Jeremiah 21

Notes

3 Messages:

a message to King Zedekiah of Judah (vv. 1-7)

a message to the people of Jerusalem (vv. 8-10)

a message to the house of the king of Judah (vv. 11-14)

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 21

21:11–14 A poetic oracle that admonishes the Davidic kings for their unjust rule and pronounces fiery judgment on Jerusalem for their failure.

King Zedekiah goes hunting for good news (vv. 1-2)

Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17-25:7)

reigned from 597-586 BC; made vassal king in 597 BC after King Jehoiakim’s failed rebellion against Babylonian rule (cf. 2 Kings 24:1-17). Jehoiachin (Jehoiakim’s son) was taken into exile and Zedekiah was left as puppet king in his place.

Most of the ruling class was taken into exile with Jehoiachin, which left young King Zedekiah with naive and inexperienced advisors.

Initially Zedekiah was loyal to Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar), but pressure from his advisors led him to rebel and trust Egypt for assistance.

Babylonians besieged Jerusalem in the 9th year of his reign; siege lasted about 18 months until 586 BC

Zedekiah captured as he tried to flee the city at night (2 Kings 25:4-6)

sons slaughtered in front of him and then his eyes were taken out (2 Kings 25:7)

Jerusalem and the temple were burned (2 Kings 25:9)

looking for help like Hezekiah received when attacked by Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35-36)

also like Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20)

Pashur - most likely not the one from ch. 20, but mentioned in 38:1

Malchiah - King Zedekiah’s son

Zephaniah - not the prophet; successor of Jehoiada the priest (Jer. 29:25-26; 37:3; 52:24); second in rank behind the high priest; possible relative of Jeremiah (cf. 39:24-27; 32:7; 35:4); later executed by the Babylonians

Nebuchadnezzar - son of Nabopolassar who declared independence from Assyria and established the Babylonian dynasty; greatest king of Babylon (ruled for 43 years); 2nd king of Babylon (Chaldean) dynasty that ruled the ancient Near East for almost 100 years; but the Babylonian empire collapsed only a generation after his birth

this likely took place in 588 BC when Zedekiah didn’t pay tribute money to Babylon; during the last siege by Babylon

Chaldeans - usual term for Babylonians; Assyrians called the land between the Tigris and Euphrates (i.e., Babylon) “Kaldu” (Thus, Kaldeans)

Jeremiah delivers bad news (vv. 3-7)

v. 4 - God will bring the Babylonian warriors into the city

The people of Judah had been fighting the Babylonians outside the wall, but soon the fighting will move inside because God will do it.

v. 5 - God will fight alongside them

Judah’s worst enemy was not Babylon but God who was using Babylon as His instrument of judgment.

v. 6 - God will give them complete victory

v. 7 - survivors (having survived pestilence, sword, and famine) will be given to their enemies and killed without pity

Zedekiah’s son and many nobles died this way, but Zedekiah would die of grief (Jer 34:4; 2 Kings 25:6-8)

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 21

Dever is plague (Ex 5:3) or pestilence (Lv 26:25) that strikes animals, people, or both (Ex 9:3, 15; Jr 21:6). Some suppose it was specifically bubonic plague and see the Philistines’ outbreak of tumors in the presence of mice as evidence (1Sm 5:9; 6:4). Yet debate exists whether bubonic plague struck the Near East so early. Dever most often pertains to Israel, on whom God threatened to inflict it as a curse for disobedience (Lv 26:25). But it was the subject of prophecies about many lands (Jr 28:8) and is even part of a description characterizing God (Hab 3:5). So others seem correct in regarding dever as applicable to any pestilence that causes death. With few exceptions dever is always a divine judgment. It seems to follow defeat in battle (Jr 21:9) and in twenty-four verses accompanies sword and famine (Jr 14:12). God delivers the godly from it (Ps 91:3, 6).

But the people of Judah have choices (vv. 8-12)

choice #1 (8-10): surrender to Babylon and live or resist Babylon and die; the city will burn either way

By surrendering, the people of Judah would be considered captives of war.

seemed illogical (city was besieged but safe)

also considered treasonous (cowardly to flee and give up; courageous to stay and fight)

choice #2 (11-12): administer justice and deliver the weak so that you will be delivered from God’s wrath or deny justice and oppress the weak (more of the same) and you will be consumed by God’s wrath (although unstated)

“every morning” - continual and immediate (“first-thing”) repentance

And if they choose wrongly, they will perish (vv. 13-14)

‘Valley dweller’ and ‘rocky plain’ refer to Jerusalem (and the king) as it dwelt among the rocks, hills, and valleys of Mt. Zion

“Who will come down against us?” shows a misplaced confidence in the natural defenses of Jerusalem; God is the answer to that question

No defense will hold up against the wrath of God on the sins of His people (v. 14)

the city and general surrounding area will be burned

“Forest” - figuratively refers to the royal palace (1 Kings 7;2; 10:21)

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 21

I will kindle a fire in its forest Fire is a common symbol of divine wrath and judgment (compare Isa 5:24; Ezek 20:47).