John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 32:5

"and he shall bring Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith Jehovah: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper?" — Jeremiah 32:5 (ASV)

He follows the same subject. Lead, he says, will King Nebuchadnezzar Zedekiah captive; and he will remain in exile until I visit him. Some understand this time of visiting as his death, for it is certain that he died in Babylon. As his condition was not improved like that of Jeconiah, who was taken from the filth of a prison to the king's table, this interpretation at first glance seems probable: that is, that he was worn down to death by poverty and disgrace.

However, it seems that some alleviation was promised, if indeed a certain kind of death may be deemed a favor. For he was not slain with the sword; and though he was not restored to his own country, there is still nothing improper in this way of speaking—that he would be in exile until he was visited—for nothing particular could be concluded from this. We will later see that when dead, he was buried honorably and with mourning.

It is then no wonder that God points out here a time of favor, though Zedekiah was never restored to his own country, and we know that his eyes were plucked out by King Nebuchadnezzar after being tried and condemned. But this favor of God, however, is not mentioned here without reason, for Nebuchadnezzar eventually treated him more kindly, at least as far as his burial was concerned. Lead him, then he says, shall Nebuchadnezzar into Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him. That is, he will remain an exile in a filthy prison, and there he will pine away and be destitute of all help. He will then be as one of the lowest and will, in short, drag on life ignominiously until the time of my visitation.

He lastly adds, When ye fight against the Chaldeans, ye shall not succeed. Here the Prophet addresses those foolish notions that still filled the minds of the Jews, so that they did not submit to God nor humble themselves under His mighty hand. For there was still a large number of men, and the city had strong fortifications.

Since they saw that they were equipped with men and forces, they were still confident. Then they became hardened because of the length of time they had sustained the siege. When enemies make the first attack, fear fills the minds of all; but when the outcome disappoints them, then those who previously trembled gather courage.

So it was with the Jews. When the city was first surrounded by the Chaldean army, the miserable inhabitants were undoubtedly greatly terrified. But when they saw their enemies stopped, achieving nothing by their attacks, they then hardened their hearts more and more. For we must note what I said yesterday: they had probably been besieged for six or eight months when this vision was given to Jeremiah. This is why their confidence was greater. But the Prophet repels this folly by saying:

“You fight against the Chaldeans, but the outcome will be unsuccessful, for God will lay you prostrate before your enemies, because it is with Him you carry on war.”

The sum of this introduction is that Jeremiah was then shut up in prison and that the king continued in his contumacy, though God’s hand pressed hard on him. Then the cause of this is set forth: specifically, because he boldly threatened the king and the city, and declared that God’s vengeance was near them, so that the king would be led into exile and the city taken and plundered by their enemies.