Jeremiah 37:17
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Zedekiah calls for Jeremiah secretly, not because he truly wants to obey God, but because he fears his own officials and hopes for a less grim message. Jeremiah’s bold and honest reply, even when his life is on the line, highlights the stark contrast between Zedekiah's desperate, self-serving inquiries and the prophet's unwavering faithfulness.
King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah had just been thrown into a cistern for proclaiming God's judgment, but King Zedekiah, worried and seeking reassurance, secretly has him brought out. The king privately asks Jeremiah if there's any message from the Lord regarding the ongoing siege, hoping for better news. Jeremiah, however, remains faithful to his calling, delivering the same grim prophecy of Zedekiah's capture by the Babylonians.
Imagine a king, cornered and afraid, sending for a prisoner in secret. What does this tell us about his heart and his desperate search for an answer?
King Zedekiah, facing the return of the Babylonian siege, is clearly terrified. He calls for Jeremiah not publicly, but in secret, showing his shame and fear of what his officials might think (Cambridge, JFB). This wasn't a bold move for justice, but a quiet attempt to gauge his own fate. He asks, "Is there any word from the LORD?" This reveals a man who knows God's truth is vital, but who is unwilling to fully obey or submit to it. He wants reassurance, perhaps even a favorable word, but not at the cost of his comfort or his sinful desires (Calvin). He’s a classic example of a hypocrite, wanting reconciliation with God but not wanting to change his ways.
Standing before a king who held his life in his hands, the prophet could have softened the message. But he didn't. Why?
Jeremiah, despite his own recent suffering (having been thrown into a cistern), doesn't flinch. He delivers God's word with astonishing boldness. He doesn't offer Zedekiah the hopeful message the king craved. Instead, he plainly states, "There is... You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon." (Jeremiah 37:17). This wasn't about personal animosity; it was about prophetic integrity. Jeremiah understood that God's truth, even when harsh, is a kindness because it warns and prepares. He prioritized faithfulness to God over his own safety or the king's temporary comfort (Benson, Clarke). This shows the prophet’s unwavering commitment to his calling, even when facing immense personal risk.
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YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
Yahweh, the personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament. It signifies the self-existent, eternal, and redemptive God of Israel who intervenes in human history.
dabar · Hebrew Noun
A message or revelation communicated by God to a human representative. It implies divine authority and the active intervention of God in the affairs of His people.
nathan · Hebrew Verb
To be handed over, given, or surrendered to an enemy as a consequence of judgment or failure. It signifies the removal of divine protection.
Zedekiah's secret consultation reveals his internal conflict: a desperate desire for divine reassurance and deliverance, yet a deep-seated fear of his advisors and a reluctance to fully obey God's challenging word. Jeremiah's bold, unflinching prophecy highlights the stark contrast between the king's wavering faith and the prophet's unwavering commitment to truth, even at great personal risk.
589 BC
Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem
The Babylonian army, led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, lays siege to Jerusalem. This marks the beginning of the final stage of the Babylonian conquest of Judah. The city faces severe hardship and dwindling supplies.
c. 588 BC
Egypt's Intervention and Babylonian Withdrawal
An Egyptian army arrives to aid Jerusalem, causing Nebuchadnezzar to temporarily lift the siege and march to confront the Egyptians. This brief respite fuels false hope within the besieged city.
c. 588 BC
Jeremiah Imprisoned in Cistern
Jeremiah is thrown into a muddy cistern by his enemies within Jerusalem, accused of weakening the city's defenses. He is rescued by Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch, but remains effectively imprisoned.
c. 588 BC— this verse
Zedekiah Secretly Consults Jeremiah
King Zedekiah, facing imminent doom and desperately seeking reassurance, secretly summons Jeremiah from his confinement. The king questions the prophet privately, seeking any hopeful word from the LORD.
c. 588 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian army breaches Jerusalem's walls. King Zedekiah attempts to flee but is captured, blinded, and taken in chains to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians utterly destroy Jerusalem, including the sacred Temple, and deport a significant portion of the remaining population to Babylon.
This passage shows a similar clandestine meeting where Zedekiah asks Jeremiah for a word from the Lord and tries to get him to speak less harshly, revealing his fear and unwillingness to fully obey God's commands.
Jeremiah 21:1-10This earlier prophecy to Zedekiah contains the same message of defeat and surrender to Babylon, showing that Jeremiah's message to the king was consistent, even when the king sought it privately.
Ezekiel 13:10This passage condemns prophets who 'patch up' walls with whitewash, speaking comforting lies when disaster is imminent, which highlights Jeremiah's courageous faithfulness in speaking God's difficult truth even to a king.
1 Kings 22:13-28This shows another king, Ahab, seeking a word from a prophet (Micaiah) about an impending battle, illustrating a recurring pattern of rulers consulting God's messengers but often resisting the true word given.
calvinJeremiah 37:17: "Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."
- Then Zedekiah the king sent, and tookhim out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babyl…
pooleJeremiah 37:17: "Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."
Is there any word from the Lord? that is, Hath God revealed any thing to thee, concerning what will be the issue of the return of the Chaldean army to the siege of the city? What needed Zedekiah to have asked this, to whom God by this proph…
Zedekiah calls for Jeremiah secretly, not because he truly wants to obey God, but because he fears his own officials and hopes for a less grim message. Jeremiah’s bold and honest reply, even when his life is on the line, highlights the stark contrast between Zedekiah's desperate, self-serving inquiries and the prophet's unwavering faithfulness.
Jeremiah had just been thrown into a cistern for proclaiming God's judgment, but King Zedekiah, worried and seeking reassurance, secretly has him brought out. The king privately asks Jeremiah if there's any message from the Lord regarding the ongoing siege, hoping for better news. Jeremiah, however, remains faithful to his calling, delivering the same grim prophecy of Zedekiah's capture by the Babylonians.
Jeremiah had just been thrown into a cistern for proclaiming God's judgment, but King Zedekiah, worried and seeking reassurance, secretly has him brought out. The king privately asks Jeremiah if there's any message from the Lord regarding the ongoing siege, hoping for better news. Jeremiah, however, remains faithful to his calling, delivering the same grim prophecy of Zedekiah's capture by the Babylonians.
"King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”" — Zedekiah calls for Jeremiah secretly, not because he truly wants to obey God, but because he fears his own officials and hopes for a less grim message. Jeremiah’s bold and honest reply, even when his…
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Last reviewed October 2026
