The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights a crucial, often overlooked detail: the Chaldeans withdrew, not necessarily defeated, but pausing their siege because of the Egyptian army. This temporary reprieve offered a false sense of security, showing how easily fear and a glimmer of hope can distract from the unchangeable truth of God's judgment.
The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
King Zedekiah, having broken his treaty with Babylon, sent to the prophet Jeremiah for prayer and guidance. As Jeremiah was answering God's message, news arrived that an Egyptian army had marched to relieve the besieged Jerusalem, causing the Babylonian forces to temporarily withdraw. This brief respite, however, was presented by God as a false hope, as Jeremiah was told the Egyptians would retreat and the Chaldeans would return to conquer the city.
Jerusalem was cornered, facing utter destruction. Then, a sudden shift! The enemy besieging them packed up and left. What caused this dramatic turn, and what did it mean for the people inside?
Jerusalem was under a brutal siege by the Babylonian army (the Chaldeans). Their situation was dire. However, the arrival of an Egyptian army sent to help them caused the Chaldeans to temporarily withdraw.
A Temporary Reprieve
This wasn't a divine rescue or a military defeat of the Babylonians. It was a strategic move by the Chaldean army. Hearing that a large Egyptian force was approaching, they decided to regroup and face this new threat rather than be caught between Jerusalem and the advancing Egyptians.
False Hope
This withdrawal, though seemingly a miracle, offered a deceptive glimmer of hope. The people of Jerusalem likely saw this as a sign that they were finally being delivered. However, the prophets, like Jeremiah, knew the truth: this was only a pause, not an end to the danger. The Chaldeans would return.
Facing this sudden turn of events, King Zedekiah sent messengers to the prophet Jeremiah. What were they hoping to achieve, and what does their action reveal about their hearts?
King Zedekiah, desperate and anxious despite the temporary relief, sent officials to Jeremiah. Their request was twofold: to pray for them and, implicitly, to receive a favorable prophecy.
A King's Anxiety
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Even with the Egyptian army's arrival and the Chaldeans' withdrawal, Zedekiah was not at peace. This highlights the constant state of fear and uncertainty that gripped those who defied God's warnings. Their relief was fragile, dependent on the outcome of a battle they couldn't control.
Seeking God, Not God Himself
The commentary points out that Zedekiah wasn't seeking God in earnest. He sent messengers because he was forced by circumstances, wanting an outward show of piety without genuine repentance or faith. He sought a favorable outcome, a prophecy of safety, rather than God's will or forgiveness. This is the nature of hypocritical seeking – wanting the benefits of God's favor without submitting to His ways.
Jeremiah's Difficult Task
Jeremiah, though free to move about at this time, was given a hard message to deliver. He had to expose the emptiness of their hope and the certainty of their impending doom, directly contradicting Zedekiah's desire for reassurance.
Understand the original words
kaśdîm · Hebrew Proper Noun (plural)
Referring to the people of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who were the instrument of God's judgment against Jerusalem and Judah during this historical period. They are often depicted in Scripture as a fierce and irresistible military force.
ṣûr · Hebrew Verb
A state of military blockade intended to capture a city by cutting off its supplies and resources. In the prophetic tradition, it is frequently portrayed as a consequence of national apostasy and divine judgment.
This critical moment, where the Egyptian army's arrival causes a temporary reprieve from the Babylonian siege, highlights Zedekiah's desperate political maneuvering and reliance on uncertain alliances rather than divine guidance. Jeremiah's prophecy underscores the futility of these worldly efforts against God's determined judgment.
c. 605 BC
Battle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar, crown prince of Babylon, decisively defeats the Egyptian army under Pharaoh Necho II, marking the end of Egyptian dominance in the Levant and the rise of Babylonian power.
