Jeremiah 39:11,12 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Now Nebuchadrezzar gave charge concerning Jeremiah He had undoubtedly been informed of the advice which Jeremiah had given, both to the king and people, to submit themselves to his authority: which advice, if it had been taken, would have prevented the charge and labour of so long a siege, and the bloodshed that attended it. Saying, Take him and look well to him Through this order of the king of Babylon, God fulfilled his promise made Jeremiah 15:11, I will cause the enemy to treat thee well in the day of evil. Jeremiah had been faithful to his God as a prophet, and now God approves himself faithful to him, and the promise he had made him. Now he is comforted, according to the time wherein he had been afflicted, and sees many fall on each hand while he is safe. The false prophets fell by those judgments which they affirmed would never come, (Jeremiah 14:15,) which made their misery the more terrible to them. The true prophet escaped those judgments which he said would come, and that made his escape the more comfortable to him. The same persons who were the instruments of punishing the persecutors, were the instruments of relieving the persecuted; and Jeremiah did not the less prize his deliverance, because it came by the hand of the king of Babylon, but saw thereby more of the hand of God in it.