Jeremiah 21:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The eternal word that existed in the beginning. Observe the compassion of God: He warned many through His proclamations; yet, they remained unpersuaded. He caused anguish in the prophet and revealed the future through vivid symbols: a staff, a boiling pot, a belt, a jar. He promised countless blessings but also permitted the calamity of drought, which only worsened. Ultimately, He unleashed wars upon them. In their refusal to accept gentle and pleasing remedies, He resorted to a more severe measure. Yet even here, take note of His humanity. To prevent anyone from claiming it was necessary to inflict punishment, He acts in a way that is visible to all.

The message received by Jeremiah from the Lord occurred when King Zedekiah sent Pashur, son of Melchiah, and Sophonias, son of Maaseiah the priest, to him with the request to seek the Lord on their behalf. They were concerned about the conflict with Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and hoped that the Lord might perform one of His mighty works and relieve them from their plight. It is important to note that the high priest Pashur, who had previously assaulted Jeremiah, was the son of Emmer, distinguishing him from Melchiah's son. Zedekiah sent this message discreetly, wishing to keep it from the knowledge of the people and leaders, so that they could discover the Lord’s judgment regarding Jerusalem without causing unrest.

The message from the Lord came to Jeremiah during the reign of Zedekiah, King of Judah, when Zedekiah sent Paschor, the son of Melchiah, and Sophonias, the son of Basaiah, the priest, to consult him. It is important to note that this Paschor is different from the one previously mentioned, who is the son of Emmer. The arrangement of the prophecies is not in chronological order; here, Jeremiah speaks of events during Zedekiah’s reign, but shortly thereafter addresses occurrences in the reigns of Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin, who ruled prior to Zedekiah. As Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Zedekiah, the king pleaded with the Prophet to seek divine assistance. The Lord instructed the Prophet to relay the following message to him: