If thou wilt assuredly go forth— Nebuchadrezzar was not in person at the siege of Jerusalem. He was at Riblah in Syria, chap. Jeremiah 39:5-6. His army was commanded by his generals; it is to these generals or princes that Jeremiah counsels Zedekiah to return, and to submit himself to the king, by whom he had been established on the throne.
Related Commentaries of Jeremiah 38:17
Jeremiah 38:17
17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: