Was broken up for fear of - Or, "had got them up from the face of." It was simply a strategic movement.

And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans were broken up from Jerusalem,.... When the siege of the city was broken up and raised: or, when they "went up from Jerusalem" (c); were gone from it;

for fear of Pharaoh's army; or rather "because of Pharaoh's army" (d). The word "fear" is not in the text; nor did they leave Jerusalem for fear of his army, but to meet it, and give it battle, as they did; however, by this means there was a freer egress and regress from and to the city.

(c) "cum recessisset", Cocceius; "ascendisset", Schmidt. (d) "propter exercitum", Cocceius, Schmidt; "propter copias", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

The imprisonment of Jeremiah. - During the time when the Chaldeans, on account of the advancing army of pharaoh, had withdrawn from Jerusalem and raised the siege, "Jeremiah went out of the city to go to the land of Benjamin, in order to bring thence his portion among the people." והיה, in accordance with later usage, for ויהי, as in Jeremiah 3:9; cf. Ewald, 345, b. לחלק is explained in various ways. לחלק for להחליק can scarcely have any other meaning than to share, receive a share; and in connection with משּׁם, "to receive a portion thence," not, to receive an inheritance (Syr., Chald., Vulg.), for משּׁם does not suit this meaning. The lxx render τοῦ ἀγοράσαι ἐκεῖθεν, which Theodoret explains by πρίασθαι ἄρτους. All other explanations have still less in their favour. We must connect בּתוך העם with 'ללכת וגו, since it is unsuitable for לחלק משּׁם.

And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,

broken...: Heb. made to ascend

[1] And it came to pass

Five phases of Jeremiah's prison experiences are recorded:

(1) He is arrested in the gate and committed to a dungeon on the false charge of treason Jer 37:11-15.

(2) he is released from the dungeon, but restrained to the court of the prison;

(3) he is imprisoned in the miry dungeon and kept in prison court Jer 38:1-6.

(4) he is again released from the dungeon and kept in the prison court Jer 38:13-28 until the capture of the city;

(5) carried in chains from the city by Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, he is finally released at Ramah. Jer 40:1-4.

11. broken up-"gone up."

37:11-21 There are times when it is the wisdom of good men to retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the doors, Isa 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed to prison. But it is no new thing for the best friends of the church to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies. When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit our cause to Him who judges righteously. Jeremiah obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, and would not, to obtain mercy of man, be unfaithful to God or to his prince; he tells the king the whole truth. When Jeremiah delivered God's message, he spake with boldness; but when he made his own request, he spake submissively. A lion in God's cause must be a lamb in his own. And God gave Jeremiah favour in the eyes of the king. The Lord God can make even the cells of a prison become pastures to his people, and will raise up friends to provide for them, so that in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.