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Jeremias 21

ARC · Chapter 21/52

1A palavra que veiu a Jeremias da parte do Senhor, quando o rei Zedekias lhe enviou a Pashur, filho de Malchias, e a Zephanias filho de Maaseia, o sacerdote, dizendo:

2Pergunta agora por nós ao Senhor; porque Nabucodonozor, rei de Babylonia, guerreia contra nós: bem pode ser que o Senhor obre comnosco segundo todas as suas maravilhas, e o faça subir de nós.

3Então Jeremias lhes disse: Assim direis a Zedekias:

4Assim diz o Senhor, o Deus d'Israel: Eis que virarei contra vós as armas de guerra, que estão nas vossas mãos, com que vós pelejaes contra o rei de Babylonia, e contra os chaldeos, que vos teem cercado de fóra do muro, e ajuntal-os-hei no meio d'esta cidade.

5E eu pelejarei contra vós com mão estendida, e com braço forte, e com ira, e com indignação e com grande furor.

6E ferirei os habitantes d'esta cidade, assim os homens como as bestas: de grande pestilencia morrerão.

7E depois d'isto, diz o Senhor, entregarei Zedekias, rei de Judah, e seus servos, e o povo, e os que d'esta cidade restarem da pestilencia, e da espada, e da fome, na mão de Nabucodonozor, rei de Babylonia, e na mão de seus inimigos, e na mão dos que buscam a sua vida; e feril-os-ha ao fio da espada: não os poupará, nem se compadecerá, nem terá misericordia.

8E a este povo dirás: Assim diz o Senhor: Eis que ponho diante de vós o caminho da vida e o caminho da morte.

9O que ficar n'esta cidade ha de morrer á espada, ou á fome, ou da pestilencia; porém o que sair, e se render aos chaldeos, que vos teem cercado, viverá, e terá a sua vida por despojo.

10Porque puz o meu rosto contra esta cidade para mal, e não para bem, diz o Senhor: na mão do rei de Babylonia se entregará, e queimal-a-ha a fogo.

11E á casa do rei de Judah dirás: Ouvi a palavra do Senhor:

12Ó casa de David, assim diz o Senhor: Julgae pela manhã justamente, e livrae o roubado da mão do oppressor; para que não saia o meu furor como fogo, e se accenda, sem que haja quem o apague, por causa da maldade de vossas acções.

13Eis que eu sou contra ti, ó moradora do valle, ó rocha da campina, diz o Senhor: os que dizeis: Quem descerá contra nós? ou, Quem entrará nas nossas moradas?

14Porém farei visitação sobre vós segundo o fructo das vossas acções, diz o Senhor; e accenderei o fogo no seu bosque, que consumirá a tudo o que está em redor d'ella.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

King Zedekiah sends messengers asking Jeremiah to intercede against the Babylonian army surrounding Jerusalem, but the prophet answers that God will fight against the city itself, not on its behalf.

Explanation

Unlike every previous account in which God fought on Israel's behalf against its enemies, here the situation is completely reversed: God Himself becomes, so to speak, Jerusalem's adversary, because of its persistent unfaithfulness. God's final offer is radical but clear: whoever stays in the besieged city will die, but whoever surrenders to the Babylonians will have their life as a prize of war — a difficult choice between national pride and practical survival. This passage shows how stubbornly resisting a process of discipline already underway can be more destructive than accepting its consequences with humility.

Fun facts

  • Nebuchadnezzar, mentioned here, is confirmed by multiple Babylonian archaeological sources, including his own royal chronicles, which record the siege of Jerusalem.
  • Offering life to those who surrendered to the Chaldeans was a common military practice of the time, used to reduce prolonged resistance during sieges.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Jeremias 21:1Marks a jump forward in time: we are now in the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, with Jerusalem already under siege by the Babylonians — decades after the previous chapters.
  2. Jeremias 21:2King Zedekiah himself sends word asking Jeremiah to inquire of God, hoping for a miracle like the ones that had happened in Israel’s past against other enemies.
  3. Jeremias 21:3A transition formula introducing Jeremiah’s response to the king’s request — a response that will be completely different from what Zedekiah expected.
  4. Jeremias 21:4Contrary to the hoped-for miracle, God announces that He will fight against Judah itself, turning the weapons of defense against the very residents of the besieged city.
  5. Jeremias 21:5The same expressions used elsewhere in the Bible for God fighting on Israel’s behalf against Egypt are now used against His own people — a shocking reversal.
  6. Jeremias 21:6Announces that, besides the war, a great plague will strike both people and animals inside the besieged city — a common consequence of prolonged sieges.
  7. Jeremias 21:7Confirms that King Zedekiah himself, who had asked God for help, will be handed over to the very enemy he feared — with no chance of mercy this time.
  8. Jeremias 21:8The choice Jeremiah presents to the besieged people, stay in the city and die or surrender to the Babylonians and live, sounded like sheer treason to those fighting for Jerusalem’s survival. This advice, more than any other, is what gets Jeremiah treated as an enemy of the state in the chapters that follow.
  9. Jeremias 21:9A shocking, unpopular piece of advice: the only way to survive would be to surrender to the Babylonians instead of resisting — a message that will cost Jeremiah dearly, seen as a traitor.
  10. Jeremias 21:10God makes clear that the decision against Jerusalem is already made and irreversible — the city will be handed over and burned by the Babylonians.
  11. Jeremias 21:11Changes the recipient of the message: now Jeremiah speaks directly to the royal family, demanding specific accountability from the leadership.
  12. Jeremias 21:12Demands that the royal house practice justice daily, especially protection against oppressors — the last chance to avoid the worst before God’s wrath ignites for good.
  13. Jeremias 21:13Confronts Jerusalem’s arrogance, which felt protected by its geography, a valley surrounded by rock, as though no enemy could ever reach it.
  14. Jeremias 21:14Closes the chapter confirming that the judgment will match the people’s own actions, including burning even the wooded area around the city.

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