Catholic Commentary on Jeremiah 21

“See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.” (Jeremiah 21:8)

God's Answer to Zedekiah

King Zedekiah sends Pashhur to Jeremiah asking him to inquire of the LORD during Nebuchadnezzar's siege: perhaps the LORD will perform wonders for us as in times past so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us. The LORD's answer through Jeremiah is stark: I am going to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm. Then the choice: see, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live.

The Catechism identifies the two ways set before Israel as the foundational moral structure of covenant life: every generation faces the choice between life and death, blessing and curse (CCC 1696).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. The God who fights against his own people for their correction is not a God who has abandoned them; he is a God who will not let them choose death without naming it. The most loving word spoken to a city headed toward destruction is the word that names the two ways clearly. Choose life.

Prayer

Lord God, you set before us the way of life and the way of death. Give us the grace to choose life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

21
Jerusalem Will Fall to Babylon
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said, 2 “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar * 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon), which occurs frequently in Jeremiah. The latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency. king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
 
3 But Jeremiah answered, “You are to tell Zedekiah that 4 this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans † 21:4 That is, the Babylonians; also in verse 9 who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city. 5 And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, fury, and great wrath. 6 I will strike down the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a terrible plague.’
 
7 ‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’
 
8 Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war. 10 For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’
A Message to the House of David
 
11 Moreover, tell the house of the king of Judah to hear the word of the LORD. 12 O house of David, this is what the LORD says:
 
‘Administer justice every morning,
and rescue the victim of robbery
from the hand of his oppressor,
or My wrath will go forth like fire
and burn with no one to extinguish it
because of their evil deeds.
 
13 Behold, I am against you who dwell above the valley,
atop the rocky plateau-
declares the LORD-
you who say, “Who can come against us?
Who can enter our dwellings?”
14 I will punish you as your deeds deserve,
declares the LORD.
I will kindle a fire in your forest
that will consume everything around you.’ ”

*21:2 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon), which occurs frequently in Jeremiah. The latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency.

†21:4 21:4 That is, the Babylonians; also in verse 9

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