Chapter 37

And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now to the Lord our God for us.” (Jeremiah 37:3)

Zedekiah asked for the prophet’s prayer but did not obey the prophet’s preaching.

“Behold, Pharaoh’s army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land. (Jeremiah 37:7)

Through the Prophet Jeremiah, God told Zedekiah that the Pharaoh’s army would return to Egypt before ever engaging in battle against the Babylonians. The hope of help from the Egyptians was empty.

then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” And Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!” (Jeremiah 37:17)

God’s message did not change whether it was delivered privately (secretly) or publically.

But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.” (Jeremiah 37:20)

Where did Jeremiah die? What ancient writers said about his fate.

Several towns and places have claimed that they have the tomb of the prophet Jeremiah. This is what one would expect; in the past, many have wanted to use the names of biblical figures for their own purposes, for giving fame to their town, for creating pilgrim and tourist interest, and so on.

But, several ancient writers, Elmakin, Epiphanius, Abulpharagius, Jerome and Tertullian (quoted by later historians), said that Jeremiah died in Egypt, that the Jews stoned him to death there, in a town or place by the name Tahpanhes. – The Scriptures do not record his death, but they do mention Tahpanhes. The below-quoted passage records that Jeremiah was taken there, along with a group of Jews who were fleeing from the king of Babylon.

43 Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, all these words, 2 that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’ 3 But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.” 4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah. 5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven— 6 men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. 7 So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they went as far as Tahpanhes. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes (Jeremiah 43:1-8)

There is no record, biblical or other, of the prophet Jeremiah travelling anywhere else after this. And again, several ancient writers said that Jeremiah was stoned to death, in Tahpanhes.