But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.
But the king ordered Jerahmeel (son of Hammelech), Seraiah (son of Azriel), and Shelemiah (son of Abdeel) to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. However, the LORD kept them hidden and safe.
The writer is showing that even when King Jehoiakim tried to arrest God's messenger Jeremiah and his helper Baruch, God protected them by keeping them hidden.
📚 Historical Context
This happened around 605 BC when King Jehoiakim of Judah had just burned the scroll containing Jeremiah's prophecies warning of coming judgment. The king was furious at the message and wanted to silence the messenger, but God sovereignly protected His prophet. This was during the final decades before Babylon would destroy Jerusalem and take the people into exile.
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