Jeremiah38
New King James Version
1Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken to all the people, saying,
2“Thus says the Lord: ‘He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes over to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be as a prize to him, and he shall live.’
3Thus says the Lord: ‘This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.’ ”
4Therefore the princes said to the king, “Please, let this man be put to death, for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the welfare of this people, but their harm.”
5Then Zedekiah the king said, “Look, he is in your hand. For the king can do nothing against you.”
6So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.
7Now Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon. When the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,
8Ebed-Melech went out of the king’s house and spoke to the king, saying:
9“My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is. For there is no more bread in the city.”
10Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.”
11So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there old clothes and old rags, and let them down by ropes into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
12Then Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Please put these old clothes and rags under your armpits, under the ropes.” And Jeremiah did so.
13So they pulled Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
14Then Zedekiah the king sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance of the house of the Lord. And the king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me.”
15Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”
16So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, “As the Lord lives, who made our very souls, I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”
17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you surely surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live; this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.
18But if you do not surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans; they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.’ ”
19And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they abuse me.”
20But Jeremiah said, “They shall not deliver you. Please, obey the voice of the Lord which I speak to you. So it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live.
21But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the Lord has shown me:
22‘Now behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be surrendered to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say: “Your close friends have set upon you And prevailed against you; Your feet have sunk in the mire, And they have turned away again.”
23‘So they shall surrender all your wives and children to the Chaldeans. You shall not escape from their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. And you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.’ ”
24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know of these words, and you shall not die.
25But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you and say to you, ‘Declare to us now what you have said to the king, and also what the king said to you; do not hide it from us, and we will not put you to death,’
26then you shall say to them, ‘I presented my request before the king, that he would not make me return to Jonathan’s house to die there.’ ”
27Then all the princes came to Jeremiah and asked him. And he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they stopped speaking with him, for the conversation had not been heard.
28Now Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken. And he was there when Jerusalem was taken.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 38.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Jeremiah is cast into a dungeon, from whence he is delivered by an Ethiopian. (1-13). He advises the king to surrender to the Chaldeans. (14-28).
vv1-13
Jeremiah went on in his plain preaching. The princes went on in their malice. It is common for wicked people to look upon God's faithful ministers as enemies, because they show what enemies the wicked are to themselves while impenitent. Jeremiah was put into a dungeon. Many of God's faithful witnesses have been privately made away in prisons. Ebed-melech was an Ethiopian; yet he spoke to the king faithfully, These men have done ill in all they have done to Jeremiah. See how God can raise up friends for his people in distress. Orders were given for the prophet's release, and Ebed-melech saw him drawn up. Let this encourage us to appear boldly for God. Special notice is taken of his tenderness for Jeremiah. What do we behold in the different characters then, but the same we behold in the different characters now, that the Lord's children are conformed to his example, and the children of Satan to their master?
vv14-28
Jeremiah was not forward to repeat the warnings, which seemed only to endanger his own life, and to add to the king's guilt, but asked whether he feared to do the will of God. The less men fear God, the more they fear men; often they dare not act according to their own judgments and consciences.
Key Words
שְׁפַטְיָה: Shephatjah, the name of ten Israelites
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
מַתָּן: Mattan, the name of a priest of Baal, and of an Israelite
גְּדַּלְיָה: Gedaljah, the name of five Israelites
פַּשְׁחוּר: Pashchur, the name of four Israelites
יוּכַל: Jukal, an Israelite
שֶׁלֶמְיָה: Shelemjah, the name of nine Israelites
מַלְכִּיָּה: Malkijah, the name of ten Israelites
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
Cross References
Jeremiah 38Jeremiah sinking in the mire of the dungeon typifies the suffering Messiah in his deep affliction.
Supported by JFB
Identical prophetic warning that those who surrender to the Chaldeans will have their life for a prey.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Ebed-melech is promised personal deliverance from the city's fall as a reward for saving the prophet.
Supported by JFB
Parallel imagery of being brought up out of a horrible pit and the miry clay.
Supported by JFB
Contrast between the dry subterranean prison in Jonathan's house and this filthy, miry cistern.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Ebed-melech refers to the daily bread ration established for Jeremiah, which had now run out.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The princes use the exact same formula to demand Jeremiah's death for his prophecies.
Supported by JFB
Empty, waterless cisterns were commonly used as severe, escape-proof dungeons in ancient Israel.
Supported by JFB
An Ethiopian eunuch embraces God's servant, foreshadowing the inclusion and faith of the Gentiles.
Supported by JFB
The historical fulfillment of Jeremiah's warning when Zedekiah fled, was captured, and Jerusalem burned.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Zedekiah's confession of fear illustrates how the fear of man brings a dangerous snare.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jeremiah recalls being cast into the pit and having stones thrown upon him.
Supported by John Calvin
The mockers' song uses Zedekiah's own physical mire to describe his spiritual and political trap.
Supported by John Calvin
The king's anticipation of the princes' interrogation shows his utter lack of control.
Supported by John Calvin