Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
17. go forth ] surrender thyself.
the king of Babylon’s princes ] an intimation that Nebuchadnezzar was not himself at this time in command of the besieging forces. See Jer 39:3; Jer 39:5.
19 28 a . See introd. summary to the section.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 17. Wilt assuredly go] On the king’s obedience to the advice of the prophet the safety of the city depended.
Unto the king of Babylon’s princes] The generals of the army then returning to the siege from the defeat of the Egyptians; for Nebuchadnezzar himself was then at Riblah, in Syria, Jer 39:5; Jer 39:6.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thy soul shall live; that is, thou shalt live.
And this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house; and thou shalt save the city from being burned with fire, and thy wives and children from death. God did certainly know that Zedekiah would not do this, though it was in his power to do it, yet he doth not judge it vain for him, to exhort him to it, and to annex such a promise; for thereby he was left inexcusable, in his not saving the city and his relations lives.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. princes (Jer39:3). He does not say “to the king himself,” for hewas at Riblah, in Hamath (Jer 39:5;2Ki 25:6). “If thougo forth” (namely, to surrender; 2Ki 24:12;Isa 36:16), God foreknows futureconditional contingencies, and ordains not only the end, but also themeans to the end.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah,…. Being thus indemnified and secured by the king’s word and oath, he proceeds freely to lay before the king the whole matter as from the Lord:
thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; the prophet does not give the following advice in his own name, but in the name of the eternal Jehovah, the Lord of armies above and below, and who had a special regard to the people of Israel, and their welfare; and therefore it became the king to show the more regard unto it:
if thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes; the generals of his army, whose names are mentioned, Jer 39:3; the king not being with his army at this time, but at Riblah, Jer 39:5; the meaning is, if he would open the gates of Jerusalem, and go forth from thence to the Chaldean army, and surrender himself and the city into the hands of the princes in it, and general officers of it:
then thy soul shall live; in thy body, and not be separated from it; or live comfortably, in peace and safety, though not in so much splendour and glory as he had done:
and this city shall not be burned with fire; as had been threatened; and as the Chaldeans would be provoked to do, should it hold out to the last extremity; but should preserve it upon a surrender:
and thou shall live, and thine house; not only himself, but his wives and children, and servants.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
After this solemn asseveration of the king, Jeremiah said to him, “Thus saith Jahveh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If thou wilt assuredly go out to the princes of the king of Babylon [i.e., wilt surrender thyself to them, cf. 2Ki 18:31; 2Ki 24:12], then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and thou and thy house shall live. But if thou dost not go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.” The word of God is the same that Jeremiah had already repeatedly announced to the king, cf. Jer 34:2-5; Jer 32:4; Jer 21:4-10. The princes (chiefs, generals) of the king of Babylon are named, because they commanded the besieging army (Jer 39:3, Jer 39:13); Nebuchadnezzar himself had his headquarters at Riblah, Jer 39:5.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
A question may be raised here, Whether God had again bidden his Prophet to repeat what he had so often spoken in vain? To this we cannot say anything certain, except that the probability is, that the Prophet did not open his mouth without being guided by the Holy Spirit. For though he had not received any new command, yet the Spirit of God influenced him, and ruled his tongue as well as his heart. We shall indeed presently find, that what was nigh at hand had been revealed to him; not what he had before, but it was added as a new confirmation of former doctrine. But this is only a probable conjecture; let then every one take his own view of the question.
That he might now gain credit to his answer, he prefaced it by saying, that he did not speak except from God’s mouth. He had often declared this, having testified that what he said was made known to him by God. But it is not now known whether he had been bidden to repeat the same things; though it is certain that he did not make a wrong use of God’s name, nor did he, without authority, assert that it was God’s word. The Spirit, therefore, as I have said, was his guide and ruler, though we may grant that he did not receive any divine command.
He calls God, the God of hosts, and the God of Israel. By the first title he denotes the omnipotence of God; and by the second, the covenant which he had made with the Jews. He then did set forth the immeasurable power of God, that he might make Zedekiah to fear; for hypocrites, though they are constrained to dread God’s name, yet afterwards do, in a manner, become hardened: it is therefore necessary to rouse them, as the Prophet did here. He then touched on the impiety of Zedekiah; for he not only professed himself to be one of God’s elect people, but he was also the king and head; he ruled over the heritage of the Lord. And yet he did not believe any of the prophecies. There is therefore implied a reprobation, when the Prophet says, the God of Israel
A mitigation of punishment is added, provided Zedekiah willingly put his neck under the yoke. And it was no common mercy from God, that he could yet escape extreme punishment; for he was unworthy to be regarded by God, since for some years he had not attended to what he had heard from the mouth of Jeremiah, that he was to surrender himself, his people, and the city to the Chaldeans. he had refused, nay, he had been refractory and obstinate against God. We hence see, that he was unworthy of any alleviation; and yet God was still ready to forgive him, as to his life, provided he passed over, of his own accord, to the Chal-deans. And thus he was made more inexcusable, inasmuch as when he heard that God would be propitious if he submitted to due punishment, he was still unwilling to obey, as afterwards we shall see. And thus we see that Jeremiah had not said without reason, “If I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hear nor obey me; ” for the event proved this. This is one thing. Then he said, Thou shalt live; and in the first place, he said, Thy soul shall live; and then, This city shall not be burned, and thou shalt live; and he repeated the words, Thou shalt live, thou and thy house Now follows the threatening —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) If thou wilt assuredly go forth.Literally, If going thou wilt go, the Hebrew idiom of emphasis. The prophet places before the king the alternative of surrender and safety, resistance and destruction, and leaves him to make his choice. The princes of the king of Babylon were those in command of the army by which Jerusalem was invested. The king himself was at Riblah, on the Orontes, in Northern Syria (Jer. 39:5).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. King of Babylon’s princes This language suggests that the king may not himself have been present with the army at this time. As intimated in Jer 39:5, and 2Ki 25:6, he was probably at this time at Riblah, and hence we have here a minute and apparently altogether undesigned coincidence, but one which stamps on the whole the image of verisimilitude.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 38:17. If thou wilt assuredly go forth Nebuchadrezzar was not in person at the siege of Jerusalem. He was at Riblah in Syria, chap. Jer 39:5-6. His army was commanded by his generals; it is to these generals or princes that Jeremiah counsels Zedekiah to return, and to submit himself to the king, by whom he had been established on the throne.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 38:17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
Ver. 17. If thou wilt assuredly go forth. ] Jeremiah was semper idem, one and the same still; no changeling at all, but a faithful and constant preacher of God’s Word.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 38:17-23
17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, Thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive. 18But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hand.’ 19Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, I dread the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will abuse me. 20But Jeremiah said, They will not give you over. Please obey the LORD in what I am saying to you, that it may go well with you and you may live. 21But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which the LORD has shown me: 22’Then behold, all of the women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say,
Your close friends
Have misled and overpowered you;
While your feet were sunk in the mire,
They turned back.
