Chapter 37 opens a new stage in the book: we jump forward here by two generations. After Yehoyakim, his son Coniah reigned, and after him, Tzidkiyahu the son of Yoshiyahu was made king by Nevuchadretzar king of Babylon. The chapter describes the days of the siege of Jerusalem, the brief respite that came about when Pharaoh's army marched out of Egypt, and the imprisonment of Yirmiyahu the prophet following a false accusation leveled against him. All of these lead to one point: Hashem's decree upon the city cannot be nullified through political maneuvers or false hopes.
וַיִּמְלׇךְ־מֶלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ תַּחַת כָּנְיָהוּ בֶּן־יְהוֹיָקִים אֲשֶׁר הִמְלִיךְ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה׃ - And King Tzidkiyahu the son of Yoshiyahu reigned instead of Coniah the son of Yehoyakim, whom Nevuchadretzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
וְלֹא שָׁמַע הוּא וַעֲבָדָיו וְעַם הָאָרֶץ אֶל־דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא׃ - But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land listened to the words of Hashem, which He spoke through Yirmiyahu the prophet.
Notice the order in the verse: "he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land." In Yehoyakim's generation, the situation was the reverse: the people were upright and listened to the word of Hashem, while the king was wicked. In Tzidkiyahu's generation, the situation flipped: it was the people who refused to listen, and the king was drawn after the people. Tzidkiyahu himself, in his personal conduct, was a righteous king - he did not worship idols and did not act wickedly. While we will see later that he did things against the prophet's counsel, his nature was that of a righteous man who was dragged along by his people.
וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־יְהוּכַל בֶּן־שֶׁלֶמְיָה וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָהוּ בֶן־מַעֲשֵׂיָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר הִתְפַּלֶּל־נָא בַעֲדֵנוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃ - And King Tzidkiyahu sent Yehuchal the son of Shelemyah and Tzefanyahu the son of Maaseyah the priest to Yirmiyahu the prophet, saying: "Pray now for us to Hashem our God."
The prophet enumerates three reasons here why the condition of Israel should have turned for the better. The first: the king sends word to the prophet to pray on their behalf. The very fact that a king seeks salvation from Hashem is in itself a reason to annul an evil decree, as we find with Achav who humbled himself, and Hashem said to Eliyahu, "Have you seen how Achav has humbled himself before Me?" - the submission itself nullifies the decree.
וְיִרְמְיָהוּ בָּא וְיֹצֵא בְּתוֹךְ הָעָם וְלֹא־נָתְנוּ אֹתוֹ בֵּית הַכְּלוּא׃ - And Yirmiyahu came and went among the people, and they had not put him into the prison house.
This is the second reason. In Yehoyakim's days, Yirmiyahu was imprisoned, but now they released him from prison and he walked freely among the people. By doing so, they showed that they accepted his prophecies and were willing to hear what he had to say in Hashem's Name - and therefore it would have been fitting for Hashem to have mercy on them.
וְחֵיל פַּרְעֹה יָצָא מִמִּצְרָיִם וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ הַכַּשְׂדִּים הַצָּרִים עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם אֶת־שִׁמְעָם וַיֵּעָלוּ מֵעַל יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃ - And Pharaoh's army had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard report of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
The third reason: Pharaoh's army marches out of Egypt to assist Tzidkiyahu, and the Chaldeans besieging Jerusalem hear the report and withdraw from the siege. Not that they returned to Babylon, but rather they pulled back from the siege out of fear of a pincer movement: the Egyptians from behind and the Jews from inside Jerusalem, leaving them surrounded on both sides. Therefore, they withdrew to advance toward Pharaoh's army and engage it in battle. Here begins, ostensibly, a turnaround - the Egyptians are coming to the rescue.
וַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר׃ כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּה תֹאמְרוּ אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הַשֹּׁלֵחַ אֶתְכֶם אֵלַי לְדׇרְשֵׁנִי הִנֵּה חֵיל פַּרְעֹה הַיֹּצֵא לָכֶם לְעֶזְרָה שָׁב לְאַרְצוֹ מִצְרָיִם׃ - And the word of Hashem came to Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying: Thus says Hashem, the God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: Behold, Pharaoh's army, which has come out to help you, is returning to its land, to Egypt.
Hashem says to Tzidkiyahu: Are you relying on Pharaoh's army? Are you counting on that as the reason the disaster will not strike? Know that Pharaoh's army will not fight Nevuchadnetzar at all, but will return to Egypt.
