Jeremiah 37:13
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It's easy to miss that the specific charge of "deserting to the Chaldeans" wasn't just a random accusation. It was a pointed reference to Jeremiah's own prophecies, which the officer, Irijah, was twisting to mean that Jeremiah wanted the enemy to return and conquer the city, essentially framing him as a traitor. This highlights how deeply God's message could be misunderstood and even weaponized against His prophet.
When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
With the Egyptian army now a distant threat, Jeremiah attempts to leave the besieged Jerusalem, heading toward his ancestral lands. As he passes through the Benjamin Gate, a guard captain named Irijah seizes him, accusing him of desertion to the enemy based on Jeremiah's well-known prophecies of the city's fall. This charge, though false, leads to Jeremiah's imprisonment by the city's officials.
Jeremiah is trying to leave the besieged city, a time when the Chaldean army had temporarily retreated. What does this brief window of opportunity reveal about his situation?
Jeremiah seized a moment when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem due to the approach of Pharaoh's army. This wasn't a planned escape, but a unique opening. The city gates, previously sealed tight, were likely more permeable during this anxious interlude. Jeremiah's intention, according to commentators, was to go to his ancestral land in Benjamin – not to defect, but perhaps to find a quiet refuge away from the turmoil and despair within the city. This brief period of relative freedom highlights the immense pressure and danger Jeremiah was under, both from the enemy outside and the suspicion from within.
A guard seizes Jeremiah, accusing him of desertion. What fueled this grave charge, and how does it reveal the prophet's public perception?
Irijah, a captain of the watch at the Benjamin Gate, arrests Jeremiah with the damning accusation: 'You are deserting to the Chaldeans.' This wasn't just a random misunderstanding; it was a charge rooted in Jeremiah’s consistent message. For years, he had proclaimed that Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians. While God's intention was for the people to surrender and save their lives, Jeremiah's enemies twisted his words into evidence of disloyalty. They assumed he was either a traitor working with the enemy or was now fleeing to join them, eager to escape the city's impending doom he himself had foretold. This shows how profoundly his prophetic warnings had been misinterpreted and weaponized against him.
Ask a follow-up
Jeremiah’s defense is ignored, and he's handed over to the princes. What does this tell us about the cost of faithfulness in a hostile environment?
Despite Jeremiah's denial, the charge sticks. Irijah, and later the princes, refuse to hear his defense. This wasn't just a personal tragedy for Jeremiah; it’s a stark illustration of how God’s messengers often face calumny and condemnation, even when their conscience is clear. His lifelong message of judgment and repentance, though faithfully delivered, had painted a target on his back. This passage reminds us that speaking God's truth, especially when it’s unpopular or goes against prevailing opinions, can lead to unjust accusations, public scorn, and severe consequences. Jeremiah's experience underscores the necessity of courage and steadfastness, trusting that God sees our integrity even when others do not.
Understand the original words
nābîʾ · Hebrew Noun
A human messenger divinely appointed by God to convey His word, call the people to repentance, or predict future events. The office was characterized by total dependence on the Spirit of God to speak truth regardless of opposition.
nāp̱al · Hebrew Verb
The intentional act of abandoning one's post, allegiance, or people to join the enemy. In a biblical and covenantal context, it implies a breach of loyalty to one's nation or to God Himself.
Jeremiah's arrest highlights how his faithful, albeit unpopular, message made him a suspect in the eyes of the authorities and even ordinary guards during a time of intense national crisis and fear.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports skilled Judeans, including Daniel, to Babylon, marking the beginning of Babylonian dominion over Judah.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a brief rebellion, Jerusalem is besieged and more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon.
c. 589-586 BC
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem. The city suffers greatly, and despite a temporary withdrawal due to the approach of the Egyptian army, it ultimately falls, leading to the destruction of the Temple and a final, larger deportation.
c. 588 BC— this verse
Pharaoh's Army Approaches Jerusalem
An Egyptian army under Pharaoh Hophra marches towards Jerusalem, causing the Babylonian army to temporarily lift its siege. This brief reprieve allows some within the city to consider escape.
c. 588 BC
Jeremiah Arrested at the Benjamin Gate
As Jeremiah attempts to leave Jerusalem during the temporary lifting of the siege, a guard captain named Irijah accuses him of deserting to the Babylonians and arrests him. This occurs at the Benjamin Gate, a northern exit from the city.
c. 588 BC
Jeremiah Imprisoned
Jeremiah is brought before the princes and imprisoned, initially in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which is turned into a dungeon. Later, he is moved to a cistern to die of hunger and thirst.
This passage highlights the deceptive nature of false prophets, specifically Hananiah, whose grandson Irijah later arrests Jeremiah. This connection emphasizes the ongoing conflict between true and false prophecy and how it impacts individuals.
Jeremiah 38:4-6This passage describes Jeremiah's imprisonment in a cistern, directly following the events of his arrest at the gate. It shows the severe consequences of the false accusation made by Irijah and the princes.
Acts 17:5-9This New Testament passage shows a similar pattern of false accusations and hostility directed at faithful messengers, with the believers being accused of disrupting the city. It illustrates the recurring theme of God's messengers being misunderstood and persecuted.
1 Kings 18:17-18Here, Elijah confronts King Ahab, accusing him of troubling Israel, while Ahab retorts that Elijah is the one causing trouble. This exchange mirrors Jeremiah's situation, where the prophet speaking God's truth is falsely accused of being the source of distress.
calvinJeremiah 37:11-14: "And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,"
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
Quum esset in porta Benjamin, illic erat magister custodiae, cujus nomen liria, filius Selemiae, filii Chananiae, qui apprehendit Jeremia…
pooleJeremiah 37:13: "And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans."
The gate of Benjamin was some gate that looked toward the inheritance of that tribe, or where those used to go out who went that way; we read of it Jeremiah 38:7 . Irijah was a captain of the guard that was set to watch at the gates, to keep people from going out…
It's easy to miss that the specific charge of "deserting to the Chaldeans" wasn't just a random accusation. It was a pointed reference to Jeremiah's own prophecies, which the officer, Irijah, was twisting to mean that Jeremiah wanted the enemy to return and conquer the city, essentially framing him as a traitor. This highlights how deeply God's message could be misunderstood and even weaponized against His prophet.
With the Egyptian army now a distant threat, Jeremiah attempts to leave the besieged Jerusalem, heading toward his ancestral lands. As he passes through the Benjamin Gate, a guard captain named Irijah seizes him, accusing him of desertion to the enemy based on Jeremiah's well-known prophecies of the city's fall. This charge, though false, leads to Jeremiah's imprisonment by the city's officials.
With the Egyptian army now a distant threat, Jeremiah attempts to leave the besieged Jerusalem, heading toward his ancestral lands. As he passes through the Benjamin Gate, a guard captain named Irijah seizes him, accusing him of desertion to the enemy based on Jeremiah's well-known prophecies of the city's fall. This charge, though false, leads to Jeremiah's imprisonment by the city's officials.
"When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.”" — It's easy to miss that the specific charge of "deserting to the Chaldeans" wasn't just a random accusation. It was a pointed reference to Jeremiah's own prophecies, which the officer, Irijah, was twi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
