Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 32:2
For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which [was] in the king of Judah’s house.
2. the court of the guard ] not meaning the place where a guard, or body of men, were posted but “a part of the court surrounding the Palace railed off to guard prisoners in, whom it was not desired to throw into the common dungeon” (Dr. ad loc.; see also his note p. 367). Cp. Neh 3:25; Neh 12:39.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The prison – Or, the guard, a part of the kings palace, probably where the royal guard had its quarters.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem] The siege had commenced the year before, and continued a year after, ending in the fifth month of the following year; consequently, the siege must have lasted about eighteen months and twenty-seven days. See 2Kg 25:18.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The king of Babylon (as appears from 2Ki 25:1; Jer 39:1) besieged Jerusalem in the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah, so as he had besieged it some time before the revelation of this prophecy came to Jeremiah. Jeremiah was at that time a prisoner, in a prison within the kings house. The king could keep him from revealing Gods will to the people, but he could not keep God from revealing himself to him. Prisons hinder us from communion with men, but often contribute to Gods people freer and sweeter communion with him. In the mean time the desperate hardness of this prince and these peoples hearts appear, in that the fear of an enemy besieging them could not awe them from such outrageous acts of persecution.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. in . . . court of . . .prisonthat is, in the open space occupied by the guard, fromwhich he was not allowed to depart, but where any of his friendsmight visit him (Jer 32:12;Jer 38:13; Jer 38:28).Marvellous obstinacy, that at the time when they were experiencingthe truth of Jeremiah’s words in the pressure of the siege, theyshould still keep the prophet in confinement [CALVIN].The circumstances narrated (Jer32:3-5) occurred at the beginning of the siege, when Jeremiahforetold the capture of the city (Jer 32:1;Jer 34:1-7; Jer 39:1).He was at that time put into free custody in the court of the prison.At the raising of the siege by Pharaoh-hophra, Jeremiah was on thepoint of repairing to Benjamin, when he was cast into “thedungeon,” but obtained leave to be removed again to the court ofthe prison (Jer37:12-21). When there he urged the Jews, on the second advance ofthe Chaldeans to the siege, to save themselves by submission toNebuchadnezzar (Jer 38:2;Jer 38:3); in consequence of thisthe king, at the instigation of the princes, had him cast into a mirydungeon (Jer 38:4-6);again he was removed to the prison court at the intercession of acourtier (Jer 32:7-13),where he remained till the capture of the city (Jer32:28), when he was liberated (Jer 39:11;Jer 40:1, &c.).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem,…. And had done so for some time; for the siege began in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Jer 52:4;
and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which [was] in the king of Judah’s house; which showed great stupidity and hardness of heart in the king, and his courtiers, and in the people, to imprison a prophet of the Lord, when surrounded by an enemy’s army, and that according to the prediction of the prophet; by which it appeared that he was a true prophet; and they might reasonably expect that the rest of his predictions, which related to the taking of their city, and carrying them captive, would be fulfilled. It is true, indeed, he was in a better prison than before, more honourable, being within the limits of the king’s house; and, besides, was not closely confined, but allowed to walk in the court of the prison; and so had a free air to breathe in, and more company to converse with, and could exercise himself by walking about; perhaps he was placed here to keep him from prophesying to the people to their discouragement, and the more to awe him, as he was under the eye of the king and his ministry. Of this prison and its court mention is made in Ne 3:25; it seems to have been for state prisoners.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He points out then the circumstances of that time, and not without reason, when he says, that he was then shut up in prison, and also mentions the year, even the tenth of Zedekiah and the eighteenth of king Nebuchadnezar. (59) It was about the end of the ninth year that the army of Nebuchadnezar came up to Jerusalem; the city was besieged for two months in that year. The tenth year followed, in which this vision was given to the Prophet. The siege continued for a year and a half; but there was some interruption; for the Egyptians came to its aid. Thus for a short time, while the Chaldeans went to meet them, it had some liberty. But the Egyptians, as we shall hereafter see, were forced to retire in disgrace, and afterwards suffered punishment for their audacity and rashness. It was then about the middle of the siege that God, as we shall see, foretold to the Prophet the future return of the people. But though God shewed a regard for the miserable exiles, he yet at the same time confirmed what he had previously said of his future vengeance; for the people could not be restored before they had been driven into exile. It was indeed a dreadful instance of hardness and obduracy, that having been so often scourged they received no benefit. They had experienced the heavy judgment of God under Jehoiakim, and also under Jeconiah; but the memory of these calamities had soon vanished, and they lived as securely as though they had never heard a word from the mouth of Jeremiah: and he was not the only one who had threatened them, but there were before him Isaiah and others, and at the same time with him was Ezekiel, who had been exiled into Chaldea. Then from the number of years we conclude how great must have been the obstinacy of the people.