23They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.’
Jer 38:17 Notice the three titles of the One in whose name (cf. Jer 35:17) Jeremiah speaks.
1. YHWH (LORD)
2. God of hosts
3. God of Israel
The VERB go out to means surrender (BDB 422, KB 425) in this context. It is intensified by the presence of the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE of the same root!
Notice, if the king will respond appropriately, even at this late date, to YHWH’s words, there is hope for the city/temple! But if not Jer 38:18!
Jer 38:19 As Zedekiah was afraid of the officials in Jer 38:4-5, now he is afraid of the Judean deserters! He should have been afraid of YHWH! If only he would have trusted in YHWH’s promise (cf. Jer 38:20). Divine promises are linked to human choices!
Jer 38:20 This reaffirmation of YHWH’s promise has
1. a command to obedience – BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal IMPERATIVE
2. two conditional JUSSIVES
a. it may go well with you – BDB 405, KB 408, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense
b. you may live – BDB 310, KB 309, Qal JUSSIVE (cf. Jer 38:2)
Jer 38:21-23 YHWH’s promises, ignored or refused, result in consequences.
1. women of the palace will be given over to the officials of the Babylonian army
2. they will accuse the king of vacillation and weakness to his counselors (your feet were sunk in the mire is an idiom of indecision)
3. Zedekiah’s wives and children will be exiled. The VERB may imply
a. sexual abuse
b. humiliation
c. exile
4. Zedekiah will be tortured as he feared
5. the city and temple will be destroyed
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jer 35:17.
the God of hosts. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, omit “God”, and read “Jehovah Z baioth, God of Israel”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the God of hosts: Psa 80:7, Psa 80:14, Amo 5:27
the God of Israel: 1Ch 17:24, Ezr 9:4
If thou: Jer 38:2, Jer 7:6, Jer 7:7, Jer 21:8-10, Jer 27:12, Jer 27:17, Jer 39:3, Job 23:13
Reciprocal: 2Ki 24:12 – Jehoiachin 2Ki 24:20 – Zedekiah Jer 21:4 – Behold Jer 21:9 – that abideth Jer 27:8 – that nation Jer 29:16 – General Jer 37:13 – Thou Jer 40:9 – Fear Eze 17:14 – but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand Zep 3:7 – so
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 38:17-18. Jeremiah did not change his predictions from what be had made before. He admonished the king to surrender to the king of Babylon, We should note that no promise was made of ending the captivity even though the king should surrender peacefully. His personal welfare and that of the city couid have been taken care of even while the captivity of the nation continued.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 38:17-18. Then said Jeremiah, Thus saith the Lord Here we have the good advice which Jeremiah gave him, with the reasons why the king ought to take it; reasons drawn, not from any prudence or politics of his own, but in the name of the Lord, the God of hosts, and God of Israel. If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylons princes Those mentioned Jer 39:3, and submit thyself to them; then thy soul shall live That is, thou shalt live; and this city shall not be burned, &c. Thou shalt save the city from destruction by fire, and thy wives and children from suffering a violent death. It must be observed that Nebuchadnezzar was not now in person at the siege of Jerusalem, but at Riblah in Syria, Jer 39:5; Jer 39:9. His army was commanded by his generals; and it is to them, here termed princes, that Jeremiah counsels Zedekiah to go forth, and through them to submit himself to the king, by whom he had been established on the throne. But if thou wilt not go forth, &c. As he had before used exhortations and promises, so here he uses warnings and threatenings to prevail with the king to take that course by which alone he could preserve Jerusalem, and himself, and family from ruin.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
38:17 Then said Jeremiah to Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth to the king of Babylon’s {h} princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thy house:
(h) And yield yourself to them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
We do not know what Zedekiah’s question was, but it must have been: "Has the Lord changed His mind?" No, He had not, but Zedekiah needed to change his. Jeremiah promised the king on the authority of Almighty Yahweh, Israel’s God, that if he surrendered to the Babylonian military officers, he would live. Furthermore, they would not burn down the city, and his whole household would survive. This must have seemed like a very unlikely possibility to Zedekiah since he had proved to be a rebellious vassal of Nebuchadnezzar. Suzerains usually mutilated and killed rebel kings who surrendered to them. [Note: Harrison, Jeremiah and . . ., p. 156.] Ironically, Chaldean officials would have spared Zedekiah’s life, but Judean officials were seeking to snuff out Jeremiah’s life.