597 BC
First Deportation of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar II besieges and captures Jerusalem, exiling King Jehoiachin and thousands of Judeans to Babylon. He installs Zedekiah as a puppet king.
c. 590-570 BC
Reign of Pharaoh Hophra (Apries)
Pharaoh Hophra, known as Pharaoh-hophra in the Bible, reigns in Egypt. He likely enters into diplomatic and military agreements with Judah against Babylon.
c. 588-586 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Nebuchadnezzar II lays siege to Jerusalem after King Zedekiah rebels against Babylonian rule, breaking his oath of allegiance.
c. 588-586 BC— this verse
Egyptian Army Advances
Pharaoh Hophra leads an Egyptian army north to relieve the besieged city of Jerusalem, hoping to break the Babylonian hold.
c. 588-586 BC
Chaldeans Temporarily Withdraw
Upon hearing of the approaching Egyptian army, the Chaldean forces besieging Jerusalem break off the siege and march south to confront the Egyptians.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
After the Egyptian relief force is defeated or withdraws, the Chaldeans return and finally capture Jerusalem, destroying the Temple and exiling more Judeans.
This passage describes Zedekiah breaking his treaty with Babylon and seeking aid from Egypt, directly paralleling the political situation in Jeremiah 37:5 where Egypt's intervention is a key factor.
Isaiah 31:1This prophetic warning against relying on Egypt for help resonates strongly with the futile hope placed in Pharaoh's army in Jeremiah 37:5, highlighting the spiritual blindness of trusting in worldly powers over God.
Jeremiah 44:30This verse mentions Pharaoh Hophra and his ultimate defeat in Egypt, providing a fuller context for the Egyptian army's involvement and its eventual futility as seen in Jeremiah 37:5.
Lamentations 4:17This passage speaks of the people of Judah looking for help to a nation that could not save them, mirroring the situation in Jeremiah 37:5 where they looked to Egypt, only to face further destruction.
2 Kings 24:10-17This historical account details the initial Babylonian conquest and the deportation of King Jehoiachin, setting the stage for Zedekiah's subsequent rebellion and the events described in Jeremiah 37, including the siege.
pooleJeremiah 37:5: "Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem."
Zedekiah was set up by the king of Babylon, instead of Jehoiachin, whom the king of Babylon had carried into Babylon. Zedekiah (as is usual in those cases, and as it appeareth, Ezekiel 17:16 ) had taken an oath of allegiance to the king of Babylon, but brake it, and the covenant which he made with him, Jeremiah 37:16 and, Jeremiah…
barnesJeremiah 37:5: "Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem."
Then - And. Pharaoh-Hophra Jeremiah 44:30 , the Apries of Herodotus, probably withdrew without giving Nebuchadnezzar battle. After a reign of 25 years, he was dethroned by Amasis, but allowed to inhabit his palace at Sais, where finally he was strangled.
This verse highlights a crucial, often overlooked detail: the Chaldeans withdrew, not necessarily defeated, but pausing their siege because of the Egyptian army. This temporary reprieve offered a false sense of security, showing how easily fear and a glimmer of hope can distract from the unchangeable truth of God's judgment.
King Zedekiah, having broken his treaty with Babylon, sent to the prophet Jeremiah for prayer and guidance. As Jeremiah was answering God's message, news arrived that an Egyptian army had marched to relieve the besieged Jerusalem, causing the Babylonian forces to temporarily withdraw. This brief respite, however, was presented by God as a false hope, as Jeremiah was told the Egyptians would retreat and the Chaldeans would return to conquer the city.
King Zedekiah, having broken his treaty with Babylon, sent to the prophet Jeremiah for prayer and guidance. As Jeremiah was answering God's message, news arrived that an Egyptian army had marched to relieve the besieged Jerusalem, causing the Babylonian forces to temporarily withdraw. This brief respite, however, was presented by God as a false hope, as Jeremiah was told the Egyptians would retreat and the Chaldeans would return to conquer the city.
"The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem." — This verse highlights a crucial, often overlooked detail: the Chaldeans withdrew, not necessarily defeated, but pausing their siege because of the Egyptian army. This temporary reprieve offered a f…
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Last reviewed October 2026