Pharaoh's army comes forth and the Chaldeans go up from Jerusalem — 'they shall return, and burn this city'; Jeremiah, going out to the land of Benjamin, is seized at the gate as a deserter and sinks many days in the dungeon cells of Jonathan's house.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
verse value 3553
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "instead·of" (תַּ֗חַת, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Jehoiakim" (בֶּן־יְה֣וֹיָקִ֔ים, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·reigned·as·king" (וַיִּ֨מְלׇךְ־מֶ֔לֶךְ), "made·king" (הִמְלִ֛יךְ). The root מלך appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "and·reigned·as·king" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "in·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Josiah', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיִּ֨מְלׇךְ־מֶ֔לֶךְ [and·reigned·as·king] (196) + צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ [Zedekiah] (215) + בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֑הוּ [son·of·Josiah] (384) + תַּ֗חַת [instead·of] (808) + כָּנְיָ֙הוּ֙ [Coniah] (91) + בֶּן־יְה֣וֹיָקִ֔ים [son·of·Jehoiakim] (233) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + הִמְלִ֛יךְ [made·king] (105) + נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר [Nebuchadrezzar] (573) + מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל [king·of·Babylon] (124) + בְּאֶ֥רֶץ [in·land·of] (293) + יְהוּדָֽה [Judah] (30) = 3553.
Rashi
"And the king reigned." Because now he comes to relate and to say that the calamities that were prophesied until this point have been fulfilled, he began to say thus: "When the time of punishment comes, when the days draw near for the matters to be fulfilled, another king will reign over Judah in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, etc."
Radak
"And a king reigned." Since the reign of Yehoyachin did not endure for more than three months, the verse states "and a king reigned," indicating that Yehoyachin is not counted as a king.
But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken to the words of Hashem, which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
verse value 2304
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2304 = 48². The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·his·servants" (וַעֲבָדָ֖יו, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·his·servants" (וַעֲבָדָ֖יו). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'earth', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + שָׁמַ֛ע [heard] (410) + ה֥וּא [he] (12) + וַעֲבָדָ֖יו [and·his·servants] (98) + וְעַ֣ם [and·people·of] (116) + הָאָ֑רֶץ [earth] (296) + אֶל־דִּבְרֵ֣י [to·words·of] (247) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + דִּבֶּ֔ר [He·spoke] (206) + בְּיַ֖ד [in·hand·of] (16) + יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ [Jeremiah] (271) + הַנָּבִֽיא [the·prophet] (68) = 2304.
Malbim
And he and his servants did not listen, for in the days of Jehoiakim the people listened to the words of Jeremiah, but only the king was wicked, as stated above in the previous section. This was not the case in the days of Zedekiah: the people did not listen, and the king followed after the people.
And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying: ‘Pray now to Hashem our God for us.’
verse value 4306
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 90 letters. The shortest word is "king" (הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·Zephaniah" (וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֤הוּ, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "Jehucal" (אֶת־יְהוּכַ֣ל), "and·Zephaniah" (וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֤הוּ), "pray·now" (הִתְפַּלֶּל־נָ֣א). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "to·Jeremiah" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Malbim
"And the king sent" — this indicates that there were then three matters on account of which it was fitting that the people's condition should be changed for the better: 1. That the king sent to the prophet that he should pray on their behalf, and this is efficacious to annul the decree, as it is stated: "Because he has humbled himself before Me, etc."
Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison.
verse value 2420
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "going·in" (בָּ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Jeremiah" (וְיִרְמְיָ֕הוּ, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "not·given" (וְלֹא־נָתְנ֥וּ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "going·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah); "all" (root כל, 167x in Jeremiah); "not·given" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words.
Rashi
And Jeremiah came and went among the people. When King Zedekiah commanded that he be taken out of the prison in which Jehoiakim had imprisoned him, for Zedekiah was righteous and his generation was wicked, whereas Jehoiakim was wicked and his generation was righteous.
Radak
Beit ha-Kleiya. It is written with a yod and read as ha-Kelua with a vav, and it means the house of prisoners, for when Zedekiah became king, he commanded that he [Jeremiah] be taken out from there, and they did not place him there again until Irijah seized him.
Metzudat David
"He came in and went out, etc." For when King Zedekiah reigned, he commanded that he be brought out of the prison in which Jehoiakim had imprisoned him, and they did not leave him in prison.
Metzudat Zion
"And they had not put [him]." [i.e.,] they had not left [him confined], as in "and Sihon would not allow [Israel to pass]" (Numbers 21:23):
“Beit ha-kelua.” In the prison:
Malbim
2. Jeremiah came and went among the people, and they did not imprison him as they had in the days of Jehoiakim, when he was imprisoned so that he would not prophesy; it is clear that they accepted his prophecy.
And Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they broke up from Jerusalem.
verse value 4471
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "went·out" (יָצָ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·Jerusalem" (עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙, 8 letters). The root שמע appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·Jerusalem" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "and·they·heard" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah); "Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 93x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Egypt', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְחֵ֥יל [and·army·of] (54) + פַּרְעֹ֖ה [Pharaoh] (355) + יָצָ֣א [went·out] (101) + מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם [from·Egypt] (420) + וַיִּשְׁמְע֨וּ [and·they·heard] (432) + הַכַּשְׂדִּ֜ים [the·Chaldeans] (379) + הַצָּרִ֤ים [who·assault] (345) + עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ [upon·Jerusalem] (686) + אֶת־שִׁמְעָ֔ם [report] (851) + וַיֵּ֣עָל֔וּ [so·they·withdrew] (122) + מֵעַ֖ל [from·upon] (140) + יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם [Jerusalem] (586) = 4471.
Rashi
"And the host of Pharaoh went out from Egypt." To assist Judah.
Radak
"[The army of Pharaoh] went out from Egypt." [This happened] in order to help Zedekiah, for Zedekiah had rebelled against the king of Babylon — who had made him swear by God when he made him king — and he rebelled against him. [Zedekiah] sent to the king of Egypt to help him, and when the king of Babylon sent his army there because he had rebelled against him, the army of Pharaoh went out from Egypt.
Metzudat David
He went out from Egypt. To help Judah:
"Their report." This refers to the publicizing of their might.
"And they went up." They departed from Jerusalem:
Metzudat Zion
And hosts. Armies of a people:
"Those who besiege." Those who surround, in order to afflict.
"And they went up." The meaning is removal, as in "and the cloud went up" (ibid. 9).
Malbim
3. And Pharaoh’s army went out from Egypt to help Zedekiah, and the Chaldeans heard, etc., and they went up: This means that they did not return to Babylonia, but rather withdrew from the siege, because they feared that the enemy would come upon them from the outside, and they would have to fight on two fronts. Therefore, they went up to meet Pharaoh’s army and to engage them in battle.
’Thus says Hashem, the God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah, that sent you to Me to inquire of Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
verse value 5121
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 86 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·inquire·of·Me" (לְדׇרְשֵׁ֑נִי, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "who·sent" (הַשֹּׁלֵ֧חַ), "to·inquire·of·Me" (לְדׇרְשֵׁ֑נִי), "that·goes·forth" (הַיֹּצֵ֤א). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "thus·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "to·king" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·inquire·of·Me', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 9 words.
Rashi
"He returned to his land, Egypt." They were coming in ships, and the Holy One, blessed be He, signaled to the sea, and it made [the corpses] float up over them, like inflated water-skins and bladders, resembling human skins. They said to one another, "What is this?" They said, "These are our forefathers, whom the forefathers of these [Judeans] whom we are going to help drowned in the sea." Immediately, they returned to their land.
Metzudat David
“Seek Me.” To seek Me in prayer:
"He will return to his land." And he shall not come to aid:
Malbim
"Behold, the army of Pharaoh" [Jeremiah 37:7]:
1. He informed him that the army of Pharaoh did not have the strength to wage war against Nebuchadnezzar, and so returned to Egypt.
2. [This was] so that they would not think that meanwhile the Chaldeans would go back to their own land. For [the verse later states]: "And the Chaldeans shall return and fight, etc." [37:8]. And do not think that they will return after some time — rather, for now they have [only] gone to their homes [temporarily]. This is why it says: "Do not deceive yourselves, saying, 'They will surely go away,' for they will not go" [37:9]. This means: they only withdrew from the siege to fight against Pharaoh, but they did not depart from the land of Judah, for they remained in the land, and you have no time to prepare a plan or [muster] strength against them.
Thus says Hashem: Deceive not yourselves, saying: The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us; for they shall not depart.
verse value 3034
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·persons" (נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 66: will·depart, will·depart. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "not·deceive" (אַל־תַּשִּׁ֤אוּ), "your·persons" (נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙). The root הלך appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "for·not" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·Chaldeans', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 2 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֣ה [thus] (25) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + אַל־תַּשִּׁ֤אוּ [not·deceive] (738) + נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ [your·persons] (900) + לֵאמֹ֔ר [saying] (271) + הָלֹ֛ךְ [surely] (55) + יֵלְכ֥וּ [will·depart] (66) + מֵעָלֵ֖ינוּ [from·upon·us] (206) + הַכַּשְׂדִּ֑ים [the·Chaldeans] (379) + כִּי־לֹ֖א [for·not] (61) + יֵלֵֽכוּ [will·depart] (66) = 3034.
Metzudat David
"Do not delude yourselves. Do not be deceived in your own hearts, saying that the Chaldeans will go away completely and utterly."
"For they shall not go." This means that they shall not go completely, for they shall return.
Metzudat Zion
"Delude [yourselves]." The matter of enticement and incitement is like [the serpent's words], "the serpent deceived me" (Genesis 3:13):
For though you had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet would they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.’
verse value 5573
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·there·remained·among·them" (וְנִ֨שְׁאֲרוּ־בָ֔ם, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "though·you·struck" (אִם־הִכִּיתֶ֞ם), "and·there·remained·among·them" (וְנִ֨שְׁאֲרוּ־בָ֔ם), "pierced·through" (מְדֻקָּרִ֑ים). The root איש appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "man" (root איש, 153x in Jeremiah); "the·city" (root עיר, 117x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pierced·through', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 7 words.
Metzudat David
"But if you smite them." Even if you strike all the Chaldeans and only men pierced by the sword remain in them:
"A man in his tent." Those who are pierced, who will lie each in his tent, they will rise and burn this city. And this is a matter of hyperbole and exaggeration, as if to say: No stratagem will be effective against My decree.
Metzudat Zion
"pierced." The matter refers to the thrusting of a sword or spear into the body, as it is written, "and all who are found shall be pierced" (Isaiah 13:15).
Malbim
“Ki im” (“but if”) is an additive expression. A. Even if you were to strike them down, leaving only scattered individuals, who would be pierced and wounded, then the pierced ones would rise up. B. “Every man in his tent” — they would rise up even though they would not enter Jerusalem at all, but rather each man would be in his tent, far from Jerusalem; nevertheless, they would burn the city with fire. And all of this is an exaggeration of rhetoric, to the effect that after God fights to burn the city, even their dead corpses would fulfill this mission that God sent them to perform.
And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
verse value 2275
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 39 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2275 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "strength" (חֵ֣יל, 3 letters) and the longest is "when·was·removed" (בְּהֵעָלוֹת֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 48: strength, strength. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "when·was·removed" (בְּהֵעָלוֹת֙). The root חיל appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·upon" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "from·face·of" (root פנים, 126x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֗ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + בְּהֵעָלוֹת֙ [when·was·removed] (513) + חֵ֣יל [strength] (48) + הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים [the·Chaldeans] (379) + מֵעַ֖ל [from·upon] (140) + יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם [Jerusalem] (586) + מִפְּנֵ֖י [from·face·of] (180) + חֵ֥יל [strength] (48) + פַּרְעֹֽה [Pharaoh] (355) = 2275.
