“Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 37:5 Mean?
Pharaoh's army marches out of Egypt, and the Babylonians temporarily lift their siege of Jerusalem to deal with the Egyptian threat. For a brief, intoxicating moment, Jerusalem is free. The siege is lifted. The enemy has departed. It must have felt like deliverance.
But it wasn't. Jeremiah immediately tells Zedekiah (in the following verses) that the Chaldeans will return. The Egyptian intervention is temporary—a brief interruption, not a rescue. The siege will resume, and Jerusalem's fate remains unchanged. The momentary relief is a mirage.
This moment of false hope is one of the cruelest in the narrative. The people of Jerusalem, starving under siege, watched the Babylonian army march away and must have wept with relief. Freedom. Rescue. Egypt came through. And then Jeremiah says: they're coming back. The hope that just flooded the city is about to drain away. The departure is temporary. The judgment is still coming.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you experienced a 'false hope'—a temporary reprieve from a crisis that came back? What was that cycle like?
- 2.When pressure lifts temporarily, do you tend to celebrate as if it's over, or prepare for its return?
- 3.How do you maintain honesty with yourself during a reprieve—acknowledging that the difficulty may not be finished?
- 4.Jeremiah told the truth when false hope was more comfortable. Do you have someone who tells you the truth even when the temporary news seems good?
Devotional
The Babylonians left. The siege is over. Egypt's army scared them away. Jerusalem breathes. The pressure lifts. After months of starvation and terror, the enemy has departed. It must have felt like a miracle.
Except it wasn't. Jeremiah immediately announces that the Babylonians are coming back. The Egyptian army that seemed like rescue is just a temporary distraction. The siege will resume. The fate of Jerusalem hasn't changed. The departure is a pause, not a resolution.
This is one of the most painful experiences in any crisis: the false hope. The moment when things seem to get better—the test results look promising, the relationship seems to mend, the financial pressure eases—and then it all comes back. The temporary relief makes the return of the crisis even harder to bear, because you tasted freedom and had it taken away.
If you're experiencing a temporary reprieve from something you know isn't over—if the pressure has lifted but you sense it's coming back—Jeremiah's honesty is both brutal and necessary. Don't build your life on temporary relief. The departure of the Babylonians didn't mean Jerusalem was safe. It meant Jerusalem had time to prepare for what was still coming. Use your reprieve wisely. Don't waste it celebrating. Use it to get ready.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt,.... At the time the above message was sent to Jeremiah. Zedekiah,…
Then - And. Pharaoh-Hophra Jer 44:30, the Apries of Herodotus, probably withdrew without giving Nebuchadnezzar battle.…
Here is, 1. Jeremiah's preaching slighted, Jer 37:1, Jer 37:2. Zedekiah succeeded Coniah, or Jeconiah, and, though he…
when the Chaldeans … heard tidings of them, they brake up We do not know whether the retreat on the part of the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture