21:1–23:8 This section has a collection of prophecies oriented around the theme of Davidic kingship. The unifying feature of this eclectic collection is the announcement of inevitable judgment on Judah, Jerusalem, the Davidic dynasty, and specific kings. The leaders’ failure to uphold proper standards for social justice and worship of Yahweh is a central factor in the coming judgment. The oracles also include a glimpse at future restoration under the Davidic Messiah. The material is not ordered chronologically; it includes references covering the time from Josiah’s death in 609 bc to the fall of Jerusalem in 587 bc.

21:1–10 Zedekiah sends his officials to Jeremiah to inquire whether Yahweh will save them from Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians (Chaldeans). The historical situation must have been in 588 or 587 bc, after Nebuchadnezzar had begun his invasion. The tone of the inquiry shows that Zedekiah is holding out hope for a miraculous deliverance on par with Hezekiah’s escape from the Assyrian siege in 701 bc (see Isa 37:36 and note).

Zedekiah

Zedekiah was the son of Josiah and brother of Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made him the vassal king of Judah in 597 bc following King Jehoiakim’s failed rebellion against Babylonian rule (see 2 Kgs 24:1–17). Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim’s son and successor, into exile and left Zedekiah to rule as a puppet king in his place. Unfortunately, most of the ruling class of Judah was carried into exile with Jehoiachin, leaving young Zedekiah with naïve and inexperienced advisers. Initially, Zedekiah was loyal to Nebuchadnezzar, but internal pressure from his advisers led him to rebel against Babylon and rely on Egypt for military assistance (see Jer 37:5 and note on Ezek 17:1–24). The Babylonians besieged Jerusalem beginning in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign (588 or 587 bc; 2 Kgs 25:1). The siege lasted about 18 months until the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign (586 bc; 2 Kgs 25:2). The Babylonians captured Zedekiah when he attempted to flee the city at night (2 Kgs 25:4–6). As punishment, he was forced to witness the execution of his sons; then his eyes were put out and he was taken into exile (2 Kgs 25:7). Jerusalem and the temple were burned (2 Kgs 25:9).

Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar (or Nebuchadrezzar) was the second king of the Chaldean (Babylonian) dynasty, which ruled the ancient Near East from Babylon for almost a century. The Neo-Babylonian Empire was at its height during Nebuchadnezzar’s long rule (43 years, 605–562 bc). He was the son of Nabopolassar, a Chaldean who declared independence from Assyria in 626 bc and founded the dynasty. The strength of the Neo-Babylonian Empire was primarily Nebuchadnezzar’s creation, and the empire collapsed only a generation after his death.

21:11–14 A poetic oracle that admonishes the Davidic kings for their unjust rule and pronounces fiery judgment on Jerusalem for their failure.