Metzudat David
"When it was raised." At the time when the Chaldeans withdrew from Jerusalem, because they heard that the army of Pharaoh was coming to aid Judah:
Metzudat Zion
"When [the army] was removed." The matter of removal:
then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the midst of the people.
verse value 3018
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "land" (אֶ֣רֶץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·Jerusalem" (מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·receive·a·portion" (לַחֲלִ֥ק). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "land" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "from·there" (root שם, 122x in Jeremiah); "to·go" (root הלך, 108x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Benjamin', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֵּצֵ֤א [and·he·went·out] (107) + יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ [Jeremiah] (271) + מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם [from·Jerusalem] (626) + לָלֶ֖כֶת [to·go] (480) + אֶ֣רֶץ [land] (291) + בִּנְיָמִ֑ן [Benjamin] (152) + לַחֲלִ֥ק [to·receive·a·portion] (168) + מִשָּׁ֖ם [from·there] (380) + בְּת֥וֹךְ [in·midst·of] (428) + הָעָֽם [the·people] (115) = 3018.
Rashi
"To divide from there among the people." [Targum Yonatan renders:] "To divide his inheritance among the people." And while the Chaldeans were besieging it, he would not go out from it, for he was praying for the city, that it not be captured.
Radak
To share out from there, among the people. Like *lehachalik* ["to slip away"], missing the *he* of the *hif'il* [causative] form, with the vowel cast under the *lamed*; and similarly *leshmid* [to destroy] and *me'uzanim* [fortresses], and others like them. And the meaning of *lachalik* is to extract himself from there — for he was among the people and feared lest they put him in the prison, since he had said, "Even if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans," etc. And the sense of *lachalik* is a term of "removal," which is close to the sense of slipperiness; that is, he wanted to be slipped away from there. And Jonathan rendered it in the Targum: "to divide the inheritance that he had there among the people." And in the midrashic interpretation: to take a portion with the priests who were in Anatot.
Metzudat David
"And he went out." At that time, Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem, etc.
"L’chalik misham" – to slip away from there, meaning that he would slip himself away from there among the people who were going out; that is, he would go out among the departing crowd in order to slip away from them, so that the gatekeepers would not notice him.
Metzudat Zion
"Lachaliq" – like "lehachaliq" [to slip away], and it is from the language of slipping and extracting oneself [stealthily]:
Malbim
“And Jeremiah went out from there to separate himself among the people” means that he wished to separate himself from the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to be in the land of Benjamin. And the explanation of “he went out among the people” is that he went out among those who were leaving, so that they would not notice him.
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying: ‘You fall away to the Chaldeans.’
verse value 5782
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 86 letters. The shortest word is "and·there" (וְשָׁם֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "Jeremiah" (אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֤הוּ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·he·was" (וַֽיְהִי־ה֞וּא), "oversight" (פְּקִדֻ֔ת), "son·of·Hananiah" (בֶּן־חֲנַנְיָ֑ה). The root שם appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "son·of·Shelemiah" (root בין, 146x in Jeremiah); "and·there" (root שם, 122x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Hananiah', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Rashi
"And there was an officer in charge there" – appointed to guard so that no man should go out of the city to make peace with the Chaldeans.
"Son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah." This is Hananiah son of Azzur; this one [Irijah] was his grandson. And therefore Scripture traced his lineage, to teach that anyone who flatters a wicked person will ultimately fall by his hand, or by the hand of his son, or by the hand of his grandson. And Jeremiah had flattered him, in that he said to him, "Amen, may the Lord fulfill your words" (above, ch. 28). And there is an aggadic midrash that Hananiah commanded his son: "See that I am dying at the hand of Jeremiah, who has made me out to be a liar in my prophecy; if you are able to cause him to stumble, cause him to stumble." And his son likewise commanded his own sons, and when the time came, they caused him [Jeremiah] to stumble.
Radak
“By the gate of Benjamin.” This was the name of one of the gates of Jerusalem, called the Gate of Benjamin because it was located in the portion of Benjamin, or because the gate led out through the territory of Benjamin.
"And there was an appointed officer." [Meaning] one holding an office, whom they appointed at that gate, for there were men appointed to guard so that no person should go out from there to the Chaldeans.
And his name is Yiraiyah. In this gate, Yiraiyah is written with two yods: the first is pronounced, and the second is not pronounced. Similarly, "Mehuyael begot Methushael" [Genesis 4:18], and similarly Yissachar, according to the reading of Ben-Asher. And in the midrashic interpretation: this is Hananiah son of Azzur, and because Jeremiah refuted him in his prophecy and prophesied his death, he commanded his son that if he could cause Jeremiah to stumble, he should do so. And similarly, Shelemiah his son commanded Yiraiyah his son. And now, when he found himself a pretext, he seized him.
"You are defecting to the Chaldeans" – this means that you will be joined to them and heed them. So too did Jonathan render it: "obeying." And of this same sense: "From Manasseh they fell over to David" (I Chronicles 12:20), and: "Come, let us defect to the camp of Aram" (II Kings 7:4).
Metzudat David
"And it came to pass that he." When he entered through the gate called the Gate of Benjamin, there was the gatekeeper, who was appointed to guard the entrance of that gate.
"And he seized him." He took hold of Jeremiah firmly, saying to him, "Behold, you are defecting to the Chaldeans, to be with them."
Metzudat Zion
Ba'al: A ruler and master, as it is stated, "If the owner is with him" (Exodus 22:14).
"Pekidut" [office/appointment] — from the language of "paqid" (officer) and "appointed/commissioned":
"ויתפוש" – He seized him firmly, as it is said: "and she was not seized" (Numbers 5).
"Nofel." The meaning is a term of inclining, that is, a joining [i.e., defecting], as in "let us go over to the camp of Aram" (II Kings 7:4).
Malbim
"You are defecting to the Chaldeans" – since the Chaldeans were still in the land of Judah, they suspected him of wishing to flee to the Chaldeans to be with them.
Then said Jeremiah: ‘It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans’; but he hearkened not to him; so Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
verse value 4303
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 71 letters. Verse gematria: 4303 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "lie" (שֶׁ֗קֶר, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·Chaldea" (עַל־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים, 8 letters). The root ירמיהו appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "to·the·princes" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֨אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יִרְמְיָ֜הוּ [Jeremiah] (271) + שֶׁ֗קֶר [lie] (600) + אֵינֶ֤נִּי [nothing] (121) + נֹפֵל֙ [prostrate] (160) + עַל־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים [upon·Chaldea] (479) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + שָׁמַ֖ע [heard] (410) + אֵלָ֑יו [to·him] (47) + וַיִּתְפֹּ֤שׂ [and·caught] (796) + יִרְאִיָּיה֙ [Irijah] (236) + בְּיִרְמְיָ֔הוּ [in·Jeremiah] (273) + וַיְבִאֵ֖הוּ [and·he·brought·him] (30) + אֶל־הַשָּׂרִֽים [to·the·princes] (586) = 4303.
Radak
"I am not defecting to the Chaldeans." This [verse] has 'al' (עַל), while the first [verse, i.e., v.13] has 'el' (אֶל); and the mnemonic sign is: "ve-El al yikra'uhu" [Hosea 11:7].
Metzudat David
A lie. This matter is a falsehood:
And he did not listen to him. He did not accept his words and did not believe him:
And 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.
verse value 5860
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 72 letters. The shortest word is "him" (אֹת֑וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·Jeremiah" (עַֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 412: house·of, house·of. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·they·was·displeased" (וַיִּקְצְפ֧וּ), "and·struck" (וְהִכּ֣וּ), "band" (הָאֵס֗וּר). The root בית appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·him" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "upon·Jeremiah" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "they·did" (root עשה, 147x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root יהונתן ("Jonathan") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'him', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 11 words.
Radak
"The house of imprisonment." [Vocalized] on the pattern of "the trough of its owner" [Isaiah 1:3].
Metzudat David
Beit Yehonatan. In the house of Yehonatan:
"Because that one." For they prepared that very house to serve as a prison:
Metzudat Zion
"And they were angry." From the root of "anger" and "wrath."
"The house of confinement." The house of imprisonment:
When Jeremiah was come into the dungeon-house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
verse value 2757
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·the·cells" (וְאֶל־הַחֲנֻי֑וֹת, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 271: Jeremiah, Jeremiah. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·to·the·cells" (וְאֶל־הַחֲנֻי֑וֹת), "and·remained·there" (וַיֵּשֶׁב־שָׁ֥ם). The root ירמיהו appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "to·house·of" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "went·in" (root בוא, 211x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·to·the·cells', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּ֣י [for] (30) + בָ֧א [went·in] (3) + יִרְמְיָ֛הוּ [Jeremiah] (271) + אֶל־בֵּ֥ית [to·house·of] (443) + הַבּ֖וֹר [pit] (213) + וְאֶל־הַחֲנֻי֑וֹת [and·to·the·cells] (516) + וַיֵּשֶׁב־שָׁ֥ם [and·remained·there] (658) + יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ [Jeremiah] (271) + יָמִ֥ים [days] (100) + רַבִּֽים [many] (252) = 2757.
Rashi
"And to the cells." Jonathan rendered it, "within the vaults," [meaning that] there were cells in front of that prison.
Radak
"And to the cells." The Targum renders: "and within, from the shops," meaning that the prison house was set within [i.e., behind] the shops that were there in front of the prison house.
Metzudat David
"For Jeremiah came." From there Jeremiah came to the house of the cistern, where the cistern of the prison was located, and it is the worst place in the prison.
"And to the cells." This means: [the pit-house] that was among the cells.
Metzudat Zion
"For he has come." Which is to say, "who has come":
The shops. These are the places where merchandise and all manner of wares are sold, and it is known from our Sages of blessed memory:
then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched him; and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said: ‘Is there any word from Hashem?’ And Jeremiah said: ‘There is.’ He said also: ‘You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.’
verse value 5714
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 90 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "being" (יֵ֔שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·asked·him" (וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֨הוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said, and·said. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·he·took·him" (וַיִּקָּחֵ֗הוּ), "and·asked·him" (וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֨הוּ), "in·his·house" (בְּבֵיתוֹ֙). The root מלך appears 3 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "word" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 7 words.
Metzudat David
"Is there a matter?" This means: whether he has recently received some prophecy.
"There is." A prophecy has come to me recently.
"And he said, 'Into the hand,' etc." He then spoke again — this is the prophecy [that had come to him]: that you will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
Malbim
"Is there a word from the Lord?" means: Since the burning of the city and its conquest had already been foretold to him, he asked whether there was anything new to be said, and the response was that there is indeed a new word, namely the prophecy concerning you that you will be handed over into the hands of the king of Babylon. This incident occurred prior to the prophecy mentioned above in section 34, which I expounded above in section 32.
Moreover Jeremiah said to king Zedekiah: ‘Wherein have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?
verse value 3533
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "what?" (מֶה֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·your·servants" (וְלַעֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·to·your·servants" (וְלַעֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙), "that·you·put" (כִּֽי־נְתַתֶּ֥ם). The root איל appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "to·the·king" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "that·you·put" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Zedekiah', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 10 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ [Jeremiah] (271) + אֶל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ [to·the·king] (126) + צִדְקִיָּ֑הוּ [Zedekiah] (215) + מֶה֩ [what?] (45) + חָטָ֨אתִֽי [I·have·sinned] (428) + לְךָ֤ [to·you] (50) + וְלַעֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ [and·to·your·servants] (142) + וְלָעָ֣ם [and·to·the·people] (146) + הַזֶּ֔ה [this] (17) + כִּֽי־נְתַתֶּ֥ם [that·you·put] (920) + אוֹתִ֖י [me] (417) + אֶל־בֵּ֥ית [to·house·of] (443) + הַכֶּֽלֶא [imprisonment] (56) = 3533.
Where now are your prophets that prophesied to you, saying: The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
verse value 2252
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לָכֶ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "your·prophets" (נְבִ֣יאֵיכֶ֔ם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "where?" ((ואיו)), "that·prophesied" (אֲשֶׁר־נִבְּא֥וּ), "not·will·come" (לֹא־יָבֹ֤א). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "that·prophesied" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "upon·you" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: (ואיו) [where?] (23) + וְאַיֵּה֙ [and·where?] (22) + נְבִ֣יאֵיכֶ֔ם [your·prophets] (133) + אֲשֶׁר־נִבְּא֥וּ [that·prophesied] (560) + לָכֶ֖ם [to·you] (90) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + לֹא־יָבֹ֤א [not·will·come] (44) + מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ [king·of·Babylon] (124) + עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם [upon·you] (170) + וְעַ֖ל [and·upon] (106) + הָאָ֥רֶץ [earth] (296) + הַזֹּֽאת [this] (413) = 2252.
Radak
"And where are your prophets?" It is written "ayo" [ketiv], meaning: Where is the matter that you were promised, from the mouth of your prophets?
"Outside the bakers' [street]." From the market of the bakers. And in the Midrash [it is stated] that they used to give him "pat kibar" bread, which is sold outside the palace. Explanation: "pat kibar" bread is bran bread.
Metzudat David
"Where are your prophets?" This means: Where is the promise of your prophets, who prophesied, etc.? It is as if saying: Behold, he has come and is laying siege to the city.
And now hear, I pray you, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray you, be presented before you; that you cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.’
verse value 5622
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 62 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָֽׁם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·send·me·back" (וְאַל־תְּשִׁבֵ֗נִי, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·not·send·me·back" (וְאַל־תְּשִׁבֵ֗נִי). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 307x in Jeremiah); "king" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "hear·now" (root שמע, 184x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'king', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 10 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֕ה [now] (481) + שְֽׁמַֽע־נָ֖א [hear·now] (461) + אֲדֹנִ֣י [my·lord] (65) + הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ [king] (95) + תִּפׇּל־נָ֤א [let·fall·now] (561) + תְחִנָּתִי֙ [my·supplication] (868) + לְפָנֶ֔יךָ [to·your·face] (190) + וְאַל־תְּשִׁבֵ֗נִי [and·not·send·me·back] (799) + בֵּ֚ית [house·of] (412) + יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן [Jonathan] (521) + הַסֹּפֵ֔ר [the·scribe] (345) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + אָמ֖וּת [I·die] (447) + שָֽׁם [there] (340) = 5622.
Metzudat David
"And now." Since your prophets have lied, and the truth is with me, you [the king] listen to me; let my plea now fall before you, etc.
"And I will not die." In order that I may not die there, in the anguish of imprisonment.
Metzudat Zion
"Tippol." This is a term of inclining [i.e., a plea presented/directed before someone]:
Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard, and they gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’street, until all the bread in the city was spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
verse value 5260
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 98 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֨וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֨וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "Jeremiah" (אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֘הוּ֮, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 318: round·bread, and·dwelt. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·they·committed" (וַיַּפְקִ֣דוּ), "and·gave" (וְנָתֹן֩), "round·bread" (כִכַּר־לֶ֤חֶם). The root חצר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "and·dwelt" (root ישב, 147x in Jeremiah); "and·gave" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·city', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 4 words.
Rashi
"Outside the bakers." [This refers to] the bakers' market, as it is written: "And you shall set up streets for yourself in Damascus" (1 Kings 20).
Metzudat David
"And they committed [him]." And they placed him in the court of the guard, where the imprisonment was not so severe.
"And it shall be given to him." He also commanded that a loaf of bread be given to him daily from the bakers' market, until all the bread in the city would be exhausted.
And Jeremiah sat. This means that he remained there of his own free will, and no request was made to remove him from there either.
Metzudat Zion
"And they committed [him]." From the language of a deposit and a placement:
"In the court of the guard." That was the name of the guardhouse of the prison [house of the prisoners]:
"A loaf." Thus a complete loaf of bread is so called:
"Outside." "Marketplace" is similar to the verse "And you shall set for yourself markets in Damascus" (1 Kings 20:34).
The bakers. From the term for baking bread:
Tom. The matter of completion:
Malbim
"Jeremiah sat" – this means that he was not confined there, but rather sat freely. For it was only regarding the prophecy mentioned above in chapter 34 that Zedekiah imprisoned him; that event occurred after this incident, and at that time he was imprisoned because he had prophesied this to the people, as I explained there.
Rashi
Radak