Jeremiah Imprisoned during the Siege of Jerusalem
Jeremiah 37:1-21
Jer.37.1 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- וימלך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יאשיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תחת: PREP
- כניהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהויקים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- המליך: VERB,hif,perf,3,m,sg
- נבוכדראצר: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
Parallels
- 2 Kings 24:17 (verbal): Nebuchadnezzar sets Mattaniah (renamed Zedekiah) as king in Judah — a direct parallel to Jeremiah's notice of Zedekiah's accession.
- Jeremiah 52:1 (structural): A later summary in Jeremiah repeats the notice of Zedekiah's reign and parentage, paralleling 37:1 as a duplicate account.
- 2 Chronicles 36:11-12 (thematic): Chronicles records Zedekiah son of Josiah as king and comments on his reign, providing a parallel account of his identity and rule in Judah.
- 2 Kings 24:12-16 (allusion): Passage describing Nebuchadnezzar's deportation of Jehoiachin and the Babylonian interventions gives background for why Nebuchadnezzar installed a successor (Zedekiah), which Jeremiah 37:1 presupposes.
Alternative generated candidates
- Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king over the land of Judah.
- Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned in his place; and he was made king by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the land of Judah.
Jer.37.2 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ולא: CONJ
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- ועבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,poss,3,m,sg
- ועם: CONJ+PREP
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 7:25-26 (verbal): Uses similar wording about the people not hearkening to the LORD or his prophets; emphasizes persistent refusal to listen to prophetic warnings.
- Jeremiah 11:7-8 (verbal): Speaks of God’s covenantal warnings delivered by prophets and the people's failure to heed them—closely parallels Jeremiah’s indictment of king, servants, and people.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 (thematic): Summarizes how God sent messengers (prophets) who were mocked and persecuted because the people would not listen—connects the theme of rejection leading to judgment and exile.
- 2 Kings 17:13-14 (thematic): States that the LORD testified against Israel by prophets and seers but they would not hear, which parallels the motif of divine warning ignored by king and populace.
- Isaiah 30:9-11 (allusion): Describes a people refusing true prophetic instruction and demanding comforting messages instead—an analogous portrayal of rejecting the LORD’s messenger and message.
Alternative generated candidates
- But he and his servants and the people of the land did not heed the words of the LORD, which he spoke by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.
- But he and his servants and the people of the land did not heed the words of the LORD, which he spoke by Jeremiah the prophet.
Jer.37.3 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוכל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שלמיה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- צפניהו: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מעשיה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הכהן: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- התפלל: VERB,hithpael,perf,3,m,sg
- נא: PART
- בעדנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- אל: NEG
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהינו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:1,pl
Parallels
- Jeremiah 42:2-3 (verbal): Survivors (military leaders and others) come to Jeremiah with the nearly identical petition: 'Pray for us to the LORD your God' — nearly the same wording and same request for prophetic intercession.
- Jeremiah 21:1-2 (structural): Earlier episode in Jeremiah where King Zedekiah sends messengers to the prophet — parallels the same king-to-prophet commissioning and the official diplomatic form of sending envoys to consult Jeremiah.
- 2 Kings 20:2-6 / Isaiah 38:2-5 (thematic): Hezekiah sends to the prophet Isaiah (or Isaiah comes) and asks for the prophet's prayer/intercession regarding his life — a thematic parallel of a king seeking a prophet's prayer for deliverance.
- 1 Samuel 12:19-23 (verbal): After Samuel's judicial speech the people plead with Samuel to 'pray for your servants to the LORD' — similar wording and the theme of the community asking a prophet to intercede with God on their behalf.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Pray now to the LORD our God for us.”
- Then King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Pray now to the LORD our God for us."
Jer.37.4 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- וירמיהו: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- בתוך: PREP
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ולא: CONJ
- נתנו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הכלוא: ADJ,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 37:15-16 (structural): Within the same episode Jeremiah is later brought before Zedekiah and placed in the court of the prison — a direct narrative contrast to v.4's statement that he was not put into confinement at that moment.
