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Jeremiah 37:20

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Jeremiah 37:20 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And now hear, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be presented before thee, that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And now hear, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be presented before thee, that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
Jeremiah 37:20 — American Standard Version

Context — Jeremiah 37

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
17Then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched him: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from Jehovah? And Jeremiah said, There is. He said also, Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, Wherein have I sinned against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
19Where now are your prophets that prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20And now hear, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be presented before thee, that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
21Then 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.
← Jeremiah 37:19Jeremiah 37:21 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Therefore hear now, one pray thee, O my lord the king, etc.] When the prophet spoke in the name of the Lord, and the words of the Lord, it was with great boldness and majesty; but when he spoke for himself, and on his own behalf, it was with great submission, as it became a subject to his king; and whom he owns as his sovereign lord, though a wicked prince, and whose destruction he knew was at hand: let my supplication be accepted before thee; or, “fall before thee”: (see <243607> Jeremiah 36:7); which was as follows: that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe; but that he might be discharged from his confinement; or however be removed into another prison, not so…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“be accepted--rather, "Let my supplication be humbly presented" (see on Jer 36:7), [HENDERSON]. lest I die there--in the subterranean dungeon (Jer 37:16), from want of proper sustenance (Jer 37:21). The prophet naturally shrank from death, which makes his spiritual firmness the more remarkable; he was ready to die rather than swerve from his duty [CALVIN].”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“be accepted before: Heb. fall before, Jer 36:7 \*marg. lest: Jer 26:15, Jer 38:6-9; Act 23:16-22, Act 25:10, Act 25:11, Act 28:18, Act 28:19 Jeremiah 37:21”
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Related study paths

Read Jeremiah 37 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification