Jeremiah 37:20

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹¹When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, ¹²Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people. ¹³But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, "You are deserting to the Chaldeans!" ¹⁴"That is a lie," Jeremiah replied. "I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!" But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials. ¹⁵The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison. ¹⁶So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time. ¹⁷Later, King Zedekiah sent for him and received him, and in his palace he privately asked, "Is there a word from the LORD?" "There is," Jeremiah replied. "You will be handed over to the king of Babylon." ¹⁸Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, "How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people, that you have put me in prison? ¹⁹Where are your prophets, who prophesied to you, claiming, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you or this land'? ²⁰But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

be accepted before: Heb. fall before, Jeremiah 36:7, *marg.

lest: Jeremiah 26:15, Jeremiah 38:6-9, Acts 23:16-22, Acts 25:10, Acts 25:11, Acts 28:18, Acts 28:19

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 37:15 - in the Jeremiah 38:26 - General Jeremiah 40:8 - Jonathan Jeremiah 42:2 - be accepted before thee Lamentations 3:53 - cut Daniel 9:18 - present

Cross-References

Genesis 37:2
This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Genesis 37:10
He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?"

Genesis 37:11
And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.

Genesis 37:12
Some time later, Joseph's brothers had gone to pasture their father's flocks near Shechem.

Genesis 37:16
"I am looking for my brothers," Joseph replied. "Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?"

Genesis 37:18
Now Joseph's brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.

Genesis 37:29
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

Genesis 37:32
They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe or not."

1 Samuel 24:20
Now I know for sure that you will be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.

1 Samuel 26:2
So Saul, accompanied by three thousand choice men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore hear now, one pray thee, O my lord the king,.... When the prophet spoke in the name of the Lord, and the words of the Lord, it was with great boldness and majesty; but when he spoke for himself, and on his own behalf, it was with great submission, as it became a subject to his king; and whom he owns as his sovereign lord, though a wicked prince, and whose destruction he knew was at hand:

let my supplication be accepted before thee; or, "fall before thee": see Jeremiah 36:7; which was as follows:

that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe; but that he might be discharged from his confinement; or however be removed into another prison, not so uncomfortable and disagreeable as this man's house or prison was; and which perhaps was still the worse through his cruel and ill natured carriage to him; and which all together endangered his life: wherefore he adds,

lest I die there; for though he had continued there many days, yet the place was so exceedingly noisome, that he thought he could not long continue there, was he remanded back to it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 37:20. Cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan — He had been ill used in this man's custody, so as to endanger his life, the place being cold, and probably unhealthy.