Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryJeremiah 37:16
For Jeremiah had come into the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah stayed there many days. Jump to: Clarke Commentary • Barne's Notes • Coffman Commentaries • Gill's Exposition • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Wesley's Notes • Calvin's Commentary • Trapp's Commentary • Coke's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Benson's Commentary • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Adam Clarke CommentaryEntered into the dungeon, and into the cabins - The dungeon was probably a deep pit; and the cabins or cells, niches in the sides, where different malefactors were confined. See Blayney. Copyright Statement Bibliography Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleDungeon - literally, house of a cistern or pit, and evidently underground. In this cistern-like excavation were several cells or arched vaults, in one of which with little light and less ventilation Jeremiah remained a long time. Copyright Statement Bibliography Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible"When Jeremiah was come into the dungeon-house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; then 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. Moreover Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, Wherein have I sinned against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison? Where now are your prophets that prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?" "The dungeon-house, and the cells ..." (Jeremiah 37:16). The prison mentioned here was a huge cistern-like excavation beneath the house of Jonathan, with cells excavated into the side of it, having no light or ventilation. Inmates were expected to die from such treatment; and yet Jeremiah survived it many days. "The king asked him secretly in his house ..." (Jeremiah 37:17). Zedekiah's secrecy was due to his fear of his ministers who hated Jeremiah and who urgently desired to murder him; but the king's conscience no doubt drove him to arrange this secret interview. Also, the conceited arrogance of the whole Jewish nation continued right down to the very day the city fell and Nebuchadnezzar removed the survivors to Babylon. Despite their consummate wickedness, they still believed Jerusalem and the temple were invulnerable and that God would yet spare them. Therefore Zedekiah asked, "Is there any word from Jehovah?" "Wherein have I sinned against thee, etc. ..." (Jeremiah 37:18). It should be noted that Jeremiah here accused the king of being responsible for his imprisonment, pressing, at the same time, his plea of innocence from any wrong-doing. "Where now are your prophets that prophesied, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you ..." (Jeremiah 37:19)? What a powerful argument is this! "The implication is, `Why should a truth-teller be in jail, and the tellers of lies be free'"?[19] Having laid such a foundation for it, Jeremiah skillfully presented his plea for mercy. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleWhen Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon,.... Or, "into the house of the pit" and into the cabins; or "cells" and Jeremiah had remained there many days; in this very uncomfortable condition; very probably till the Chaldean army returned to Jerusalem, as he foretold it should. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bibledungeon … cabins — The prison consisted of a pit (the “dungeon”) with vaulted cells round the sides of it. The “cabins,” from a root, “to bend one‘s self.” Copyright Statement Bibliography Wesley's Explanatory NotesWhen Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; The dungeon — The Hebrew words signify some pit, or deep hole, where were some cells or apartments, in which they were wont to keep those whom they judged great malefactors. Copyright Statement Bibliography Calvin's Commentary on the BibleThe particle כי, ki, is to be taken here as an adverb of time, as I think, though interpreters have not observed this, When Jeremiah, he says, came into the house of the pit or dungeon, or of the prison. The word בור means also sometimes the grave, but is to be taken here for a pit or a deep place: he means that it was a dark and filthy prison. And he adds, and to the dwellings I know not why some have rendered it, “victualling houses;” for the word החניות , echeniot, means narrow prisons, which we call at this day cachots: (108) he was therefore cast into a dungeon, where there were narrow places, that, the holy man had no space either freely to rise or to stand or to sit down, or to he down. Then the Prophet shews that he was so confined by the straitness of the place, that he could hardly sit or lay down or stand erect.; and he says that he was there many days. (109) We must notice the circumstances of the case: It was a thing cruel enough in itself, that an innocent man, after having been beaten, should be thrust into prison: but when a dark and deep prison was chosen, and when he was confined to a narrow place, as though he was in fetters, it was a great addition to the indignity offered to him. Since then the holy Prophet was so atrociously treated, let us not think it strange, when the same thing at this day is endured by God’s children, and for the same cause, even for bearing testimony to celestial truth. When the length of time is added, it increased the evil; for he was not retained in prison for a few days or for a month, but until the city was taken; not indeed in that prison, for the king, as we shall presently see, removed him into the ccurt of the prison. He was, however, the second time cast into a filthy prison, as though he was destined to die; thence he was afterwards removed also by the order of the king. But the Prophet says, that he was in that dungeon many days. It now follows — Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete Commentary
Jeremiah 37:16 When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; Ver. 16. When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon.] (a) Heb., Into a place or house of the pit or hole, where the prophet could neither walk nor handsomely lie down, when worse men a great deal had what liberty they listed.
And into the cabins.] Or, Cells, where they scarce put any but traitors, and similar foul offenders. Such they had at Athens, called barathrum, the infernal region, at Rome, tullianum, underground execution chamber, or profundum maris, &c., deep sea into which whosoever was put could hardly be put to more misery.
And Jeremiah had remained there many days.] Till the return of the Chaldees likely. Canes lingunt ulcera Lazari. Dogs licked the sores of Lazarus. Copyright Statement Bibliography Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy BibleJeremiah 37:16. When Jeremiah was entered, &c.— But Jeremiah was brought into a deep and secret dungeon. Houbigant. From comparing this place with ch. Jeremiah 38:6 it seems likely that the dungeon was a deep pit, sunk perpendicularly like a well, in the middle of the open court or quadrangle, around which the great houses were built; and that in the sides of it, near the bottom, were scooped niches, like the cabins of a ship, for the separate lodgment of the unfortunate persons who were let down there. Hence also it may be, that the same word בור bor, is frequently put for the grave; the ancient repositories of the dead being often constructed with niches in the same manner, in which the bodies were placed separately. Accordingly we read, Isaiah 14:15. But thou shalt be brought down to the grave, to the sides of the pit. See the Hebrew. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleThe Hebrew words which we translate dungeon signify the house of the lake; they certainly signify some pit, or deep hole, or place in the prison, where were some cells or apartments, in which they were wont to keep those whom they judged great malefactors, or against whom they had some special anger; how many days the prophet was forced to abide in this miserable place it is not said, but it should seem by Jeremiah 37:9, that it was until the Chaldean army was returned to the siege. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the BibleJEREMIAH’S INTERVIEW WITH THE KING, Jeremiah 37:16-21. 16. Cabins — Vaults. The mention of them indicates that Jeremiah’s imprisonment began with the extreme rigour of cruelty. The word is found nowhere else. Copyright Statement Bibliography Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New TestamentsJeremiah 37:16. When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon — Hebrew אל בית הבור, into the house of the pit, ditch, or lake; and into the cabins — Or, cells, as החניות signifies. “From comparing this place with chap. Jeremiah 38:6, it seems likely that this dungeon was a deep pit, sunk perpendicularly like a well, in the middle court or quadrangle, around which the great houses were built; and that in the sides of it, near the bottom, were scooped niches, like the cabins of a ship, for the separate lodgment of the unfortunate persons who were let down there. Hence also it may be, that the same word here rendered dungeon is frequently put for the grave; the ancient repositories of the dead being often constructed with niches, in the same manner in which the bodies were placed, separately. Accordingly we read, Isaiah 14:15, Yet thou shalt be brought down to the grave, to the sides of the pit, אל ירכתי בור . How long Jeremiah was forced to remain in this miserable place is not said, but it seems from Jeremiah 37:19. that it was until the Chaldean army was returned to the siege. Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible NotesWhen, &c. = For Jeremiah [actually] entered, &c, dungeon = house of the pit. Hebrew. bor. See notes on Genesis 21:19 ("well"). Isaiah 14:19 ("pit"). cabins = cells. remained = abode. Note the Figure of speech Cyeloides, marking the refrain, which is repeated in Jeremiah 37:21, and in Jeremiah 38:13, Jeremiah 38:28; as shown in the Structure. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedWhen Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; The dungeon ... the cabins. The prison consisted of a pit (the "dungeon") with vaulted cells round the sides of it. [ Hach Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeWhen Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
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