Jeremiah 37:11-21 · Bible study
Jeremiah 37:11-21 Commentary: Faithful Word Amid Shifting Sieges
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What Babylon’s withdrawal and Jeremiah’s arrest teach about prophesy, persecution, and God’s care. A study for pastors and teachers.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jeremiah’s unjust imprisonment and his bold, truthful witness to a fearful king
- Key words: la·ḥă·liq (portion/inheritance), nō·p̄êl (falling/deserting), še·qer (lie), tə·ḥin·nāh (supplication)
- Main debate: Jeremiah’s purpose in leaving Jerusalem, to claim property or to secure food, or perhaps to slip away?
- Theological theme: The cost of prophetic truth and God’s faithful care for His servant amid unjust suffering
- Best use: A study on speaking truth to power and trusting God’s provision even in temporary setbacks
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
11When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people.
13But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”
14“That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials.
15The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.
16So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time.
17Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
18Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people, that you have put me in prison?
19Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land’?
20But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”
21So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
WEB World English Bible 2000
11When the army of the Chaldeans had withdrawn from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the middle of the people.
13When he was in Benjamin’s gate, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!”
14Then Jeremiah said, “That is false! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.” But he didn’t listen to him; so Irijah seized Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.
16When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,
17then Zedekiah the king sent and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from Yahweh?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” He also said, “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
18Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?
19Now where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you, nor against this land’?
20Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”
21Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
KJV King James Version 1769
11And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.
13And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
14Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
16When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
17Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
19Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20Therefore 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.
21Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
11And it came to pass that, when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the midst of the people.
13And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou art falling away to the Chaldeans.
14Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I am not falling away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him; so Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15And the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.
16When Jeremiah was come into the dungeon-house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
17then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched him: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from Jehovah? And Jeremiah said, There is. He said also, Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, Wherein have I sinned against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
19Where now are your prophets that prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20And now hear, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be presented before thee, that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
21Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard; and they gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
11And it hath come to pass, in the going up of the force of the Chaldeans from off Jerusalem, because of the force of Pharaoh,
12that Jeremiah goeth out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin, to receive a portion thence in the midst of the people.
13And it cometh to pass, he is at the gate of Benjamin, and there is a master of the ward--and his name is Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah--and he catcheth Jeremiah the prophet, saying, `Unto the Chaldeans thou art falling.'
14And Jeremiah saith, `Falsehood--I am not falling unto the Chaldeans;' and he hath not hearkened unto him, and Irijah layeth hold on Jeremiah, and bringeth him in unto the heads,
15and the heads are wroth against Jeremiah, and have smitten him, and put him in the prison-house--the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it they had made for a prison-house.
16When Jeremiah hath entered into the house of the dungeon, and unto the cells, then Jeremiah dwelleth there many days,
17and the king Zedekiah sendeth, and taketh him, and the king asketh him in his house in secret, and saith, `Is there a word from Jehovah?' And Jeremiah saith, `There is,' and he saith, `Into the hand of the king of Babylon thou art given.'
18And Jeremiah saith unto the king Zedekiah, `What have I sinned against thee, and against thy servants, and against this people, that ye have given me unto a prison-house?
19And where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon doth not come in against you, and against this land?
20And now, hearken, I pray thee, my lord, O king, let my supplication fall, I pray thee, before thee, and cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I die not there.'
21And the king Zedekiah commandeth, and they commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, also to give to him a cake of bread daily from the bakers' street, till the consumption of all the bread of the city, and Jeremiah dwelleth in the court of the prison.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
11And it came to pass when the army of the Chaldeans was gone up from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army,
12that Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to have his portion there among the people.
13And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard was there whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he laid hold on the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Thou art deserting to the Chaldeans.
14And Jeremiah said, It is false: I am not deserting to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him; and Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15And the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in the place of confinement in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
16When Jeremiah was come into the dungeon and into the vaults, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,
17king Zedekiah sent and took him out. And the king asked of him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from Jehovah? And Jeremiah said, There is; and he said, Thou shalt be given into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18And Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in the prison?
19And where are your prophets that prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20And now hear, I pray thee, my lord, O king: let my supplication, I pray thee, come before thee; and cause me not to return into the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
21Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard, and they gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was spent. And Jeremiah abode in the court of the guard.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 37:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage captures a critical moment in Jerusalem’s final days. The Chaldean withdrawal was not a sign of deliverance but a strategic repositioning in response to Pharaoh’s approach (Barnes calls it “simply a strategic movement”). Jeremiah took the opportunity to leave for his native Anathoth in Benjamin. His precise aim is debated, whether to claim an inheritance (Keil & Delitzsch connect it to his earlier purchase of a field in ch. 32) or to secure provisions from his priestly allotment. At the Benjamin Gate, Irijah, likely the grandson of the false prophet Hananiah (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown), arrested him on the false charge of deserting. The princes who heard the case were not the same men who had defended Jeremiah under Jehoiakim; these were pro-Egyptian hawks (Cambridge Bible). They beat him and threw him into a dungeon, a cistern-like pit with vaulted cells, where he stayed many days. When Zedekiah summoned him secretly, Jeremiah delivered the same unwelcome word: “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” He then challenged the false prophets and pleaded for his life. The king relented, moving him to the court of the guard and ordering a daily loaf of bread from the bakers’ street until the city’s supplies ended. The consensus: the passage highlights the cost of speaking God’s truth and the tragic indecision of a ruler who sought God’s word but would not act on it.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Property claim: Reads <em>la·ḥă·liq</em> as “receive a portion” and connects to Jeremiah’s earlier field purchase (Jer 32). Supported by Keil & Delitzsch, Cambridge Bible.
- Buying bread: Follows the Septuagint and Theodoret; Jeremiah went to procure food during the temporary lifting of the siege.
- Separating/slipping away: Adopted by KJV and Geneva Bible; sees Jeremiah as trying to distance himself from the corrupt city or maybe escaping.
What is clear: Jeremiah was falsely accused of deserting, unjustly imprisoned, and after a secret interview with the king, his conditions were slightly improved—but he never wavered in delivering God’s judgment message.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah’s reason for leaving Jerusalem | He went to the land of Benjamin, likely to Anathoth. | Some see it as securing his share of produce or inheritance (Keil & Delitzsch, Blayney); others read it as separating himself from the people (KJV, Geneva); the LXX translates it as buying bread. |
| Zedekiah’s character | He sought God’s word secretly and was afraid of the princes. | Calvin sees Zedekiah as not one of the worst, merely weak; others view his secret consultation as duplicity, fearing human opinion more than God. |
| The princes’ hostility | They were different from the earlier princes who protected Jeremiah. | Some attribute it to a change of guard after Jehoiakim’s deportation (Cambridge); others see it as raw political self-interest against any message of surrender. |
| The accusation of desertion | Jeremiah was not actually deserting to the Chaldeans. | Most agree the charge was groundless, but some note that his prophecies about surrendering (Jer 21:9) gave a plausible pretext. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The events of Jeremiah 37:11-21 unfold in the final years of Judah’s existence. In 589 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar’s army besieged Jerusalem. When Pharaoh Hophra’s Egyptian army advanced north, the Chaldeans temporarily lifted the siege to confront the new threat (Jer 37:5). As Barnes notes, this was a tactical move, not a retreat in fear. The withdrawal opened a brief window for people to leave the city, and Jeremiah took it. His destination was the land of Benjamin, where his hometown of Anathoth lay (Jer 1:1). The Hebrew phrase la·ḥă·liq miš·šām is obscure, most likely “to receive a portion there,” possibly connected to his earlier purchase of a field (Jer 32).
Jeremiah left through the Gate of Benjamin, the northern gate of the city (Zec 14:10). There the captain of the guard, Irijah the son of Shelemiah, arrested him. Irijah was probably the grandson of Hananiah, the false prophet Jeremiah had condemned (Jer 28:16). The charge, “You are falling to the Chaldeans,” uses the participle nō·p̄êl, an ongoing action, as if desertion were in progress. Jeremiah’s denial (še·qer, “a lie”) was ignored. The princes who judged him were not the older allies who had defended him under Jehoiakim (Jer 26:16); these were pro-Egyptian officials hostile to any message of surrender. They beat Jeremiah and placed him in a dungeon, literally the “house of the pit” (bêṯ ha·bō·wr). Inside were vaulted cells (ḥă·nu·yō·wṯ), cramped and dark. He remained there many days, until the Chaldean army returned and the siege tightened.
Now Zedekiah, desperate, sent for Jeremiah secretly. The king’s question, “Is there any word from Yahweh?” shows he still regarded Jeremiah as a true prophet. Jeremiah did not soften the message: “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” After Jeremiah’s plea, Zedekiah ordered him moved to the court of the guard, a less harsh location attached to the palace. He also ordered a daily round loaf (kik·kar le·ḥem) from the bakers’ street, typical of eastern cities where trades had designated quarters. This ration continued until the city’s food ran out. Jeremiah’s conditions improved slightly, but the siege was closing in.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note one textual variant of significance. The Hebrew Masoretic Text reads la·ḥă·liq (to receive a portion), but the Septuagint (LXX) translates the line as “to buy bread” (τοῦ ἀγοράσαι ἄρτους, explained by Theodoret). The KJV and Geneva follow a different reading, “to separate himself.” The difference arises from the rare Hiphil infinitive of ḥā·laq. Most modern commentators (Keil, Delitzsch, Cambridge) prefer the MT reading of receiving a share of property. No other significant textual variants are noted in the consulted sources.
Reception History
Christians have read this passage as a powerful example of suffering for righteousness. Early church fathers saw Jeremiah as a type of Christ, wrongly accused, beaten, yet speaking truth to a ruler. In the Reformation, Calvin used the secret meeting between Zedekiah and Jeremiah to illustrate the tension between human weakness and divine duty: “Fear did not dishearten him.” Later Protestant tradition often highlighted the bold question “Where are now your prophets?” as a call to test prophecy by its outcome. The image of the daily loaf from the bakers’ street has been taken up in devotional literature as a sign of God’s provision even in judgment, a small but real mercy that sustained the prophet as the city crumbled. More recently, the passage has been used in discussions about speaking truth to power and the danger of false comfort in troubled times.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The false accusation (vv. 11-14). Jeremiah is seized on a groundless charge of desertion. The participle nō·p̄êl (“are falling”) frames his action as ongoing betrayal, yet he is innocent. Like many of God’s servants, he suffers for doing ordinary things.
- The faithful witness (vv. 15-19). Beaten and left in a dungeon, Jeremiah still speaks the whole truth when the king asks. He does not hedge, the judgment stands. His challenge to the false prophets (v. 19) vindicates his mission.
- The fragile mercy (vv. 20-21). Zedekiah improves Jeremiah’s situation but does not release him. The daily bread is a small grace, yet it shows God at work through a weak king. Provision lasts only as long as the city’s stores, pointing to the coming end.
Five-point outline
- Tactical withdrawal. The Chaldean retreat is temporary. God’s judgment does not pause.
- Ordinary movement, extraordinary charge. Jeremiah leaves to secure his portion; the world reads it as treason.
- Brutal injustice. The princes beat and imprison a prophet without a fair hearing.
- Secret inquiry, public truth. Zedekiah’s private fear meets Jeremiah’s unflinching word.
- Small but real kindness. The court of the guard and the daily loaf, God’s mercy within the judgment.
Illustration hooks
- A teacher who gives a student an honest failing grade when others inflate marks, and faces a parent’s anger for “not being a team player.”
- A neighbour whose house is temporarily spared during a wildfire, only for the blaze to shift direction and destroy it weeks later. The relief was never a sign the danger was over.
- Someone accused of disloyalty to a group because they question the group’s strategy, justified later when events prove them right.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God let His faithful servants suffer so harshly when they are doing the right thing?
- How do I know whether a temporary easing of trouble is God’s mercy or just a pause before harder days?
- When I am misunderstood or accused unfairly, how can I keep speaking truth without becoming bitter?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a prophet caught between a stubborn city and a weak king. Read Jeremiah 37:11-21 aloud together. Notice how each character, Jeremiah, Irijah, the princes, Zedekiah, responds under pressure. The withdrawal of the Chaldean army creates a false hope; Jeremiah’s arrest reveals how easily truth is silenced. Yet God does not abandon His servant, and the prophet’s words remain true.
Discussion questions
- Why was Jeremiah’s departure from Jerusalem seen as suspicious? What did the charge against him reveal about the atmosphere in the city?
- Read verse 15 again. The princes beat Jeremiah without trial. How does this compare with earlier treatment of Jeremiah in Jehoiakim’s reign (Jer 26:16)? What changed?
- Zedekiah asks “Is there any word from Yahweh?” but meets Jeremiah secretly. What does this secrecy suggest about the king’s heart? Why might he not want his court to know he consulted the prophet?
- Jeremiah answers honestly even though the truth is dire (v. 17). What kept him from softening the message? How does this challenge our own comfort with speaking hard truths?
- In verse 19, Jeremiah confronts the false prophets. Why does he point back to their failed prophecies? What does this say about the need for fulfilled prophecy as validation?
- Zedekiah improves Jeremiah’s conditions but does not release him (v. 21). How does this “half-mercy” reflect the king’s character? What do you think Jeremiah hoped for?
- How does God show care for Jeremiah even inside the judgment? Where do you see small graces in your own life when circumstances are hard?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Jeremiah 37:5 | Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. |
| Joshua 21:17 | Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, |
| Joshua 21:18 | Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands: four cities. |
| I Kings 19:3 | When he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. |
| I Kings 19:9 | He came to a cave there, and camped there; and behold, Yahweh’s word came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” |
| I Chronicles 6:60 | and out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. |
| Nehemiah 6:11 | I said, “Should a man like me flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.” |
| Jeremiah 1:1 | The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the historical irony: Jeremiah left Jerusalem only to settle his own affairs after the siege lifted, but was accused of desertion and beaten without proof. The king's later question about a divine word shows Jeremiah's bold faithfulness, and Zedekiah's response was to provide daily bread until all supplies were gone.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that Jeremiah's departure from Jerusalem was a simple strategic move to obtain food during the temporary lifting of the siege, not an act of desertion. The charge of falling away to the Chaldeans was groundless. The prophet was then scourged and held in an underground cistern-dungeon with little light or ventilation.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin dwells on the injustice done to Jeremiah: an innocent man falsely accused of desertion, beaten, and thrown into a dark pit with no room to move. He notes that God's servants cannot escape slander and must bear reproach, as Jeremiah could not clear himself despite his blameless actions.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the princes who arrested Jeremiah were a new generation, hostile to his pro-Babylonian stance, unlike earlier officials who had protected him. The charge of desertion gained plausibility because Jeremiah had urged surrender to the Chaldeans, though he himself remained in the city.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues Jeremiah did not flee dishonorably but openly separated himself, going among the people. While Jeremiah naturally shrank from death in the dungeon, his spiritual firmness was remarkable because he would rather die than swerve from his duty.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the stark contrast between the false prophets, who gave the king reassuring lies, and Jeremiah, who suffers imprisonment for speaking the truth he did not want to hear. Even when questioned privately by Zedekiah, Jeremiah does not soften God's message, proving his loyalty is to heaven, not to his own safety.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees Jeremiah's departure as a practical move by a prophet who knew the city's fall was certain and his usefulness there finished. The dungeon was a deep pit for serious offenders, and the question "Is there?" asked whether God had revealed anything about the Chaldean army's return.