Jeremiah 37:1-10 Meaning: The King Who Asked for Prayer but Refused to Listen
1Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to Yahweh’s words, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now to Yahweh our God for us.”
4Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people, for they had not put him into prison.
5Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6Then Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7“Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land.
8The Chaldeans will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’
9“Yahweh says, ‘Don’t deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely depart from us;” for they will not depart.
10For though you had struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and only wounded men remained among them, they would each rise up in his tent and burn this city with fire.’”
1And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the Lord, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.
3And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the Lord our God for us.
4Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.
5Then Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
6Then came the word of the Lord unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
8And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
9Thus saith the Lord; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
10For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
1And Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of Jehovah, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.
3And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto Jehovah our God for us.
4Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison.
5And Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans that were besieging Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they brake up from Jerusalem.
6Then came the word of Jehovah unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
8And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city; and they shall take it, and burn it with fire.
9Thus saith Jehovah, Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us; for they shall not depart.
10For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet would they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
1And reign doth king Zedekiah son of Josiah instead of Coniah son of Jehoiakim whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had caused to reign in the land of Judah,
2and he hath not hearkened, he, and his servants, and the people of the land, unto the words of Jehovah, that He spake by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.
3And Zedekiah the king sendeth Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, `Pray, we beseech thee, for us unto Jehovah our God.'
4And Jeremiah is coming in and going out in the midst of the people, (and they have not put him in the prison-house),
5and the force of Pharaoh hath come out of Egypt, and the Chaldeans, who are laying siege against Jerusalem, hear their report, and go up from off Jerusalem.
6And there is a word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
7`Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Thus do ye say unto the king of Judah, who is sending you unto Me, to seek Me: Lo, the force of Pharaoh that is coming out to you for help hath turned back to its land, to Egypt,
8and the Chaldeans have turned back, and fought against this city, and captured it, and burnt it with fire.
9`Thus said Jehovah: Lift not up your souls saying, The Chaldeans surely go from off us, for they do not go;
10for though ye had smitten all the force of the Chaldeans who are fighting with you, and there were left of them wounded men--each in his tent--they rise, and have burnt this city with fire.'
1And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon having made him king in the land of Judah.
2And neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, hearkened unto the words of Jehovah, which he had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah.
3And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto Jehovah our God for us.
4And Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison.
5And Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they went up from Jerusalem.
6And the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
7Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me: Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
8And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
9Thus saith Jehovah: Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans are certainly gone away from us; for they are not gone.
10For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained [but] wounded men among them, [yet] should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
Meaning in one sentence
Zedekiah begged Jeremiah to pray, yet he and the people ignored God's words. See why wanting divine help without obeying Him is a dangerous self-deception.
Context
Zedekiah was not meant to be king. Nebuchadnezzar had placed him on the throne after carrying Jehoiachin into exile, a clear sign that the Davidic line was now serving Babylon. But neither the new king, his officials, nor the common people paid attention to what the Lord kept saying through Jeremiah. They had heard the warnings for years, and nothing changed.
Then the Babylonians surrounded Jerusalem. Hope flickered when Pharaoh’s army marched up from Egypt, and the siege was lifted. In that brief relief, Zedekiah sent messengers to Jeremiah. “Pray now to the Lord our God for us.” It sounds like faith. But behind the request was a heart that still refused to obey. God’s answer cut through the hope: the Egyptians would go home, the Chaldeans would return, and Jerusalem would burn. The judgment was certain, not because Babylon was strong, but because Judah had not listened.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for “listened” here is shama (שָׁמַע). It means more than hearing a sound. It carries the idea of paying attention and obeying. Verse two says that neither the king nor anyone else shama to Yahweh’s words. They heard Jeremiah preach, but they did not let what they heard change them.
Later, God says, “Do not deceive yourselves.” The word is nasha (נָשָׁא), to beguile, to lift up your soul with empty hopes. It is the same word used for being led astray by false prophets. The people were telling themselves a story: the Babylonians are gone for good. But God says that story is a lie you are telling your own soul.
Finally, the “wounded men” (מְדֻקָּרִים, medukkarim) are men pierced through, left for dead. The point could not be stronger: even if every soldier were a corpse, the fire would still fall. Judgment does not depend on human strength. It depends on the word of the Lord.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions see this passage as a sobering lesson about the danger of wanting God’s help without submitting to His word. Reformed readers often emphasize the sovereignty of God in judgment: He uses even enemy armies to accomplish His purposes. Catholic and Orthodox traditions may point to Zedekiah’s request for prayer as a reminder that intercession must be joined to repentance, otherwise it becomes a hollow ritual. Evangelical readers often focus on the warning against self-deception, noting how easily we convince ourselves that we are fine with God when we have not actually obeyed what He has said. What unites these readings is the recognition that God’s word cannot be separated from His mercy, and that asking for prayer is no substitute for a changed life.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
You might be in a situation where you desperately want God to act. Maybe you have prayed for a relationship to heal, for a job to open up, or for a habit to break. But ask yourself honestly: is there something God has already said to you, through Scripture, through a sermon, through a quiet conviction, that you have not obeyed? It might be a word of forgiveness you need to extend, a grudge you need to release, or a step of generosity you have been avoiding. This passage does not tell you to stop praying. It invites you to let your prayer be the fruit of listening, not a substitute for it.
Main takeaway: Asking God for help while refusing to obey what He has already said is only deceiving yourself.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
King Zedekiah asked Jeremiah to pray for him, but he did not do what God said. It is like asking your mom for help but not listening to her when she tells you what to do. God wants us to obey first.
For ages 9, 12
Zedekiah wanted God to save Jerusalem, but he and his people had ignored everything Jeremiah had warned them about for years. They hoped that a quick prayer would fix things while they kept living the same way. The passage shows that treating God like a helper you call only in emergencies is not trust, it is self-deception. Real faith begins with listening to what God has already said.
Questions People Ask
Why does the passage mention that Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah king?
This detail shows that the Davidic monarchy was now a puppet government. It was a visible sign of God’s judgment that Jeremiah had prophesied. The king who was supposed to represent God’s rule was appointed by the pagan enemy.
If Zedekiah wanted Jeremiah’s prayers, why did God give such a harsh answer?
God saw that Zedekiah wanted divine help but was not willing to obey what God had already commanded through Jeremiah. Asking for prayer while ignoring God’s word is a form of self-deception, and the harsh answer was meant to expose that.
What does 'deceive yourselves' mean in verse 9?
The Hebrew word means to 'lift up your souls' with a false hope. It is the same word for being led astray or beguiled. The people were telling themselves a comforting lie, that the Babylonians were gone for good, when God had made it clear they would return.
Why would wounded men be able to burn the city if the entire Chaldean army was destroyed?
The verse uses extreme hyperbole to show that the outcome does not depend on military strength. Even if the impossible happened and every Chaldean soldier was killed or wounded, judgment would still come. It is a way of saying that God’s word is unstoppable.
What is the main lesson from this passage for Christians today?
The primary lesson is that wanting God’s help while refusing to obey His word is dangerous self-deception. Prayer is not a substitute for repentance. God calls us to listen to His commands before we ask for His rescue.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study