The counsel given to the people and royal family how to escape death. - Jeremiah 21:8. "And unto the people thou shalt say: Thus hath Jahveh said: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Jeremiah 21:9. He that abideth in this city shall die by sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he that goeth out and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and have his soul for a prey. Jeremiah 21:10. For I have set my face on this city for evil and not for good, saith Jahveh; into the hand of the king of Babylon shall it be given, who shall burn it with fire. Jeremiah 21:11. And to the house of the king of Judah: Hear the word of Jahveh: Jeremiah 21:12. House of David! thus hath Jahveh said: Hold judgment every morning, and save the despoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury break forth as fire, and burn unquenchably, because of the evil of your doings." What the prophet is here to say to the people and the royal house is not directly addressed to the king's envoy, but is closely connected with the answer he was to give to the latter, and serves to strengthen the same. We need not be hampered by the assumption that Jeremiah, immediately after that answer, communicated this advice, so that it might be made known to the people and to the royal house. The counsel given in Jeremiah 21:8-12 to the people was during the siege repeatedly given by Jeremiah both to the king and to the people, cf. Jeremiah 38:1., Jeremiah 38:17., and Jeremiah 27:11., and many of the people acted by his advice, cf. Jeremiah 38:19; Jeremiah 39:9; Jeremiah 52:15. But the defenders of the city, the authorities, saw therein treason, or at least a highly dangerous discouragement to those who were fighting, and accused the prophet as a traitor, Jeremiah 38:4., cf. Jeremiah 37:13. Still Jeremiah, holding his duty higher than his life, remained in the city, and gave as his opinion, under conviction attained to only by divine revelation, that all resistance is useless, since God has irrevocably decreed the destruction of Jerusalem as a punishment for their sins. The idea of Jeremiah 21:7 is clothed in words taken from Deuteronomy 30:15, cf. Deuteronomy 11:26. ישׁב , Jeremiah 21:9, as opposed to יצא, does not mean: to dwell, but: to sit still, abide. To fall to the Chaldeans, i.e., to go over to them, cf. Jeremiah 37:14; Jeremiah 39:9; 2 Kings 25:11; על is interchanged with אל, Jeremiah 37:13; Jeremiah 38:19; Jeremiah 52:15. The Chet. יחיה is right, corresponding to ימוּת; the Keri וחיה is wrong. His life shall be to him for a prey, i.e., he shall carry it thence as a prey, i.e., preserve it. Jeremiah 21:10 gives the reason for the advice given. For I have set my face, cf. Jeremiah 44:11, recalls Amos 9:4, only there we have עיני for פּני, as in Jeremiah 24:6. To set the face or eye on one means: to pay special heed to him, in good (cf. Jeremiah 39:12) or in evil sense; hence the addition, "for evil," etc.

Jeremiah 22:2 Parallel Commentaries

Hear.

Jeremiah 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

Jeremiah 13:18 Say to the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

Jeremiah 17:20 And say to them, Hear you the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem...

Jeremiah 19:3 And say, Hear you the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus said the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel...

Jeremiah 29:20 Hear you therefore the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:

1 Kings 22:19 And he said, Hear you therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne...

Isaiah 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah.

Isaiah 28:14 Why hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 34:7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

Amos 7:16 Now therefore hear you the word of the LORD: You say, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not your word against the house of Isaac.

that sittest.

Jeremiah 22:4,30 For if you do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting on the throne of David...

Jeremiah 17:25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses...

Jeremiah 29:16,17 Know that thus said the LORD of the king that sits on the throne of David, and of all the people that dwells in this city...

Jeremiah 36:30 Therefore thus said the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit on the throne of David...

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to order it...

Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David:

enter.

Jeremiah 7:2 Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah...

Jeremiah 17:20 And say to them, Hear you the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem...