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Jeremias 21

BLIVRE · Chapter 21/52

1Palavra que veio do SENHOR a Jeremias, quando o rei Zedequias lhe enviou a Pasur filho de Malquias, e a Sofonias, sacerdote, filho de Maaseias, para que lhe dissessem:

2Pergunta agora por nós ao SENHOR; pois Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, está fazendo guerra contra nós; talvez o SENHOR faça conosco segundo todas as suas maravilhas, e o mande embora de sobre nós.

3E Jeremias lhes disse: Direis assim a Zedequias:

4Assim diz o SENHOR Deus de Israel: Eis que eu virarei para trás as armas de guerra que estão em vossas mãos, com as quais lutais contra o rei da Babilônia e os Caldeus que vos têm cercado fora da muralha; e eu os juntarei no meio desta cidade.

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

6E ferirei aos moradores desta cidade; tanto aos homens quanto aos animais; morrerão de grande pestilência.

7E depois, assim diz o SENHOR, entregarei a Zedequias rei de Judá, e a seus servos, e ao povo, e aos que restarem na cidade da pestilência, da espada, e da fome, nas mãos de Nabucodonosor rei de Babilônia, nas mãos de seus inimigos, e na mão dos que buscam [tirar] suas vidas. Ele os matará ao fio de espada; não lhes poupará, nem terá deles compaixão, nem misericórdia.

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

9Aquele que permanecer nesta cidade, morrerá a espada, ou pela fome, ou pela pestilência; mas o que sair e se render aos Caldeus, que têm vos cercado, viverá, e terá sua vida como despojo.

10Porque pus meu rosto contra esta cidade para o mal, e não para o bem, diz o SENHOR; nas mãos do rei de Babilônia será entregue, e ele a queimará a fogo.

11E à casa do rei de Judá dirás: Ouvi palavra do SENHOR.

12Casa de Davi, assim diz o SENHOR: Julgai de manhã com justiça, e livrai a vítima de roubo da mão do opressor; para que minha ira não saia como fogo, e incendeie de modo que não haja quem apague, por causa da maldade de vossas ações.

13Eis que eu [sou] contra ti, ó moradora do vale, da rocha do planalto, diz o SENHOR; [contra] vós que dizeis: Quem descerá contra nós? E quem entrará em nossas moradas?

14Eu vos punirei conforme o fruto de vossas ações, diz o SENHOR, e acenderei fogo em seu bosque, que consumirá tudo o que estiver ao redor dela.

📖 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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