The Meaning of Jeremiah 37:3 Explained

Jeremiah 37:3

KJV: 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 unto the LORD our God for us.

YLT: And Zedekiah the king sendeth Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, unto Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 'Pray, we beseech thee, for us unto Jehovah our God.'

Darby: 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 unto Jehovah our God for us.

ASV: 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 unto Jehovah our God for us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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 unto the LORD  our God  for us. 

What does Jeremiah 37:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

However, Zedekiah sent two messengers to Jeremiah requesting the prophet"s prayers on the nation"s behalf. This was the second time that the king asked Jeremiah for information about the outcome of the invasion (cf. ch21). It is always easier to pray than to repent (cf. Isaiah 1:10-20). Perhaps Zedekiah was hoping for a last-minute deliverance such as God granted Jerusalem in Hezekiah"s days ( 2 Kings 19:32-37). But Jeremiah had already predicted the fates of this king and the city at the commencement of the siege ( Jeremiah 34:1-7).
Zephaniah the priest was a member of the delegation that Zedekiah had sent to Jeremiah at the beginning of the siege ( Jeremiah 21:1-10). He was also the recipient of a letter from the false prophet Shemaiah, who was already in Babylonian exile, demanding Jeremiah"s imprisonment ( Jeremiah 29:24-32). Jehucal (also called Jucal) appears later as Jeremiah"s enemy ( Jeremiah 38:1).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 37

1  The Egyptians having raised the siege of the Chaldeans,
3  king Zedekiah sends to Jeremiah to pray for the people
6  Jeremiah prophesies the Chaldeans' certain return and victory
11  He is taken for a fugitive, beaten, and put in prison
16  He assures Zedekiah of the captivity
18  Entreating for his liberty, he obtains some favor

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 37:3 mean?

And sent the king Zedekiah - Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet saying Pray now for us Yahweh our God
וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ אֶת־ יְהוּכַ֣ל בֶּן־ שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֗ה וְאֶת־ צְפַנְיָ֤הוּ בֶן־ מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶל־ יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹ֑ר הִתְפַּלֶּל־ נָ֣א בַעֲדֵ֔נוּ יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩  And  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ  Zedekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִדְקִיָּה 
Sense: the last king of Judah renamed from ‘Mattaniah’ by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוּכַ֣ל  Jehucal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּכַל  
Sense: a son of Shelemiah and a servant of king Zedekiah whom he sent to Jeremiah to entreat his prayers and advice.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֗ה  of  Shelemiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁלֶמְיָה 
Sense: a son of Bani who put away his foreign wife in the time of Ezra.
צְפַנְיָ֤הוּ  Zephaniah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צְפַנְיָה 
Sense: the 9th in order of the 2 minor prophets; descendant of king Hezekiah of Judah and prophet in the time of king Josiah of Judah.
בֶן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙  of  Maaseiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֵׂיָה 
Sense: a descendant of Jeshua who had taken a foreign wife in the time of Ezra.
הַכֹּהֵ֔ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ  Jeremiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִרְמְיָה 
Sense: the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name.
הַנָּבִ֖יא  the  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִתְפַּלֶּל־  Pray 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
נָ֣א  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
בַעֲדֵ֔נוּ  for  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).