8. JUDGMENT & HINTS OF HOPE JEREMIAH 21:1 – 25:14 161 Nebuchadrezzar is YHWH’s instrument 1This is the word that came to Jer- The authors of the scroll have inserted emiah from YHWH, when King this passage here as an introduction to Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of the material in chapters 21-24. There are Malchiah and the priest Zephaniah parallels with the events described later in son of Maaseiah, saying, 2“Please the scroll (see Jeremiah 34:1-6; 37:3-10; inquire of YHWH on our behalf, for 52:4-11). The background is the rebellion King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon instigated by Zedekiah in 588, which led to is making war against us; perhaps the siege by Nebuchadrezzar, the capture YHWH will perform a wonderful of Zedekiah, the destruction of Jerusalem deed for us, as he has often done, and the taking of more of the inhabitants and will make him withdraw from of the city into exile in Babylon. us.” Pashhur (verse 1) is not the priest Pashhur ben Immer mentioned in 20:1. 3Then Jeremiah said to them: 4Thus Everything else having failed, the king is you shall say to Zedekiah: Thus says asking Jeremiah to carry out one of the YHWH, the God of Israel: I am going central functions of a prophet: to intercede to turn back the weapons of war that with YHWH. Zedekiah is hoping God will are in your hands and with which do what he did in Egypt against the Phar- you are fighting against the king of aoh, and protect Jerusalem as he did in Babylon and against the Chaldeans 701 (verse 2; see Isaiah 37:33-37; 2Kings who are besieging you outside the 19:35-36). walls; and I will bring them to- Jeremiah tells the king’s ambassadors that 5 gether into the centre of this city. I YHWH has taken sides with the besieging myself will fight against you with army and is fighting with them against outstretched hand and mighty arm, Zedekiah and his subjects, ‘with out- in anger, in fury, and in great wrath. stretched hand and mighty arm’(verse 5; 6And I will strike down the inhabit- see Deuteronomy 26:8; Psalm 136:12). ants of this city, both human beings The final statement in verse 6 is a reminder and animals; they shall die of a great of the pestilence that broke out in the camp pestilence. of the Assyrians in 701 (see 2Kings 19:35; Isaiah 37:36). There is no hope of this 7Afterward, says YHWH, I will give happening again. On the contrary, it is the King Zedekiah of Judah, and his inhabitants of Jerusalem who will experi- servants, and the people in this city ence the pestilence, for YHWH is angry – those who survive the pestilence, with them. sword, and famine – into the hands of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, Verse 7 is a further expansion, reflecting the into the hands of their enemies, into experience of what happened at the end of the hands of those who seek their the siege. Jerusalem was captured and its lives. He shall strike them down inhabitants slain or taken into exile. YH- with the edge of the sword; he shall WH’s ‘wonderful deed’(verse 2) is directed not pity them, or spare them, or have against Judah, not in favour of it. compassion. 162 Jeremiah 21:8-14 The writers responsible for verses 8-10 8And to this people you shall say: Thus seem to be drawing in verse 8 on the says YHWH: See, I am setting before theme of choice found in the writings of you the way of life and the way of the Deuteronomic School (see Deuter- death. 9Those who stay in this city shall onomy 30:15). To the people Jeremiah die by the sword, by famine, and by is to offer the possibility of hope. pestilence; but those who go out and Jeremiah is presented as conveying surrender to the Chaldeans who are to the people YHWH’s determination besieging you shall live and shall have 10 that Jerusalem will be burnt. Verse 10 their lives as a prize of war. For I have echoes Amos 9:4 which is in reference set my face against this city for evil to Samaria. and not for good, says YHWH: it shall be given into the hands of the king of Verse 9 reflects the fact that not all the Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. inhabitants were killed. Some lived on: those considered valuable were taken into exile; the others left behind. Verses 11-12 are a separate unit: an oracle 11To the house of the king of Judah in which Jeremiah reminds the king of say: Hear the word of YHWH, his responsibility to see that justice is 12O house of David! Thus says YHWH: done, and done expeditiously, to protect Execute justice in the morning, the oppressed (this is developed in the and deliver from the hand of the prose expansion, 22:1-5). If there is oppressor anyone who has been to be an escape, it will be through the wronged, exercise of justice. or else my wrath will go forth like fire, and burn, with no one to quench it, because of your evil doings. Verses 13-14 constitute yet another 13See, I am against you, O inhabitant separate oracle, addressed against the of the valley, argument that Jerusalem is impregnable O rock of the plain, says YHWH; because of its position (on a ‘rock’ sur- you who say, “Who can come down rounded by valleys). Jerusalem cannot against us, escape God’s judgment. It will be burnt or who can enter our places of like a forest and its environs will be refuge?” caught up in the conflagration. 14I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says YHWH; I will kindle a fire in its forest, and it shall devour all around. 163 To the king of Judah 1Thus says YHWH: Go down to the The authors of this sermon are reflecting on house of the king of Judah, and the essential duty of the king. In light of the speak there this word, 2and say: fact that the palace did become ‘a desola- Hear the word of YHWH, O King tion’, they are aligning themselves with of Judah sitting on the throne of the prophet Jeremiah (see 21:12) in blam- David—you, and your servants, and ing the failure of the king and his advisers your people who enter these gates. to be faithful to the essential demands of 3Thus says YHWH: Act with justice Yahwism. The king is to act ‘with justice and righteousness, and deliver from and righteousness’(verse 3; see Psalm 72; the hand of the oppressor anyone Isaiah 9:7; 1Kings 10:9; Proverbs 8:20. He who has been wronged. And do is to care for ‘the alien, the widow and the no wrong or violence to the alien, orphan’(verse 3). the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place. 4For if you will indeed obey this word, The king is subject to the Torah, like then through the gates of this house everyone else. shall enter kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their serv- ants, and their people. 5But if you will not heed these words, I swear by myself, says YHWH, that this house shall become a desolation. 6 For thus says YHWH concerning the Jeremiah is conveying YHWH’s words to the house of the king of Judah: king, telling him that the Davidic dynasty You are like Gilead to me, will be cut down (like the forests of Gilead like the summit of Lebanon; and Lebanon). but I swear that I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city. 7I will prepare destroyers against you, all with their weapons; they shall cut down your choicest cedars and cast them into the fire. 164 Jeremiah 22:8-12 This is yet another attempt to deal with 8And many nations will pass by this the amazement caused by the destruction city, and all of them will say one to of YHWH’s city. It fits with Jeremiah’s another, “Why has YHWH dealt in teaching that the destruction resulted from this way with that great city?” 9And apostasy: the abandonment of the covenant they will answer, “Because they and worshipping other gods. Verses 8-9 abandoned the covenant of YHWH draw on Deuteronomy 29:23-25 and 1Kings their God, and worshipped other 9:8-9. This abandoning of the covenant is gods and served them.” manifest in the failure of justice noted in verse 3. 10 Jeremiah’s words in verse 10 could be Do not weep for him who is dead, speaking of the death of Josiah (609) and the nor bemoan him; imminent exile to Egypt of his son and suc- weep rather for the one who is cessor, Jehoahaz (2Kings 23:30-34). They about to be banished, can apply also to the death of Jehoiakim for he shall return no more (598) and the imminent exile to Babylon of to see his native land. his son and successor, Jehoiachin. 11For thus says YHWH concern- The prose commentary (verses 11-12) ing Shallum son of King Josiah of speaks of Shallum, son of Josiah. One pos- Judah, who succeeded his father sibility is that Shallum received the throne Josiah, and who went away from name Jehoahaz (though see 1Chronicles this place: He shall return here no 3:15).