This group of prophecies begins and ends with oracles concerning the kings' duties (21:11-12; 22:1-9). In the middle is an oracle against Jerusalem (21:13-14).
21:11-12 Jeremiah was to tell the king of Judah and his administrators to be careful to dispense justice every day, particularly with the poor and powerless. If they did not, the Lord's wrath would burn against them as an inextinguishable fire (cf. 4:4; 17:4, 27; 21:12, 14; 43:12; 49:27). Normally court convened in the morning to avoid the heat of the day (cf. 2 Sam. 4:5).
"The administration of justice was one of the main duties of kings all over the Near East. The king was the guardian of justice [cf. 2 Sam. 15:4; 1 Kings 3:9, 16-28; 8:32]."303
The Lord also sent a message to the residents of Jerusalem.
21:13 Yahweh was against the people who lived in Jerusalem. Jerusalem stood enthroned on a hilltop with valleys on three of its sides (cf. Ps. 125:2; Isa. 22:1). It stood on a rocky plateau. Jerusalem's physical location had led its inhabitants to feel secure.
21:14 Nevertheless, the Lord promised to punish the residents for their evil deeds (cf. v. 5). He would kindle a fire in its forest, perhaps a reference to the House of the Forest of Lebanon, one of the palace complex buildings (1 Kings 7:2). The fire would spread to other buildings in Jerusalem.
"Not only will the Divine Warrior fight against them, but also their Dwelling Place will destroy their dwelling places!"304
The subject of the next oracle is, again, a Davidic king of Judah, though which one is unknown.
22:1-2 The Lord told Jeremiah to go to the king's palace and deliver a prophetic message to him, his servants, and the people who gathered there.
22:3 Jeremiah called the king and his administrators to practice justice in their decisions regarding civil matters (cf. 21:12). They should protect the weak and vulnerable and should not shed innocent blood. Social justice has always been important to Yahweh.
"Who within our society are represented by the ones robbed by extortioners or by the sojourner, orphan, and widow? Is it the poor, the migrant, the alien? Is it the Third World worker who provides delicacies for our table, or cheap products for our market, but barely ekes out an existence for himself and his family? Is our concern for justice limited to ourselves and those like us? Or do we practice justice even toward those who have no advocate?"305
22:4 If they obeyed, God would perpetuate the reign of David's descendants on Judah's throne with glory and power.
22:5 If they disobeyed, God swore by Himself to destroy the palace.
Verses 6 and 7 appear to be another oracle, in poetic form, against an unnamed Judean king.
22:6 The Lord regarded the Davidic palace as a most pleasant and glorious thing, like Gilead and Mount Hermon, areas both famous for their forests and mountains. Again, the House of the Forest of Lebanon may be particularly in view (cf. 21:14). Yet He would turn the king's residence into a desolation, like a wilderness or an uninhabited town, if the rulers disobeyed.
22:7 He would appoint destroyers for the royal residence, and the royal line, who would cut the palaces down like a forest of trees (cf. Ps. 74).
This pericope is very similar to the preceding one though in prose.
22:8 Representatives from other nations would pass by Jerusalem and wonder why her God had destroyed her (cf. Matt. 23:28; Luke 13:35).
22:9 It would become clear to them, on reflection, that it was because the kings and people had broken covenant with Yahweh. Ancient Near Easterners understood the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness, and they would associate them with Jerusalem's fate.
