New English Translation
Jeremiah 37:20
20But now please listen, your royal Majesty, and grant my plea for mercy. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary. If you do, I will die there.”
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, or the officials who serve you, or the people of Judah? What have I done to make you people throw me into prison? 19Where now are the prophets who prophesied to you that the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land? But now please listen, your royal Majesty, and grant my plea for mercy. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary. If you do, I will die there.” 21Then King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be committed to the courtyard of the guardhouse. He also ordered that a loaf of bread be given to him every day from the baker’s street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah was kept in the courtyard of the guardhouse.
Read all of Jeremiah 37Jeremiah 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 36:7Perhaps then they will ask the Lord for mercy and will all stop doing the evil things they have been doing. For the Lord has threatened to bring great anger and wrath against these people.”
- Jeremiah 26:15But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!”
- Jeremiah 38:6So the officials took Jeremiah and put him in the cistern of Malkijah, one of the royal princes, that was in the courtyard of the guardhouse. There was no water in the cistern, only mud. So when they lowered Jeremiah into the cistern with ropes he sank in the mud.
- Acts 23:16But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.
- Acts 25:10Paul replied, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I should be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.
- Acts 28:18When they had heard my case, they wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries