Jeremiah 37 · Verse 3

Jeremiah 37:3

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.
Jeremiah 37:3, King James Version

Jeremiah 37:3 in other translations

BSBYet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
WEBZedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now to the LORD our God for us.”
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd 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.'
DARBYAnd 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.
BBEAnd Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Make prayer now to the Lord our God for us.
WebsterAnd 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 the LORD our God for us.

What does Jeremiah 37:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. Zedekiah ... sent--fearing lest, in the event of the Chaldeans overcoming Pharaoh-hophra, they should return to besiege Jerusalem. See on Jr 21:1; that chapter chronologically comes in between the thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth chapter. The message of the king to Jeremiah here in the thirty-seventh chapter is, however, somewhat earlier than that in the twenty-first chapter; here it is while the issue between the Chaldeans and Pharaoh was undecided; there it is when, after the repulse of Pharaoh, the Chaldeans were again advancing against Jerusalem; hence, while Zephaniah is named in both embassies, Jehucal accompanies him here, Pashur there. But, as Pashur and Jehucal are both mentioned in Jr 38:1, 2, as hearing Jeremiah's reply, which is identical with that in Jr 21:9, it is probable the two messages followed one another at a short interval; that in this Jr 37:3, and the answer, Jr 37:7-10, being the earlier of the two. Zephaniah--an abettor of rebellion against God (Jr 29:25), though less virulent than many (Jr 29:29), punished accordingly (Jr 52:24-27).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Zedekiah - to the prophet Jeremiah - He was willing to hear a message from the Lord, provided it were according to his own mind. He did not fully trust in his own prophets.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 37:1-10

The Chaldean army will return. (Jr 37:1-10) Jeremiah is imprisoned. (Jr 37:11-21) Verses 1-10 Numbers witness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for those to desire to be prayed for, who will not be advised; yet sinners are often…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 37:1-10 →

Jeremiah 37:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩vai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּtzid.ki.Ya.huZedekiahH6667
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוּכַ֣לye.hu.KhalJehucalH3081
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֗הshe.lem.YahShelemiahH8018
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
צְפַנְיָ֤הוּtze.fan.Ya.huZephaniahH6846
בֶן\־ven-[the] son ofH1121
מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ma.'a.se.YahMaaseiahH4641
הַכֹּהֵ֔ןha.ko.Henthe priestH3548
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יִרְמְיָ֥הוּyir.me.Ya.huJeremiahH3414
הַנָּבִ֖יאha.na.Vi'the prophetH5030
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
הִתְפַּלֶּל\־hit.pa.lel-prayH6419
נָ֣אna'pleaseH4994
בַעֲדֵ֔נוּva.'a.De.nufor usH1157
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ\׃'e.lo.Hei.nuGod ourH430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 37:3

  • Jeremiah 21:1-2

    The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying, Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

  • Jeremiah 29:25

    Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

  • Jeremiah 52:24

    And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

  • Jeremiah 42:2-4

    And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the Lord thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) That the Lord thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do. Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the Lord your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

  • Jeremiah 2:27

    Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

  • 1 Kings 13:6

    And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.

  • Jeremiah 42:20

    For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the Lord your God, saying, Pray for us unto the Lord our God; and according unto all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.

  • Acts 8:24

    Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

  • Jeremiah 29:21

    Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

  • Jeremiah 38:1

    Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,

  • Exodus 8:8

    Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord.

  • Exodus 8:28

    And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zephaniah.
21:1,2; 29:21,25; 52:24
Pray.
2:27; 21:1,2; 42:2-4,20; Ex 8:8,28; 9:28; 10:17; Nu 21:7; 1Sa 12:19
1Ki 13:6; Ac 8:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 37:2

    But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the Lord, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.

  • Jeremiah 37:3

    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.

  • Jeremiah 37:4

    Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.

Read all of Jeremiah 37

Jeremiah 37:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y envió el rey Sedechîas á Jucal hijo de Selemías, y á Sephanías hijo de Maasías sacerdote, para que dijesen al profeta Jeremías: Ruega ahora por nosotros á Jehová nuestro Dios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le roi Sédécias envoya Jucal, fils de Shélémia, et Sophonie, fils de Maascéïa, le sacrificateur, vers Jérémie le prophète, disant: Intercède, je te prie, pour nous, auprès de l’ Éternel, notre Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und der König Zedekia sandte Jehukal, den Sohn Schelemjas, und Zephanja, den Sohn Maasejas, den Priester, zu dem Propheten Jeremia und ließ ihm sagen: Bete doch für uns zu Jehova, unserem Gott!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et misit rex Sedecias Juchal filium Selemiæ, et Sophoniam filium Maasiæ, sacerdotem, ad Jeremiam prophetam, dicens: Ora pro nobis Dominum Deum nostrum.