Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

But if thou refuse to go forth,.... Out of Jerusalem, to the Chaldean army, and submit to them:

this is the word that the Lord hath showed me, or the thing which should certainly come to pass; the word of prophecy the Lord had showed to the prophet, and which he now declares to the king; who asked of him a word, was desirous to know whether there was a word from the Lord, and what it was; and this it is which follows, in case he continued impenitent, obstinate, and disobedient.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Jeremiah 38:21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this [is] the word that the LORD hath shewed me:

Ver. 21. Bat if thou refuse to go forth.] Promises and threatenings make an excellent mixture; the tartness of the one giveth us better to taste the sweetness of the other.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

if thou

5:3; Exodus 10:3,4; 16:28; Job 34:33; Proverbs 1:24-31; Isaiah 1:19,20; Hebrews 12:25

this is

15:19-21; 26:15; Numbers 23:19,20; 24:13; Job 23:13; Ezekiel 2:4,5,7; Ezekiel 3:17-19; Acts 18:6; 20:26,27

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

He then adds, If thou refuse to go forth, this is the word which God hath shewed to me Jeremiah again declares that Zedekiah resisted in vain, because he kicked, as it is said, against the goad, for he could not possibly escape from coming into the hand of his enemies; which, when done, then neither the city nor the Temple would be spared. But the Prophet repeats again, that it had been shewn to him what to speak, he then spoke not in his own name, but by God’s command; which, it may be, was not then given him: but the Prophet knew that God’s decree, of which he had been the herald, could not be abolished. He then says, that this word had been shewed to him by God, even what follows —