- Jeremiah 38:6 (structural): Later officials cast Jeremiah into a cistern/dungeon; this episode parallels v.4 by showing that although he was not confined then, he subsequently suffers harsh imprisonment.
- Jeremiah 32:2 (structural): Earlier/elsewhere Jeremiah is described as shut up in the court of the guard (a place of confinement), providing a recurring motif of the prophet’s detention against which v.4 can be read.
- Jeremiah 26:8-11 (thematic): On a previous occasion the people sought to seize and punish Jeremiah (even to kill him); v.4’s remark that they did not put him into the house of confinement echoes and contrasts with earlier popular hostility to the prophet.
Alternative generated candidates
- So Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; they did not hand him over to the house of confinement.
- So Jeremiah came in and went among the people; and they did not hand him over to the house of confinement.
Jer.37.5 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- וחיל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- יצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ממצרים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וישמעו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- הכשדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- הצרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- על: PREP
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- שמעם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- ויעלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מעל: PREP
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 24:7 (verbal): Reports the same sequence: Pharaoh's force comes out of Egypt and the Chaldeans/Babylonians lift/withdraw from Jerusalem — a near-verbatim narrative parallel to Jeremiah's note of the Babylonian withdrawal on hearing Pharaoh's advance.
- Jeremiah 39:1-2 (structural): Continues the broader siege narrative: after the earlier withdrawal (Jer 37:5) Nebuchadnezzar later returns and captures Jerusalem, showing the temporary nature of the relief described in 37:5.
- 2 Kings 25:1-3 (thematic): Gives the final-stage account of Nebuchadnezzar’s siege and the city’s fall; thematically parallels Jeremiah 37:5 by situating the siege, intermittent operations, and ultimate capture of Jerusalem.
- Ezekiel 17:15 (allusion): Ezekiel’s parable condemns Judah for seeking Egyptian military support (‘sent to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a great army’), thematically echoing the political move (Egyptian intervention) that precipitates the Babylonian withdrawal reported in Jeremiah 37:5.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now the army of Pharaoh came out of Egypt. When the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the news of them, they lifted the siege and withdrew from Jerusalem.
- Now Pharaoh's army had gone out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
Jer.37.6 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- Jeremiah 1:4 (verbal): Uses the same prophetic formula 'Now the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,' introducing divine instruction to Jeremiah (commissioning context).
- Jeremiah 33:1 (verbal): Almost identical wording: 'Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet,' another instance of the standard prophetic announcement within Jeremiah.
- Ezekiel 1:3 (verbal): Ezekiel opens with the parallel formula 'the word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel,' showing the common prophetic introductory formula across prophets.
- Hosea 1:1 (verbal): Hosea begins with 'The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea,' a similar ministerial formula signaling received revelation and prophetic message.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
- And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
Jer.37.7 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כה: ADV
- תאמרו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- השלח: NOUN,prop,m,sg,def
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- לדרשני: INF,qal,inf+PRON,1,sg
- הנה: PART
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- היצא: VERB,qal,part,ms,sg,def
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- לעזרה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לארצו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 30:1-5 (thematic): Condemns Judah's attempt to secure help from Egypt instead of trusting God; parallels Jeremiah's warning about reliance on Pharaoh's forces for deliverance.
- Isaiah 31:1 (thematic): Woes pronounced on those who go down to Egypt for help and put confidence in horses and chariots—directly echoes the critique of seeking Egyptian assistance in Jeremiah 37:7.
- Ezekiel 17:15-16 (allusion): Describes Judah's ruler breaking covenant and seeking refuge/aid in Egypt; parallels the motif of turning to Pharaoh for support rather than relying on Babylon or God.
- Jeremiah 43:6-7 (structural): Narrative continuation of the same theme: people (and leaders) go down to Egypt despite Jeremiah's word—shows the outcome of heeding Pharaoh's promise mentioned in 37:7.
- Psalm 20:7 (thematic): Contrasts trust in military power (horses/chariots) with trust in the LORD; thematically resonates with Jeremiah's critique of reliance on Pharaoh's army.
Alternative generated candidates
- “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, Pharaoh’s army that came to your aid has returned to its own land—Egypt.’”
- "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, 'Behold, Pharaoh's army which came to your aid has returned to its own land to Egypt.'"
Jer.37.8 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ושבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- הכשדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ונלחמו: WAW+VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,pl
- על: PREP
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- ולכדה: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg,obj:3f
- ושרפה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- באש: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 39:8 (verbal): Same book and event—reports Nebuzaradan and the Chaldeans burning the city and the house of the LORD, closely echoing Jeremiah 37:8's wording about the Chaldeans taking and burning the city.
- Jeremiah 52:12-13 (verbal): Historical recap in Jeremiah's appendix that repeats the account of the Chaldeans (Babylonians) capturing and burning Jerusalem, mirroring 37:8's report of the city's fall by fire.
- 2 Kings 25:9-10 (quotation): Parallel historical narrative of Jerusalem's capture by the Babylonians/Nebuzaradan and the burning of the temple, king's house, and city—corresponds directly to the action described in Jeremiah 37:8.
- 2 Chronicles 36:19-20 (thematic): The Chronicler's summary of Babylon's destruction of the temple and deportation echoes the theme of Jerusalem's capture and burning by the Chaldeans found in Jeremiah 37:8.
Alternative generated candidates
- “And the Chaldeans shall return and fight against this city; they shall capture it and burn it with fire.
- "And the Chaldeans will return and fight against this city; they will capture it and burn it with fire."
Jer.37.9 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- תשאו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- נפשתיכם: NOUN,f,sg,abs+2,m,pl
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- הלך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ילכו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- מעלינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- הכשדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- ילכו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Jeremiah 27:8 (verbal): Explicitly warns against listening to prophets who say the king of Babylon will not come/leave — same false reassurance that the Chaldeans would depart.
- Jeremiah 28:11–16 (allusion): Record of Hananiah’s optimistic prophecy (that Babylon’s yoke would be broken and exiles returned) and Jeremiah’s rebuttal — a direct episode of the same mistaken confidence that the Chaldeans would go away.
- Jeremiah 25:9–11 (thematic): Portrays Nebuchadnezzar/Babylon as God’s instrument to bring judgment and exile; thematically opposes any hope that the Chaldeans would simply withdraw.
- Jeremiah 39:1–3 (structural): Narrative outcome: the Babylonians (Chaldeans) actually capture and destroy Jerusalem, confirming Jeremiah’s warning that they would not go away.
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus says the LORD: Do not lift up your souls in boasting, saying, ‘The Chaldeans are gone from us’—for they will not go.
- "Thus says the LORD: Do not lift up your souls, saying, 'The Chaldeans will surely go away from us'—for they will not go away.
Jer.37.10 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אם: CONJ
- הכיתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- כל: DET
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כשדים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הנלחמים: VERB,qal,part,3,m,pl,def
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- ונשארו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- אנשים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מדקרים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- באהלו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- יקומו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ושרפו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- באש: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 37:11 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same episode: reports that some of the Chaldeans escaped to their tents (or that men left the city and joined the Chaldeans), illustrating the very scenario warned about in 37:10.
- Jeremiah 39:8 (thematic): Narrates the fulfillment of the threat: Nebuchadnezzar’s forces burned the house of the LORD and the city of Jerusalem—echoing the warning that survivors could set the city on fire.
- 2 Kings 25:9 (thematic): Parallel historical report that Babylonian forces burned the city and the temple; thematically connected as the realized consequence of siege and warfare described in Jer 37:10.
- Deuteronomy 20:13–15 (thematic): Law concerning the treatment of conquered cities and their inhabitants; thematically related to the passages’ concern over survivors and the military logic of destroying an enemy to prevent future threat (the issue underlying Jer 37:10).
Alternative generated candidates
- For if you strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remain among them any who escape—each from his tent—then those remnant will rise up and burn this city with fire.
- For if you should strike all the fighting Chaldean forces who are fighting you, and only wounded men remained among them, then each one will rise up from his tent and burn this city with fire."
Jer.37.11 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- בהעלות: PREP
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הכשדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- מעל: PREP
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מפני: PREP
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Jer.37:5 (verbal): Same narrative context—mentions the Chaldeans besieging Jerusalem and the approach of Pharaoh’s army that affects Babylonian movements.
- Jer.37:6 (verbal): Closely related verse in the same episode explaining that the commanders of the king of Babylon withdrew from Jerusalem because the army of Pharaoh had come up from Egypt.
- 2 Kings 23:29 (thematic): Records Pharaoh‑Necho’s military movements to the Euphrates and Egyptian intervention in the region, background to Egyptian involvement in Judah’s affairs.
- 2 Chronicles 35:20-24 (thematic): Describes Josiah’s confrontation with Pharaoh‑Necho at Megiddo and Egyptian military activity in Judah—provides historical context for Egypt’s presence in the land.
- Jer.46:2 (thematic): Prophecy concerning Pharaoh‑Necho and the conflict with Babylon; thematically linked to the Egyptian–Babylonian struggle that shapes events around Jerusalem’s siege.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it shall be, when the Chaldean army departs from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s forces,
- "It shall come to pass when the Chaldeans lift up their siege from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army..."
Jer.37.12 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ללכת: VERB,qal,inf
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בנימן: NOUN,m,sg,proper
- לחלק: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- משם: PREP
- בתוך: PREP
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 1:1 (thematic): Identifies Jeremiah's origin as from Anathoth in the land of Benjamin—background that explains his movement into Benjamin in 37:12.
- Jeremiah 32:6-9 (verbal): Jeremiah goes to Anathoth in Benjamin to buy a field and obtain an inheritance/portion; language and motif of going into Benjamin to receive a portion parallels 37:12.
- Jeremiah 26:20-23 (thematic): Story of Urijah the prophet from Anathoth who fled Jerusalem and was seized/killed—parallels the persecution and seizure of prophets (and Jeremiah's own arrest) when leaving Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 39:11-14 (structural): After Jerusalem's fall Nebuzaradan the captain delivers Jeremiah into the custody of Gedaliah at Mizpah in Benjamin—another instance of Jeremiah being taken/handed over and connected with the Benjamin region.
Alternative generated candidates
- that Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to take his portion there among the people.
- Then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to take his portion there among the people.
Jer.37.13 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- בשער: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בנימן: NOUN,m,sg,proper
- ושם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בעל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פקדת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- ושמו: CONJ,NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- יראייה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שלמיה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חנניה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויתפש: VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- אל: NEG
- הכשדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- נפל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Jeremiah 37:15-21 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation of 37:13 — describes Jeremiah’s formal imprisonment in the house of the guard after he was seized at the Benjamin Gate.
- Jeremiah 38:1-6 (verbal): Related episode of officials (including 'Jucal/Yeucal son of Shelemiah' and Pashhur‑names) seizing and mistreating Jeremiah; overlaps in personnel and the theme of officials’ hostility.
- Jeremiah 20:1-6 (thematic): Earlier incident where an official named Pashhur (a temple officer) arrests/assaults Jeremiah and imprisons him — parallel in motif of prophetic arrest and official persecution.
- Jeremiah 26:20-23 (verbal): Account of Urijah (Uriah/Irijah) son of Shemaiah who prophesied and was seized/killed — echoes the same personal name and patronymic, suggesting a verbal/onomastic link and recurring hostility to prophetic voices.