וְשָׁבוּ הַכַּשְׂדִּים וְנִלְחֲמוּ עַל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וּלְכָדֻהָ וּשְׂרָפֻהָ בָאֵשׁ׃ - And the Chaldeans shall return and fight against this city, and capture it, and burn it with fire.
And do not think that the Chaldeans will return to their land now that they have withdrawn from the siege. The moment Pharaoh's army returns to Egypt, the Chaldeans will immediately return to besiege you. This is not a cessation of hostilities, nor has the danger passed: the siege will resume just as before, and I am even informing you of its outcome - they will fight against the city, capture it, and burn it with fire.
כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אַל־תַּשִּׁאוּ נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם לֵאמֹר הָלֹךְ יֵלְכוּ מֵעָלֵינוּ הַכַּשְׂדִּים כִּי־לֹא יֵלֵכוּ׃ - Thus says Hashem: Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely depart from us," for they will not depart.
Do not convince yourselves and do not soothe yourselves by saying, "Behold, the Chaldeans are departing from us." Know this: they will not depart. They will remain here, and you have neither counsel nor strength against them. I am telling you this in advance so that you do not pin your hopes on false illusions and say, "Behold, the siege is over."
כִּי אִם־הִכִּיתֶם כׇּל־חֵיל כַּשְׂדִּים הַנִּלְחָמִים אִתְּכֶם וְנִשְׁאֲרוּ־בָם אֲנָשִׁים מְדֻקָּרִים אִישׁ בְּאׇהֳלוֹ יָקוּמוּ וְשָׂרְפוּ אֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת בָּאֵשׁ׃ - For even if you had struck down the entire army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained among them only pierced men, each in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.
See how severe these words are. Even if you were to strike down the entire Chaldean army until only pierced casualties remained, men riddled with wounds - even they would rise up. And even if each were lying in his tent, far from Jerusalem, they would come and burn the city with fire. As it were, even the corpses of the Chaldeans would ultimately carry out Hashem's mission, for it is Hashem's decree that the city be burned and the people go into exile. These words are stated as an emphatic figure of speech, by way of exaggeration, to make the point unequivocally clear: do not soothe yourselves and say, "Perhaps we can fight them" - there is no chance and no strategy, for this is the decree of Hashem.
וְהָיָה בְּהֵעָלוֹת חֵיל הַכַּשְׂדִּים מֵעַל יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם מִפְּנֵי חֵיל פַּרְעֹה׃ וַיֵּצֵא יִרְמְיָהוּ מִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לָלֶכֶת אֶרֶץ בִּנְיָמִן לַחֲלִק מִשָּׁם בְּתוֹךְ הָעָם׃ - And it came to pass, when the army of the Chaldeans had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army, that Yirmeyahu went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Binyamin, to take his portion from there in the midst of the people.
Yirmiyahu wanted to separate himself from the people of Yerushalayim and be in the land of Binyamin, so he slipped out mingled among the people so that he would go unnoticed.
וַיְהִי־הוּא בְּשַׁעַר בִּנְיָמִן וְשָׁם בַּעַל פְּקִדֻת וּשְׁמוֹ יִרְאִיָּיה בֶּן־שֶׁלֶמְיָה בֶּן־חֲנַנְיָה וַיִּתְפֹּשׂ אֶת־יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר אֶל־הַכַּשְׂדִּים אַתָּה נֹפֵל׃ - And when he was at the Gate of Binyamin, an officer was there whose name was Yire'iyah son of Shelemyah, son of Chananyah; and he seized Yirmiyahu the prophet, saying, "You are defecting to the Kasdim!"
The Kasdim were still in the land of Yehudah. Suddenly, an "officer" - an official holding a post - named Yire'iyah son of Shelemyah son of Chananyah seized him and accused him: "You are defecting to the Kasdim!" In other words: You, Yirmiyahu, are constantly telling us that Yerushalayim is destined to fall and be conquered, and now it is clear to me why. You are a fifth column among us, and now you are going to the Kasdim to pass messages to them on how to conquer the city and what to do.
וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ שֶׁקֶר אֵינֶנִּי נֹפֵל עַל־הַכַּשְׂדִּים וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלָיו וַיִּתְפֹּשׂ יִרְאִיָּיה בְּיִרְמְיָהוּ וַיְבִאֵהוּ אֶל־הַשָּׂרִים׃ - And Yirmiyahu said, "False! I am not defecting to the Kasdim!" But he would not listen to him, and Yire'iyah seized Yirmiyahu and brought him to the officials.
וַיִּקְצְפוּ הַשָּׂרִים עַל־יִרְמְיָהוּ וְהִכּוּ אֹתוֹ וְנָתְנוּ אוֹתוֹ בֵּית הָאֵסוּר בֵּית יְהוֹנָתָן הַסֹּפֵר כִּי־אֹתוֹ עָשׂוּ לְבֵית הַכֶּלֶא׃ - And the officials were enraged with Yirmiyahu, and they struck him and put him in the prison house, the house of Yehonatan the scribe, for they had made it into a prison.
They placed him in a makeshift prison converted from the house of Yehonatan the scribe. Apparently, they put bars around it and turned the house into a prison.
כִּי בָא יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־בֵּית הַבּוֹר וְאֶל־הַחֲנֻיוֹת וַיֵּשֶׁב־שָׁם יִרְמְיָהוּ יָמִים רַבִּים׃ - When Yirmiyahu entered the dungeon and the cells, Yirmiyahu remained there many days.
This refers to that very area where they imprisoned him: there were cells and a dungeon there, and he remained there for many days.
וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ וַיִּקָּחֵהוּ וַיִּשְׁאָלֵהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּבֵיתוֹ בַּסֵּתֶר וַיֹּאמֶר הֲיֵשׁ דָּבָר מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ יֵשׁ וַיֹּאמֶר בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל תִּנָּתֵן׃ - King Tzidkiyahu sent and took him, and the king asked him secretly in his house and said, "Is there any word from Hashem?" And Yirmiyahu said, "There is!" And he said, "Into the hand of the king of Bavel you shall be delivered."
Notice something astonishing: the king imprisons him, punishes him, and does not want him to deliver his prophecies - yet he still goes to him in secret and asks, "What does Hashem say?" On the one hand, he places full faith in his prophecies; on the other hand, he does not want him to publicize them, because it undermines the monarchy and weakens the morale of the people.
"Is there any word from Hashem?" - is there anything new? That the city will be burned and the place will be conquered, we have already heard. Yirmiyahu tells him: There is something new - "Into the hand of the king of Bavel you shall be delivered." Not only will the city be handed over and burned, but you yourself will be handed over to the Babylonians. This prophecy was already mentioned earlier in chapters 32 and 34, but this is the place where it was actually delivered. Sefer Yirmiyahu is not arranged in chronological order, and at that time, this was something new.
Who was this man who seized Yirmiyahu and leveled this accusation against him? Chazal explain: "Chananyah" - this name is familiar to us. It refers to Chananyah ben Azzur, the false prophet.
And so it is brought in Chazal: When the prophet was sent to prophesy to Yarovam ben Nevat and warn him concerning the altar - know that human bones will be burned here, the sacrificial priests and your own bones, all will be burned upon this altar, for behold, a king will arise named Yoshiyahu, and he will eradicate idol worship and bring forth from the graves all the priests who sacrifice upon the altars and burn them - that prophet was Iddo the prophet. And Chananyah ben Azzur was a false prophet there, and he invited the prophet into his home and gave him food and drink. The prophet was forbidden to do so, as Hashem had forbidden him, yet nevertheless he went. Prophecy was then granted specifically to the false prophet, Chananyah ben Azzur, who said to him: Thus said Hashem, because you ate in the city in which I commanded you not to eat and returned by the path you were forbidden to take, therefore when you depart from here you will be mauled. And so it was - he was mauled by a lion.
Later, we find Tzidkiyah ben Kena'anah who made iron horns for himself and proclaimed, "With these you shall gore Aram." And likewise Chananyah, who declared that the vessels would return to the House of Hashem - that the vessels of the Beit HaMikdash taken by the king of Babylon would return within two years. And what did Yirmiyahu respond? "Amen, so may Hashem do." Chazal teach that he should not have said this, for in doing so he was flattering the false prophet, as if saying, "May it indeed be Hashem's will that this comes to pass." He did not act appropriately on this point. Chazal explain that because of this, he fell into the hands of Yiriyah son of Shelemyah son of Chananyah. For Chananyah ben Azzur had passed down a charge to his descendants after him: do everything in your power to undermine Yirmiyahu's words, and do whatever you can to strike at the prophets. Therefore, Yiriyah seized this opportunity to attack Yirmiyahu and fabricated an accusation against him: "You are defecting to the Chaldeans!"
There is an opinion in Chazal that he left in order to purchase the field - as we saw earlier, Hashem commanded him to buy the field of Chanamel ben Shallum, and for this purpose he had to leave the city to take his portion in the inheritance. And what was the divine plan? Chazal say that Hashem, as it were, did not want Yirmiyahu to remain inside the city, lest he plead for merit on behalf of the people or avert the catastrophe through his own righteousness. What did Hashem do? He enticed him, as it were, to leave the city regarding the field or the division of the inheritance, and while he was outside, the city was breached. Yirmiyahu then said: I was foolish to have agreed to leave, for had I remained in the city, perhaps Hashem would have had mercy upon it. Rather, Hashem orchestrated a pretext that would cause him to leave. Yet according to the simple meaning of the verses, this refers to a different episode, for in the narrative before us we see that they brought him back into the city and cast him into prison.
וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶה חָטָאתִי לְךָ וְלַעֲבָדֶיךָ וְלָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי־נְתַתֶּם אוֹתִי אֶל־בֵּית הַכֶּלֶא׃ - And Yirmiyahu said to King Tzidkiyahu: What offense have I committed against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me into prison?
What transgression did I commit? What wrong have I done that warrants your placing me in prison?
וְאַיֵּה נְבִיאֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־נִבְּאוּ לָכֶם לֵאמֹר לֹא־יָבֹא מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל עֲלֵיכֶם וְעַל הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת׃ - And where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying: The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land?
Are my words not acceptable to you? Do you place your trust in the words of your prophets? Where are those prophets now? For they claimed that the king of Babylon would not come, whereas I warned that he would come. Whose words were fulfilled? Mine.
וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע־נָא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ תִּפׇּל־נָא תְחִנָּתִי לְפָנֶיךָ וְאַל־תְּשִׁבֵנִי בֵּית יְהוֹנָתָן הַסֹּפֵר וְלֹא אָמוּת שָׁם׃ - And now, please listen, my lord the king; may my supplication fall before you, and do not return me to the house of Yehonatan the scribe, so that I do not die there.
Do not send me back to that prison, lest I die there. Therefore, I come and plead before you: let my supplication fall before you.
וַיְצַוֶּה הַמֶּלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ וַיַּפְקִדוּ אֶת־יִרְמְיָהוּ בַּחֲצַר הַמַּטָּרָה וְנָתֹן לוֹ כִכַּר־לֶחֶם לַיּוֹם מִחוּץ הָאֹפִים עַד־תֹּם כׇּל־הַלֶּחֶם מִן־הָעִיר וַיֵּשֶׁב יִרְמְיָהוּ בַּחֲצַר הַמַּטָּרָה׃ - Then King Tzidkiyahu commanded, and they committed Yirmiyahu to the court of the guard, giving him a loaf of bread daily from the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was gone; and Yirmiyahu remained in the court of the guard.
"From the bakers' street" [literally: outside of the bakers] - beyond what was baked for the public; they provided for him specially. "Until all the bread in the city was gone" - until the bread ran out and famine set in. And he remained confined in that place called the court of the guard. Evidently, this place was better than where he had been imprisoned earlier, the house of Yehonatan the scribe.
Chapter 37 presents three factors that seemingly should have nullified the decree: the king's request that the prophet pray, Yirmiyahu's release from prison, and the retreat of the Kasdim before Pharaoh's army. Yet prophecy declares that all of this is an illusion: Pharaoh will return to Egypt, the Kasdim will resume the siege, and even if only wounded men remained among them, they would rise up and burn the city, for Hashem's decree will not return empty. Yirmiyahu, who departed for the land of Binyamin, was seized on a false charge of treason by Yir'iyah the son of Shelemyah, the son of Chananyah - from the line of the false prophet Chananyah ben Azzur, who passed down to his descendants this war against the true prophets - and was beaten and imprisoned. Even though Tzidkiyahu kept him imprisoned, he sent for him secretly to hear the word of Hashem, receiving the new prophecy that he himself would be delivered into the hand of the king of Bavel. In the end, the king granted the prophet's supplication and transferred him to the court of the guard, with a loaf of bread daily - until all the bread in the city was gone.