Tyndale Open Study NotesJeremiah 37

These verses summarize Zedekiah's rule and how he responded to the Lord's messages through Jeremiah.

The focus now returns to Zedekiah, who became king of Judah after his nephew Jehoiachin. These chapters describe meetings between Zedekiah and Jeremiah, highlighting Zedekiah’s struggle to fully commit to God's word (compare Deuteronomy 10:12–13). Zedekiah is a classic example of a person with divided loyalty (James 1:6–8).

Zedekiah asked for prayer, hoping Jeremiah's prayers would magically defeat the enemy (see Jeremiah 14:7–9 and Jeremiah 14:7–9).

The Babylonians started their siege of Jerusalem in 588 BC. However, they left because Pharaoh Hophra's army was coming to help Judah. The Babylonians aimed to stop and defeat the Egyptians, and they succeeded.

The Lord answered Jeremiah’s prayer (Jeremiah 37:3) with a warning for Zedekiah. The Egyptians would not offer lasting help, and the Babylonians would return to destroy Jerusalem. This prophecy came true in 586 BC.

When the Babylonians went to face the Egyptians, Jeremiah walked three miles north to his hometown, Anathoth. He wanted to claim his share of the property among his relatives and see his newly purchased land (Jeremiah 32:1–25).

The guards and other officials of Judah misunderstood Jeremiah's actions and thought he was deserting.

The king asked Jeremiah about other messages from the Lord, showing his fear of the future. He still hoped the Lord would defeat the Babylonians. Jeremiah quickly and firmly said there was no hope for divine intervention like the one that destroyed the Assyrian army during Hezekiah’s reign (2 Kings 19:8–37).

Jeremiah 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.

The king went against his officials and told the guards to keep Jeremiah in the palace courtyard under protective watch. During the long siege, food was scarce, so a fresh loaf of bread each day was a generous amount.