Jeremiah 37:16-17

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 37:11-21

We have here a further account concerning Jeremiah, who relates more passages concerning himself than any other of the prophets; for the histories of the lives and sufferings of God's ministers have been very serviceable to the church, as well as their preaching and writing. I. We are here told that Jeremiah, when he had an opportunity for it, attempted to retire out of Jerusalem into the country (Jer. 37:11, 12): When the Chaldeans had broken up from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army, upon... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 37:16

When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon ,.... Or, "into the house of the pit" F12 אל בית הבור "in, vel ad domum laci", Pagninus, Montanus; "in domum foveae", Schmidt. ; a dungeon, like a pit or ditch, dark, dirty, or dismal: and into the cabins ; or "cells" F13 ואל החניות "et in cellulas illius", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "et ad cellas", Schmidt. ; into a place more inward than the cells, as the Targum; into the innermost and worst part in all the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 37:17

Then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out ,.... After Jeremiah had been in prison for some time; and the Chaldean army being returned, and having renewed their siege, the king is frightened; and knowing the prophet was in prison, sends a messenger to take him out from thence, and bring him to him; which was accordingly done: and the king asked him secretly in his house ; he took him into some private apartment, and there alone conferred with him, for fear of his princes and courtiers;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 37:16

Entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins - The dungeon was probably a deep pit; and the cabins or cells, niches in the sides, where different malefactors were confined. See Blayney. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 37:17

Is there any word from the Lord? - Is there any farther revelation? There is: - thou shalt be delivered - What bold faithfulness! And to a king, in whose hands his life now lay. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 37:16

Verse 16 The particle כי, ki, is to be taken here as an adverb of time, as I think, though interpreters have not observed this, When Jeremiah, he says, came into the house of the pit or dungeon, or of the prison. The word בור means also sometimes the grave, but is to be taken here for a pit or a deep place: he means that it was a dark and filthy prison. And he adds, and to the dwellings I know not why some have rendered it, “victualling houses;” for the word החניות , echeniot, means narrow... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 37:17

Verse 17 From these words we learn, that King Zedekiah, though he had not obeyed good and wise counsels, nor even God and his truth, was not yet one of the worst, for of his own self he called the Prophet to him, and wished to find out whether he could in any way appease God. There is here, in short, a description given of the character of Zedekiah: he was unwilling to submit to God and his word, and yet he was not so cruel as to become enraged against the Prophet; nor had he wholly cast away... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 37:1-21

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 37:11-16

The servant of God accused of treason. This attempt of Jeremiah's to go out of Jerusalem, whatever its special purpose may have been (as to this there is great diversity of view), was at once suspected of being treasonable, or, at any rate, it was made an occasion of accusing and punishing him. His asseverations were not listened to, but quickly and with much anger he was consigned to a loathsome prison, where he languished for many days. This teaches that— I. THOSE WHO ARE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 37:11-21

Jeremiah imprisoned as a traitor. I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE IMPRISONMENT . Whatever interpretation we are to set on the ambiguous passage which gives the reason for Jeremiah's attempt to leave Jerusalem (verse 12)—whether it were to escape from the city, or to abandon a work that appeared to be fruitless for work in the country districts, or to take a possession at a redistribution of land in the sabbatical year, or to claim his share as a priest,—it is difficult to... read more

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