Topical Bible: Jeremiah: The Prophet: Imprisoned by Zedekiah

◄ Jeremiah: The Prophet: Imprisoned by Zedekiah ►

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Jeremiah, often referred to as the "weeping prophet," was a major prophet in the Hebrew Bible who ministered during the final years of the Kingdom of Judah. His prophetic ministry spanned the reigns of several kings, including Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. Jeremiah's messages were often met with resistance and hostility, particularly during the reign of King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the Babylonian exile.

Context of Imprisonment

Jeremiah's imprisonment under King Zedekiah occurred during a tumultuous period in Judah's history. The Babylonian Empire, under King Nebuchadnezzar, was asserting its dominance over the region. Jeremiah's prophecies, which called for submission to Babylon as a divine judgment for Judah's sins, were seen as treasonous and demoralizing to the people and the leadership of Judah.

Imprisonment in the House of Jonathan

Jeremiah's first recorded imprisonment under Zedekiah took place in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which had been converted into a prison. This occurred after Jeremiah was falsely accused of deserting to the Babylonians. The prophet was seized at the Benjamin Gate and brought before the officials, who were angered by his prophecies and had him beaten and imprisoned (Jeremiah 37:11-15):

"Now when Jeremiah had come into the dungeon and the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days, King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. In his house, the king secretly asked him, 'Is there a word from the LORD?' 'There is,' Jeremiah replied. 'You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.'"

Imprisonment in the Courtyard of the Guard

Despite his imprisonment, Jeremiah continued to deliver God's messages. King Zedekiah, who was torn between fear of the Babylonians and the desire to appease his officials, sought Jeremiah's counsel in secret. Jeremiah was later moved to the courtyard of the guard, where he remained under a form of house arrest. This allowed him some freedom to continue his prophetic ministry (Jeremiah 37:21):

"So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard."

The Cistern Incident

Jeremiah's prophecies continued to provoke the ire of the officials, leading to a more severe form of imprisonment. He was cast into a cistern belonging to Malchijah, a royal prince, where he sank into the mud. This was a dire situation, as the cistern was devoid of water and Jeremiah faced the threat of death by starvation or exposure. Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch in the king's house, courageously intervened, petitioning King Zedekiah to rescue Jeremiah. The king granted permission, and Ebed-Melech, with the help of thirty men, lifted Jeremiah out of the cistern and returned him to the courtyard of the guard (Jeremiah 38:6-13).

Zedekiah's Secret Consultation

Despite the hostility of his officials, King Zedekiah continued to seek Jeremiah's counsel. In a secret meeting, Jeremiah urged the king to surrender to the Babylonians, promising that his life would be spared and the city would not be burned if he complied. However, Zedekiah feared the repercussions from his own people and ultimately did not heed Jeremiah's advice (Jeremiah 38:14-28).

Significance

Jeremiah's imprisonment under Zedekiah highlights the prophet's unwavering commitment to delivering God's message, despite personal suffering and opposition. His experiences serve as a testament to the challenges faced by those who stand for truth in the face of political and social pressure. Jeremiah's interactions with Zedekiah reveal the king's internal conflict and the tragic consequences of failing to heed divine warnings.

Nave's Topical Index

Jeremiah 32:1
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.
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Jeremiah 33:1
Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
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Jeremiah 37:15-21
Why the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
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Jeremiah 38:6-13
Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
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Jeremiah 39:15-18
Now the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
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Lamentations 3:53-55
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone on me.
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Library

Approaching Doom
... the anger of those high in authority, and as a consequence Jeremiah was deprived ...
Imprisoned, and placed in the stocks, the prophet nevertheless continued ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 35 approaching doom.htm

The Restoration of the Jews.
... destroyed."Jeremiah attempts to leave the city."The king sends for Jeremiah."He
is imprisoned."Jeremiah cast into a ... Jeremiah was a prophet who lived ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter ix the restoration of.htm

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
... No prophet commenced his labours with greater encouragement than ... Now, in the instance
of Jeremiah, we have on ... 13], and smote him, and imprisoned him, then they ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon ix jeremiah a lesson.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... God has given in the case of Jeremiah, as in ... With the simplicity of truth, the prophet
informs us how ... how under Zedekiah he was repeatedly imprisoned (chaps.32 ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... Zedekiah lived to see his children slain before his face, before ... of my fury [said
God to the prophet,] and cause ... whom I send thee, to drink it' (Jeremiah 25:15 ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm

The Iranian Conquest
... over his material and moral well-being,* About the time appointed for the appearance
of the prophet, his Frohar was, by divine grace, imprisoned in the heart ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm