Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 21

Verse 2

21:2 {a} Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; it may be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

(a) Not that the king was touched with repentance of his sins and so sought God, as did Hezekiah when he sent for Isaiah, 2 Kings 19:1, Isaiah 37:2 but because the prophet might pray to God to take this present plague away, as Pharaoh sought Moses Exodus 9:28 .

Verse 4

21:4 Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will {b} turn back the weapons of war that [are] in your hands, with which ye fight against the king of Babylon, and [against] the Chaldeans, who besiege you outside the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

(b) That is, from your enemies to destroy yourselves.

Verse 8

21:8 And to this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the {c} way of life, and the way of {d} death.

(c) By yielding yourselves to Nebuchadnezzar.

(d) By resisting him.

Verse 9

21:9 He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be to him for a {e} prize.

(e) As a thing recovered from extreme danger, Jeremiah 37:2; Jeremiah 39:18; Jeremiah 45:5 .

Verse 12

21:12 O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment {f} in the morning, and deliver [him that is] made desolate out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings.

(f) Be diligent to do justice.

Verse 13

21:13 Behold, I [am] against thee, {g} O inhabitant of the valley, [and] rock of the plain, saith the LORD; who say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

(g) Meaning, Jerusalem which was built part on the hill and part in the valley and was compassed about with mountains.

Verse 14

21:14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire {h} in its forest, and it shall devour all things around it.

(h) That is, in the houses of it, which stood as thick as trees in the forest.