Alternative generated candidates
- And when he was at the Benjamin Gate, there was a man in authority whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah. He seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.”
- And when he was at the Benjamin Gate there was a man in charge of the oversight—his name was Jerahiah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah—and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are defecting to the Chaldeans!"
Jer.37.14 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אינני: VERB,negexist,perf,1,sg
- נפל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- על: PREP
- הכשדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ולא: CONJ
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- ויתפש: VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,sg
- יראייה: PART,acc
- בירמיהו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויבאהו: CONJ+VERB,hiph,perf,3,mp
- אל: NEG
- השרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 38:6 (structural): Same narrative of Jeremiah being seized by officials and put into a cistern — a closely related account of arrest and harsh treatment by the princes.
- Jeremiah 26:7-11 (thematic): Earlier incident where Jeremiah is seized and brought before the elders and people for prophesying doom; parallels the pattern of authorities arresting the prophet for unpopular messages.
- Jeremiah 20:2 (thematic): Pashhur the priest beats Jeremiah and puts him in stocks — another episode of physical seizure and punishment by officials in response to Jeremiah’s prophecies.
- Jeremiah 39:11-14 (thematic): After Jerusalem’s fall Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian commander, takes custody of Jeremiah and hands him to Gedaliah — a related episode involving Jeremiah’s treatment by military/official authorities (contrast in outcome).
Alternative generated candidates
- Jeremiah replied, “It is a lie—I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But he did not listen to him. So Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.
- Jeremiah said, "It is a lie; I have not defected to the Chaldeans." But he would not listen, and Jerahiah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials.
Jer.37.15 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקצפו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- השרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- על: PREP
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- ונתנו: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אותו: PRON,3,m,sg
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האסור: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הספר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כי: CONJ
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- עשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cns
- הכלא: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 20:2 (verbal): Pashhur (the priest) strikes Jeremiah and puts him in the stocks—very similar language and action (beating and confinement).
- Jeremiah 38:6 (structural): Jeremiah is seized by officials and confined in a cistern/prison; repeats the motif of princes' mistreatment and imprisonment under Zedekiah.
- Jeremiah 26:8-11 (thematic): Priests and princes demand Jeremiah's death for prophesying in Jerusalem—parallel official hostility and threat of punishment for the prophet's message.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20-22 (thematic): The prophet Zechariah is opposed and killed at the instigation of officials—an analogous instance of rulers persecuting a true prophet.
- Amos 7:12-13 (thematic): Amaziah the priest rejects and orders Amos away from the sanctuary—another example of an official suppressing a prophetic messenger.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and they struck him and put him in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made it a prison.
- Then the officials were angry with Jeremiah and struck him, and they put him in the house of confinement—the house of Jonathan the scribe—for they had made it a prison.
Jer.37.16 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- בא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הבור: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- החניות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שם: ADV
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- רבים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 32:2 (verbal): Jeremiah is said to be 'confined in the court of the guard' (or prison) during the Babylonian siege — same location-language as 37:16.
- Jeremiah 38:6 (thematic): Officials cast Jeremiah into a cistern/dungeon and leave him imprisoned and mistreated — another episode of his confinement.
- Jeremiah 20:2 (thematic): Pashhur has Jeremiah beaten and put in the stocks — an earlier instance of prophetic persecution and physical confinement.
- Psalm 142:7 (thematic): The psalmist's plea 'Bring my soul out of prison' echoes the motif of being held captive and seeking deliverance.
- Revelation 1:9 (thematic): John's exile on Patmos 'because of the word of God' parallels the prophetic experience of isolation/confinement for faithful witness.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now Jeremiah had entered into the cistern and into the storehouses, and Jeremiah remained there many days.
- Thus Jeremiah entered the dungeon and the inner cells and remained there many days.
Jer.37.17 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויקחהו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- וישאלהו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בביתו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- בסתר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- היש: PART,exist
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מאת: PREP
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תנתן: VERB,niphal,impf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 38:17-18 (quotation): Almost identical scene and wording: Zedekiah secretly questions Jeremiah in the palace and Jeremiah replies that he will be handed over to the king of Babylon.
- Jeremiah 21:1-4 (thematic): An earlier occasion when Zedekiah (by envoys) seeks a word from the LORD through Jeremiah and receives a prophecy that the city will be given to the king of Babylon.
- 2 Kings 25:7 (structural): Narrative fulfillment: account of Zedekiah being captured, his sons slain before him, and then taken to the king of Babylon—fulfillment of Jeremiah’s warning.
- Isaiah 39:6-7 (thematic): A parallel prophetic theme: Isaiah foretells that the Babylonians will carry off the king’s descendants and royal treasures—similar judgment/transfer into Babylonian hands.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then King Zedekiah sent and took him; and the king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” And he added, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
- But King Zedekiah sent and took him; and the king had him brought secretly into the house, and he said, "Is there any word from the LORD?" Jeremiah answered, "There is." Then the king said, "You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."
Jer.37.18 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מה: PRON,int
- חטאתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- ולעבדיך: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:2,m,sg
- ולעם: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- נתתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- אותי: PRON,1,sg,acc
- אל: NEG
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הכלא: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 20:2 (verbal): Pashhur beats Jeremiah and puts him in the stocks—another instance where officials imprison the prophet for his message, paralleling the unjust confinement in 37:18.
- Jeremiah 38:6-13 (structural): Same narrative cycle: Jeremiah is again cast into a dungeon/cistern by officials and later spoken of in connection with Zedekiah—continues and amplifies the motif of prophetic imprisonment.
- Psalm 142:7 (thematic): The psalmist pleads, 'Bring my soul out of prison,' reflecting the theme of entrapment and a righteous sufferer seeking deliverance found in Jeremiah's complaint.
- Acts 16:22-39 (thematic): Paul and Silas are brutally beaten and imprisoned unjustly for proclaiming the gospel; their appeal to the magistrates and protest at the injustice echo the prophetic motif of suffering and wrongful confinement.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What have I done to you or to your servants or to this people, that you have put me in the prison?
- Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "What have I done to you, or to your servants, or to this people, that you have put me in the dungeon?"
Jer.37.19 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ואיה: ADV,interr
- נביאיכם: NOUN,m,pl,suff
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נבאו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- לא: PART_NEG
- יבא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עליכם: PREP+PRON,2mp
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 28:15-17 (quotation): Jeremiah rebukes the false prophet Hananiah who, like the prophets in 37:19, proclaimed that Babylon would not prevail; God declares Hananiah prophesied falsely and pronounces judgment.
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (thematic): General denunciation of prophets who speak lies in God's name and reassure the people with false messages—same critique implied in 37:19.
- Jeremiah 14:14-16 (thematic): God disavows prophets who prophesy lies in His name and promises punishment—parallels the charge against those who said the king of Babylon would not come.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): Law for testing prophets: if a prophet's prediction does not come to pass, he has spoken presumptuously—criterion underlying Jeremiah's rejection of the 'no Babylon' prophecies.
- Ezekiel 13:6-9 (thematic): Condemnation of prophets who give false visions and make the people trust in lies; echoes Jeremiah's challenge to prophets who denied Babylon's threat.
Alternative generated candidates
- Where are now your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you nor against this land’?
- "Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come upon you nor upon this land'?"
Jer.37.20 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ועתה: CONJ
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- נא: PART
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- תפל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נא: PART
- תחנתי: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לפניך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- תשבני: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הספר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ולא: CONJ
- אמות: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- שם: ADV
Parallels
- Jeremiah 38:7–13 (structural): Same narrative continued: Ebed‑Melech petitions King Zedekiah to release Jeremiah from confinement, a direct parallel/resolution to Jeremiah’s plea not to be left to die in Jonathan’s house.
- Jeremiah 37:15–21 (structural): Immediate context: the preceding and following verses record the king’s response and Jeremiah’s subsequent re‑imprisonment, showing the same episode of petitioning and detention.
- Jeremiah 26:8–15 (thematic): Jeremiah faces a death sentence earlier in his career; the prophets’ threats of execution and appeals to royal authority echo the plea here for protection from dying in custody.
- Jeremiah 20:1–2 (thematic): Earlier mistreatment by Pashhur (beating and imprisonment) reflects the recurring motif of the prophet’s punitive confinement and his plea for mercy and safety.
- 2 Kings 25:27–30 (thematic): Account of Jehoiachin’s later release from prison by royal favor—parallels the appeal to a king’s power to spare or free a captive, highlighting the stakes of Jeremiah’s petition.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now therefore, please, O my lord the king, hear my plea: do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”
- Now please, my lord the king, hear my plea: let my petition find favor before you, and do not let me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
Jer.37.21 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ויצוה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויפקדו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בחצר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- המטרה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ונתן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- ככר: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ליום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מחוץ: PREP
- האפים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- עד: PREP
- תם: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- הלחם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מן: PREP
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בחצר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- המטרה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 37:15-20 (verbal): Immediate context of the same episode: earlier verses recount Jeremiah’s arrest and initial detention in the court of the guard, using the same setting and chain of actions.
- Jeremiah 32:2-5 (verbal): Uses the same location phrase (the court/house of the guard); earlier narrative also records Jeremiah confined there (while he buys a field), showing recurrence of his imprisonment at that place.
- Jeremiah 38:6-13 (structural): Parallel continuation/escalation of the detention narrative: officials later cast Jeremiah into a cistern and mistreat him while he is held in the court/guard area, reflecting the same conflict over the prophet.
- Jeremiah 39:14-18 (thematic): Resolution/outcome connected to the detention: after Jerusalem’s fall Jeremiah is rescued and receives protection/food from officials (and Ebed‑Melek intercedes), completing the arc that began with his imprisonment in the court of the guard.
Alternative generated candidates
- So King Zedekiah commanded, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard, giving him a loaf of bread a day from the bakers’ street until all the bread in the city was gone; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
- So King Zedekiah commanded, and they set Jeremiah in the court of the prison; and he gave him a loaf of bread a day from the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned in his place; he reigned instead of Coniah son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king in the land of Judah. But he and his servants and the people did not listen to the words of the LORD, which he spoke by Jeremiah the prophet.
Then King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Pray now to the LORD our God for us.” So Jeremiah came in and went out among the people, for they had not put him into the house of confinement. Now Pharaoh’s army had come forth from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the news, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, Pharaoh’s army that came to your aid has returned to its own land, to Egypt. And the Chaldeans will return and fight against this city; they will capture it and burn it with fire.’” Thus says the LORD: Do not lift up your heart in false hope and say, ‘The Chaldeans will surely depart from us’—they will not depart.
For if you were to strike down all the army of the Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and only wounded men remained among them, each one from his tent would rise and burn this city with fire.
It came to pass, when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army,
that Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to take his portion there among the people. And when he was at the Benjamin Gate, there stood by him a man who had an official charge; his name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah. He seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”
Jeremiah replied, “It is a lie; I have not deserted to the Chaldeans.” But he did not listen to him. So Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.
Then the princes were angry with Jeremiah and struck him; and they put him into the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made a prison.
Jeremiah entered the dungeon and the cells and remained there many days. But King Zedekiah sent and took him; the king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah answered, “There is.” The king said, “You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What have I done to you or to your servants or to this people, that you have put me in prison?
Where are the prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come upon you or upon this land’? Now please, O my lord the king, hear my plea: let my petition come before you; do not consign me again to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”
Then the king commanded, and they entrusted Jeremiah to the court of the guard. They gave him a loaf of bread a day from the bakers’ street until all the bread of the city was gone; so Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.