetched...”: Signifies bringing Jeremiah out of his confinement.
- “Jeremiah...”: The prophet of God, facing severe persecution for delivering God's message.
- “out of the prison”: Jeremiah was in confinement due to charges of disloyting the kingdom by his prophecies.
Jeremiah 37 4 Bonus section
The contrast between Zedekiah’s action here and the actions of the princes in verse 1 shows a difference in approach. The princes sought to silence Jeremiah permanently due to his message's implications. Zedekiah, while keeping Jeremiah under some form of house arrest or close observation, does not share their definitive malice, indicating a more nuanced, albeit ultimately failed, engagement with the prophet's words. This reflects the tension between political expediency and a potential awareness of divine truth that often characterized Zedekiah's reign. The verse emphasizes that even in times of great national crisis, the word of God, through His prophets, continues to demand attention, however unwelcome.
Jeremiah 37 4 Commentary
King Zedekiah's decision to release Jeremiah is a complex act. It isn't a public endorsement of Jeremiah's message or a full repentance on Zedekiah's part. Rather, it reflects a desperate attempt to seek God’s will or perhaps a lingering flicker of conscience. Zedekiah had been advised by his counselors, including Jeremiah, to obey God and surrender, but he chose to listen to those urging defiance and an alliance with Egypt. Jeremiah’s imprisonment stemmed from political opposition disguised as patriotism, seeing his message as undermining morale and aiding the enemy. This temporary release underscores Zedekiah’s internal conflict and his inability to fully embrace God’s word, ultimately leading to his doom. Jeremiah's situation, fluctuating between imprisonment and summons, highlights the precarious position of a prophet in a disobedient nation.