What is the meaning of Jeremiah 37:5? Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt “Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt” (Jeremiah 37:5a) describes Egypt’s troops moving north to relieve Jerusalem. • Judah’s King Zedekiah had appealed to Egypt for help (Jeremiah 37:7); trusting foreign power instead of the LORD recalls Isaiah 31:1, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help.” • Earlier, Egypt had been cowed by Babylon (2 Kings 24:7), yet Judah still pinned its hopes on this faltering ally. • The LORD had warned that political alliances could not replace obedience (Jeremiah 2:18; 17:5). By mentioning the march from Egypt, the verse sets the stage for a brief, deceptive lull that will test Judah’s faith. When the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report The Babylonians (Chaldeans) had ringed Jerusalem since Zedekiah’s ninth year (Jeremiah 52:4). • News of Egypt’s advance reached them—an early form of military intelligence. Compare similar battlefield reports in 2 Kings 19:7, where Assyria withdrew after hearing of a threat elsewhere. • God had already declared through Jeremiah that Babylon’s siege was His judgment (Jeremiah 34:2–3). Yet the people assumed one encouraging headline could overturn divine decree. • Jeremiah immediately receives the LORD’s word: “Do not deceive yourselves, saying, ‘The Chaldeans will surely depart from us,’ for they will not depart” (Jeremiah 37:9). The report tests whether Judah will trust God’s promise or momentary circumstances. They withdrew from Jerusalem The Babylonians “withdrew from Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 37:5c), lifting the siege temporarily. • This created false confidence inside the city. Soon Jeremiah would be accused of treason for predicting the siege’s return (Jeremiah 37:11–15). • The LORD clarifies that even if Judah somehow struck the Babylonian army down to the last wounded man, “they would rise up, each in his tent, and burn this city down” (Jeremiah 37:10). • History confirms God’s word: Babylon regrouped and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC (Jeremiah 39:1–8; 52:12–14). The withdrawal, then, is not deliverance but a brief pause meant to expose Judah’s misplaced trust and call them to repentance (compare Ezekiel 17:15–18, where Egypt’s aid is branded faithless). summary Jeremiah 37:5 records Egypt’s short-lived rescue attempt, Babylon’s momentary retreat, and the deceptive hope that followed. The verse teaches that political alliances cannot overturn God’s announced judgment; only repentance and reliance on Him can. What looked like salvation was merely a pause before discipline, underscoring the LORD’s sovereignty over nations and events (Jeremiah 18:7–10; Proverbs 21:30). |
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