Jeremiah seems to accept Zedekiah’s questionable oath. As the Lord’s prophet he places his life in the hands of the Lord, and he delivers the message he has been given by the Lord. Nothing has changed. The Lord is still sending the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem. Judgment is now unavoidable, but he is still offering the opportunity to escape the full consequences of judgment. If Zedekiah and his officials will lead the people of Jerusalem in submitting to the Lord’s judgment by surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar, then all their lives will be spared and the city will not be burned. Zedekiah needs to trust the Lord when he says that the Babylonian king will not be as ruthless and cruel as he normally is towards vassal kings that have rebelled against him1. But if Zedekiah refuses to surrender then the city will be burned and you shall not escape from their hand,
meaning death awaits.
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.