At the same time we must observe how seasonable was this prophecy for alleviating the minds of the godly, as they were not far from extreme calamity; for it was in the eleventh year of Zedekiah and in the fourth month that the city was taken and demolished, the people driven into exile, and the Temple burnt. Then there were not more than six or seven months, perhaps, to the time of their utter ruin; there is indeed no mention made here of the month in which the Prophet received the vision, but the tenth year is only mentioned. Now, the city was taken at the beginning of the eleventh year, as we have stated. Hence then comes more fully to light the extreme perverseness of the people; for while the enemy surrounded the city, they held Jeremiah captive. He had already foretold many years past what experience then taught them to be true. For forty years he had not ceased to cry out and to strive by warning, exhorting, and threatening them to lead them to repentance. As then nothing new happened to them, and as they found by the evils which came on them that Jeremiah had been a true and faithful servant of God, what was their object in shutting him up in prison? was not this to carry on war with God? for what had they to do with Jeremiah? He had not evidently acted a private part, nor had he only dreamt of what he had so often foretold them. Then they did not fight with a mortal man, but like the giants they dared to raise up their horns against God himself.
For the same reason also, he calls himself a Prophet This indeed he often did, but there is no doubt but that the indignity offered to him is pointed out, that even at the time when the Chaldeans surrounded the city with their army, Jeremiah the Prophet was shut up in the court of the prison. He might have only said, that Jeremiah was shut up, but for honor’s sake he assumed the title of a Prophet, that hence might appear more evidently the baseness of the people’s contumacy, that though they perceived that God was angry with them, they yet ceased not from their presumption; for they then held the Prophet in prison as though they were fighting with God himself. We know that fools, according to the old proverb, being chastised, become wise. If then the Jews had a particle or a spark of wisdom, they might have been so subdued by evils and calamities as to cast aside their haughtiness and obstinacy. But we see that they were untameable, and through a mad fury persisted in their wickedness; for though besieged by their enemies, they yet attempted to hold God as it were captive in the person of his servant.
As to the court of the prison, I doubt not but it was a milder sort of imprisonment, for we shall hereafter see that the Prophet prayed that he might not be thence thrown into the dark prison where he had been. He sought it as no common favor to remain in some prison; and he was as yet exposed to the mockeries of all. However this may have been, we see that the people had then become nothing better, though they had already been chastised and scourged by God.
We ought at the same timeto bear in mind what I have already said, that though the ungodly sought in all ways wholly to extinguish the word of God, they yet did not attain what they wished; for God broke through all hinderances, and continued the course of his word notwithstanding all their attempts. And this ought to be carefully noticed, for we see at this day all sorts of contrivances made by the wicked to impede the course of celestial truth. Let then this history be remembered, that though Jeremiah was a captive, yet his word was free and his tongue at liberty, as Paul also boasts, that though he was bound with chains, yet God’s word was not bound. (2Ti 2:9)
(59) The 2d, 3d, 4, and 5 verses (Jer 32:1) ought to be put as parenthetical, as they only relate the circumstances connected with Jeremiah when he received the vision which he proceeds to relate in the 6 verse. Instead of “For then” in the 2d verse, “And then” would be more proper; and “Where” would be better than “For” at the beginning of the 3d verse, “Where Zedekiah had shut him up,” etc. It is “In which” in the Sept. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
2. Jeremiah the prophet was shut up He had been arrested in an attempt to flee from Jerusalem, (Jer 37:13,) and was kept in custody until the end of the siege. He seems, however, to have enjoyed considerable liberty, being kept, not in the “dungeon,” (Jer 38:13,) but in the “court of the prison,” (Jer 37:21,) where his friends were permitted access to him. So far from contradicting the thirty-seventh chapter as to the cause of Jeremiah’s imprisonment, this account is fully confirmatory, differing indeed in form and in fulness, but harmonizing perfectly in spirit and substance.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 32:2 For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which [was] in the king of Judah’s house.
Ver. 2. And Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison. ] Where he had some liberty more than at some other times. Jer 37:16 ; Jer 37:20-21 So had Paul at Rome, Act 28:16 ; Act 28:30 Bradford in the counter, &c.; this was a mercy, and so they esteemed it. Good people were suffered to come about them; and they made use of that opportunity to do what good they could.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
besieged = was besieging.
the court of the prison: to which Jeremiah had access. Compare verses: Jer 32:8, Jer 32:12, Jer 32:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
then: The siege had commenced on the tenth month of the preceding year, and continued a year after, ending in the fifth month of the following year; consequently the siege must have lasted eighteen months and twenty-seven days. See note on 2Ki 25:18.
Jeremiah: Jer 32:3, Jer 32:8, Jer 33:1, Jer 36:5, Jer 37:21, Jer 38:6, Jer 39:13-15, Mat 5:12
in the: Neh 3:25
Reciprocal: 1Ki 8:37 – in the land famine Neh 12:39 – the prison Jer 34:1 – when Jer 37:4 – for Jer 39:15 – while Heb 11:36 – bonds
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 32:2. Tlse siege had started in the ninth year of Zedekiahs reign (2 Ki, 25: 1), and at the present time (tenth year) Jeremiah was a prisoner in the court of the prison. This was an open space occupied by the guard where the prophet was kept for the present. But though he was a prisoner his friends could visit him since the area was more or less unrestricted as to the public.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jerusalem was then under siege by the Babylonians, and Jeremiah was imprisoned in the court of the guard somewhere in the king’s palace complex. This appears to have been a guarded yard similar to a modern prison yard. Chapters 37-38 provide more historical background.