Глава 21

1–7. King Zedekiah asks Jeremiah about the fate of the Judah state. Jeremiah's answer. 8–10. Jeremiah's advice to the people. 11–14. An admonition to the royal house. Jeremiah 21:1–7. When Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, King Zedekiah sent to ask the prophet Jeremiah about the fate of the city, saying that maybe the Lord would help the Jews. Jeremiah says that God not only will not help, but will Himself fight against the Jews and betray both the king himself and everyone who remains alive into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. Jer.21:1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashor the son of Molchi, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, to say to him: Jer.21:2. “Ask the Lord about us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is fighting against us; Perhaps the Lord will do something to us like all His miracles, so that he will retreat from us.” Zedekiah obviously believed that the Lord could answer him the same way that in a similar case he answered King Hezekiah (2 Kings 19.2 et seq.). But Zedekiah, of course, did not deserve God’s mercy (cf. Jer 37.1ff.; 2 Kings 24.19ff.). - The siege itself had not yet begun - battles with enemies outside the city were expected (v. 4). Jer.21:3. And Jeremiah said to them, Thus say to Zedekiah: Jer.21:4. Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Behold, I will bring back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will gather them in the midst of this city; The Jewish detachments located outside the city will all hide behind its walls. Jer.21:8. And say to this people, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death: Jer.21:9. whoever remains in this city will die by sword and hunger and pestilence; and whoever goes out and gives himself up to the Chaldeans who are besieging you, he will live, and his soul will be to him instead of prey; Jer.21:10. For I have set My face against this city, says the Lord, for evil and not for good; he will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn him with fire. Turning now to the people, the prophet advises those who want to save their lives to surrender to the Chaldeans. Jeremiah 21:11–14. To the royal house, that is, to all members of the royal court who are in charge of the proceedings of the court, Jeremiah inspires them to carry out the court in truth. Otherwise, the Lord will crush the strongholds of Jerusalem. Jer.21:13. Behold, I am against you, inhabitant of the valley, rock of the plain, says the Lord, against you who say: “Who will come against us and who will enter our dwellings?” Jerusalem was surrounded by mountains, but it itself stood out like a rock in the valley of Jerusalem, so that in order to approach it, the enemies had to climb the mountains, and then, in order to take it, they again had to climb from the valley onto the hills on which Jerusalem is located. Hence the confidence of the residents of Jerusalem in their safety. Special note. The appeal to the royal house (vv. 11-14) probably means not Zedekiah, but Jehoiakim. In fact, here the royal court is called upon to carry out just judgment and, thus, the salvation of Jerusalem is still supposed to be possible. Meanwhile, it was no longer possible under Zedekiah (see vv. 5-7). You might be interested in: