ירמיהו, פרק ל״ז, פסוק כ״א

King Zedekiah makes a crucial decision to alter Jeremiah's prison conditions, ensuring he receives better protection and a steady daily food ration during a time of severe siege and famine. The king orders the prophet to be placed in the courtyard of the guard for safekeeping, keeping him secure much like a protected deposit [מצודת ציון]. The primary approach among commentators is that this location was not a harsh or restrictive prison. Instead, it functioned as a spacious detention area where the prophet would not suffer or experience deep hardship.

As part of these improved conditions, the king commands that Jeremiah receive a daily ration of a whole loaf of bread [מצודת ציון]. This food was sourced directly from the bakers' street or public market [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The royal order guaranteed this steady supply until the absolute end of all the bread in the city [מצודת ציון]. As long as even a small amount of food remained anywhere in the city, Jeremiah continued to receive his daily allowance [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Jeremiah's time in the courtyard is portrayed as a voluntary stay, as he made no request to be removed from the area [מצודת דוד]. Building on this idea, there is an opinion that at this specific stage, Jeremiah was not actually imprisoned at all, but rather lived there as a free man. According to this view, his actual imprisonment by Zedekiah only occurred later, after he delivered additional prophecies to the people [מלבי״ם].