Jeremiah 21:3-5
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Jeremiah's response doesn't just relay God's message; it's delivered "unto them," the messengers, to then be spoken to Zedekiah. This subtle distance highlights that while Zedekiah sought counsel, he wasn't addressing God or His prophet directly, reflecting a disconnect in his spiritual engagement.
Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath.
English Standard Version (ESV)
King Zedekiah, facing the Babylonian siege, sends two priests to Jeremiah, desperately asking him to inquire of the Lord for deliverance. They cling to hope in God's past "wondrous works," but their hearts are far from true repentance. Jeremiah, commanded by God, delivers a message not of comfort, but of impending doom, revealing that God will turn their own weapons against them and deliver the city into enemy hands.
King Zedekiah is in a tight spot. His city is under siege, and his people are suffering. He sends for Jeremiah, but is he truly seeking God, or just a favorable outcome?
Zedekiah's request to Jeremiah is layered. On one hand, he's facing the brutal reality of Nebuchadnezzar's siege. He asks Jeremiah to 'inquire of the Lord' for them, hoping for divine intervention to lift the siege. This shows a flicker of recognition that God holds the ultimate power.
However, the commentary reveals a deeper issue: Zedekiah's faith is superficial. He appeals to 'all his wondrous works' – God's past faithfulness to Israel – as if God's covenant guarantees protection regardless of their obedience. This isn't a genuine desire for reconciliation with God, but a desperate attempt to leverage past blessings for present relief, a common trait of hypocritical faith. He wants God's favor but is unwilling to fully surrender to Him or obey His commands.
Jeremiah is honored by the king's messengers, yet his response isn't what they hoped for. It’s a stark message, delivered with divine authority.
Despite Zedekiah's attempt to curry favor with God, Jeremiah delivers a message that is anything but comforting. The verse tells us Jeremiah says, 'Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah.' He doesn't go to the king personally, which can be seen as a deliberate act, conveying the gravity of God's message and diminishing the king's pride.
Jeremiah is commanded to declare, 'Thus saith the LORD God of Israel.' This is not Jeremiah's own opinion; it's God's direct word. The 'God of Israel' title is significant, reminding Zedekiah that while God remains faithful to His covenant people, their disobedience means they cannot expect His protection in the way they assume. God's power to save His people is contrasted with His judgment upon their rebellion. He declares that the very weapons of war in their hands will be useless, and the besieging Chaldeans will be brought into the heart of the city. It’s a message of impending doom, not deliverance, for those who reject God's ways.
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Understand the original words
tsur · Hebrew Verb
To surround a city or fortification with military force in order to prevent escape or supply, often used in Scripture as a metaphor for divine judgment or testing.
yad netuyah u-bizro'a chazaqah · Hebrew Noun phrase
An anthropomorphic expression describing God's active, personal, and powerful intervention in human history, demonstrating His authority and capability to act on behalf of or against His people.
aph · Hebrew Noun
A settled state of divine displeasure or indignation against sin and rebellion, which is a necessary and holy reaction of a righteous God toward wickedness.
chemah · Hebrew Noun
Intense, burning emotion, often used to describe God's fierce indignation and righteous judgment against persistent disobedience.
qetsep · Hebrew Noun
An expression of extreme, intense divine displeasure, signifying the finality and severity of God's judgment upon unrepentant sin.
King Zedekiah's desperate inquiry to Jeremiah reveals his flawed understanding of God's justice. He appeals to God's past 'wondrous works' while ignoring his own people's persistent disobedience, highlighting a common human tendency to seek divine favor without genuine repentance.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports some Jewish nobles and skilled workers, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Babylonian dominance over Judah.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and more elites, including Ezekiel, to Babylon. Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's uncle, is installed as king.
c. 589 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Nebuchadnezzar returns and lays siege to Jerusalem. This prolonged siege will last for years, leading to immense suffering and desperation within the city.
c. 588 BC— this verse
Zedekiah Seeks Jeremiah's Counsel
King Zedekiah, facing the overwhelming Babylonian forces, sends messengers to the prophet Jeremiah to inquire if God will intervene and cause the siege to be lifted.
c. 587 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
After a brutal siege and a failed attempt to escape, Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians. The temple is destroyed, and the remaining population is largely exiled.
This passage shows a similar situation where King Zedekiah sends messengers to Jeremiah, seeking divine counsel when facing the Babylonian army, highlighting a recurring theme of seeking God in crisis but often without true repentance.
2 Chronicles 36:11-16This text describes Zedekiah's reign, emphasizing his rebellion against Babylon and his people's persistent wickedness, providing the broader context for why Jeremiah's message of judgment in chapter 21 was so dire.
Ezekiel 17:11-21This prophetic oracle directly addresses King Zedekiah's broken covenant with Nebuchadnezzar and his alliance with Egypt, offering a parallel spiritual and political analysis of Zedekiah's actions that led to judgment.
Isaiah 30:1-7This passage warns against seeking help from Egypt in times of distress, a policy Zedekiah later pursued, showing a consistent pattern of human reliance over trust in God that Jeremiah condemns.
calvinJeremiah 21:1-4: "The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,"
Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
Interroga (inquire) nunc pro nobis (aut, consule pro nobis) Jehovam; quia Nebuchadnezer rex Babylonis pr…
pooleJeremiah 21:3: "Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:"
No text from Poole on this verse.
Jeremiah's response doesn't just relay God's message; it's delivered "unto them," the messengers, to then be spoken to Zedekiah. This subtle distance highlights that while Zedekiah sought counsel, he wasn't addressing God or His prophet directly, reflecting a disconnect in his spiritual engagement.
King Zedekiah, facing the Babylonian siege, sends two priests to Jeremiah, desperately asking him to inquire of the Lord for deliverance. They cling to hope in God's past "wondrous works," but their hearts are far from true repentance. Jeremiah, commanded by God, delivers a message not of comfort, but of impending doom, revealing that God will turn their own weapons against them and deliver the city into enemy hands.
King Zedekiah, facing the Babylonian siege, sends two priests to Jeremiah, desperately asking him to inquire of the Lord for deliverance. They cling to hope in God's past "wondrous works," but their hearts are far from true repentance. Jeremiah, commanded by God, delivers a message not of comfort, but of impending doom, revealing that God will turn their own weapons against them and deliver the city into enemy hands.
"Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against…" — Jeremiah's response doesn't just relay God's message; it's delivered "unto them," the messengers, to then be spoken to Zedekiah. This subtle distance highlights that while Zedekiah sought counsel,…
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Last reviewed October 2026
