Jeremiah 37:20

Jeremiah 37:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
• New International Version (NIV)But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore please hear now, O my lord the king. Please, let my petition be accepted before you, and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”

Context of Jeremiah 37:20

18Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you, your administrators, or these people? Why have you put me in prison? 19Where are the prophets who told you that the king of Babylon wouldn’t attack you and this land? But now, Your Majesty, please listen, and accept my plea for mercy. Don’t return me to the scribe Jonathan’s house, or I will die there.” 21King Zedekiah gave the command to have Jeremiah put in the courtyard of the prison. He gave him a loaf of bread every day from the bakers’ street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the prison.

Jeremiah 37:20 word by word

וְעַתָּ֕ה שְֽׁמַֽע־נָ֖א אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ תִּפָּל־נָ֤א תְחִנָּתִי֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְאַל־תְּשִׁבֵ֗נִי בֵּ֚ית יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן הַסֹּפֵ֔ר וְלֹ֥א אָמ֖וּת שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• now, I pray thee, O my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• let my supplicationתְּחִנָּהtechinnâh · supplicationH8467
• I pray thee, be acceptedנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• thee; that thou cause me not to returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
• the scribeסֹפֵרsâphar · secretaryH5608
• lest I dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Jeremiah 37:20

• Jeremiah 36:7Maybe their prayers will come into the Lord’s presence, and they will turn from their evil ways. The Lord has threatened these people with his terrifying anger and fury.”
• Jeremiah 26:15But know for certain that if you put me to death, you, this city, and the people living in it will be guilty of killing an innocent person. The Lord has certainly sent me to speak all these things to you.”
• Jeremiah 38:6So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son. It was in the courtyard of the prison. They used ropes to lower Jeremiah into the cistern. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
• Acts 23:16But Paul’s nephew heard about the ambush. He entered the barracks and told Paul.
• Acts 25:10Paul said, “I am standing in the emperor’s court where I must be tried. I haven’t done anything wrong to the Jews, as you know very well.
• Acts 28:18The Roman authorities cross-examined me and wanted to let me go because I was accused of nothing for which I deserved to die.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 37:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan - He had been ill used in this man's custody, so as to endanger his life, the place being cold, and probably unhealthy.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-21Verses 11-21 There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Is. 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who judges righteously. Jeremiah obtained mercy of the Lord to be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-20Jeremiah likely thought Zedekiah was behind his arrest and imprisonment. The prophet was probably in poor health after being whipped and held without medical care and with little food.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. be accepted--rather, "Let my supplication be humbly presented" (see on Jr 36:7), [Henderson]. lest I die there--in the subterranean dungeon (Jr 37:16), from want of proper sustenance (Jr 37:21). The prophet naturally shrank from death, which makes his spiritual firmness the more remarkable; he was ready to die rather than swerve from his duty [Calvin].Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 37:20

• Jeremiah
• Jonathan
• Prisoners
• Zedekiah

In the dictionaries

• Jonathan
• Jeremiah (2)
• Jonathan (1)
• Prison; Prisoner
• Zedekiah (2)
• Zedekiah

Commentaries on Jeremiah 37

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings