Jeremiah 37:17-18
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Zedekiah asks for "a word from the Lord" not just out of curiosity, but out of a desperate, hidden hope that God's message might change, reflecting his own moral weakness and fear of his princes. Jeremiah, however, doesn't soften the truth, directly delivering the king's fate even when his own life is in Zedekiah's hands.
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.” Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah had been imprisoned for proclaiming a message of doom, but as the Babylonian army briefly withdrew, King Zedekiah secretly summoned the prophet. Though seeking some sign of hope or reassurance, Zedekiah nervously inquired if there was any word from the Lord, only to be met with the stark, unchanged prophecy of his own surrender to Babylon. This encounter reveals Zedekiah’s fearful indecisiveness and Jeremiah’s unwavering faithfulness, even when facing the king who held his life in his hands.
Why would a king, facing imminent disaster, call for a prophet he'd previously imprisoned? It's a moment of desperation, but is it a moment of true repentance?
King Zedekiah’s secret summons of Jeremiah reveals a complex heart. He wasn’t the cruelest leader, nor was he completely hardened against God.
A Glimmer of Hope?
Zedekiah sought out Jeremiah, who was in prison, indicating a desire to know God’s will. This wasn't a public display of faith, but a private plea for guidance. He hoped for a word that would bring relief.
The Deceitful Heart
However, his secrecy and his question, 'Is there any word from the LORD?', highlight a common human struggle: wanting God's favor without changing one's ways. He desired a new message of deliverance, not necessarily obedience to God's existing word. This is the hallmark of hypocrisy – seeking reconciliation with God while clinging to sinful desires.
Imagine standing before the very king who had you thrown into a dungeon. Your life is in his hands. What message would you deliver?
Jeremiah’s response to Zedekiah is a masterclass in faithfulness under pressure. Despite his recent suffering and the precariousness of his situation, he did not waver.
Uncompromising Truth
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Jeremiah had just been released from a cistern where he was left to die. Yet, when the king asked if there was a word from the LORD, Jeremiah didn't sugarcoat it or offer false hope. He delivered the truth, even though it was a message of impending doom: 'You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.'
Faith Over Fear
His faithfulness stands in stark contrast to Zedekiah’s fear and hypocrisy. Jeremiah prioritized his calling and loyalty to God above his own safety and comfort. He understood that true kindness sometimes means speaking difficult truths.
Understand the original words
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.
cheth · Hebrew Noun
A moral failing, iniquity, or offense against God or people. It denotes a violation of the covenant or a breach of justice.
Zedekiah's secret consultation with Jeremiah reveals his deep internal conflict: a desperate yearning for divine reassurance amidst his own flawed decisions and a fear of his own officials. This moment highlights the prophet's unwavering faithfulness, even when delivering devastating truths to a desperate king.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Judah and deports a select group of citizens, including members of the royal family and the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans to Babylon. Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's uncle, is placed on the throne as a Babylonian vassal.
c. 588 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Despite Jeremiah's warnings, Zedekiah allies with Egypt and rebels against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar responds by laying siege to Jerusalem, a brutal and lengthy ordeal that will last for over a year.
c. 587-586 BC
Jeremiah Imprisoned
During the siege, Jeremiah is arrested by his own people for allegedly deserting to the Babylonians and is thrown into a cistern to die. He is later rescued by an Ethiopian eunuch and kept in the court of the guard.
c. 587-586 BC— this verse
Zedekiah Consults Jeremiah in Secret
Amidst the worsening siege and failing hopes, King Zedekiah secretly summons Jeremiah, seeking a word from the LORD. He receives a bleak prophecy of surrender to the Babylonians.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
The Babylonians breach Jerusalem's walls, leading to the city's destruction, the burning of the Temple, and the final, largest deportation of Judeans to Babylon. Zedekiah is captured, blinded, and taken to Babylon.
Just like Zedekiah secretly asks Jeremiah for a word from the Lord, King Ahab asks Micaiah. Both kings seek a word from a prophet, but Ahab is hoping for a favorable message, while Zedekiah is in desperate straits.
Ezekiel 20:3The elders of Israel come to Ezekiel with a similar hidden agenda, asking for a word from the Lord, but God knows their hearts and rebukes them. This highlights the spiritual blindness of rulers who seek God's word only when they are in trouble.
John 12:42-43The New Testament echoes Zedekiah's secretiveness, showing how leaders, fearing man more than God, may acknowledge truth privately but deny it publicly. This passage explains the king's shame in being seen with Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 38:14-28This passage shows a later, similar encounter where Zedekiah again questions Jeremiah in private, revealing his ongoing internal conflict and his inability to truly obey God's word despite seeking it.
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 asks for "a word from the Lord" not just out of curiosity, but out of a desperate, hidden hope that God's message might change, reflecting his own moral weakness and fear of his princes. Jeremiah, however, doesn't soften the truth, directly delivering the king's fate even when his own life is in Zedekiah's hands.
Jeremiah had been imprisoned for proclaiming a message of doom, but as the Babylonian army briefly withdrew, King Zedekiah secretly summoned the prophet. Though seeking some sign of hope or reassurance, Zedekiah nervously inquired if there was any word from the Lord, only to be met with the stark, unchanged prophecy of his own surrender to Babylon. This encounter reveals Zedekiah’s fearful indecisiveness and Jeremiah’s unwavering faithfulness, even when facing the king who held his life in his hands.
Jeremiah had been imprisoned for proclaiming a message of doom, but as the Babylonian army briefly withdrew, King Zedekiah secretly summoned the prophet. Though seeking some sign of hope or reassurance, Zedekiah nervously inquired if there was any word from the Lord, only to be met with the stark, unchanged prophecy of his own surrender to Babylon. This encounter reveals Zedekiah’s fearful indecisiveness and Jeremiah’s unwavering faithfulness, even when facing the king who held his life in his hands.
"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 asks for "a word from the Lord" not just out of curiosity, but out of a desperate, hidden hope that God's message might change, reflecting his own moral weakness and fear of his princes. Jer…
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Last reviewed October 2026
