Jeremiahchapter 38

A.Cast into the Miry Dungeon; Ebed-melech's Rags and Cordsvv. 1-13

1 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people: 2 “This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live. 3 This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.” 4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.” 5 “Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.” 6 So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud. 7 Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin, 8 Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king, 9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.” 10 So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 11 Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, 13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

B.Go Forth and Live: a Secret Word at the Third Entryvv. 14-28

14 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.” 15 “If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.” 16 But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.” 17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive. 18 But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’” 19 But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.” 20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me: 22 All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’ 23 All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.” 24 Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die. 25 If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’ 26 then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’” 27 When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation. 28 And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

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Chapter summary

Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal, and Pashhur demand the prophet's death for weakening the hands of the soldiers; the king says, He is in your hand: I am not he that can do anything against you.

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Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal, and Pashhur demand the prophet's death for weakening the hands of the soldiers; the king says, He is in your hand: I am not he that can do anything against you. They lower Jeremiah by cords into Malchijah's cistern, where there is no water but mire, and he sinks in it. Ebed-melech the Ethiopian eunuch goes straight to Zedekiah at the gate of Benjamin and gets thirty men, then lets down old rags and worn-out garments for Jeremiah to put under his armholes beneath the cords. In secret conference the prophet begs the king: go forth to the princes of Babylon and live, and this city will not be burned. Zedekiah, afraid of the deserters, will not.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Prophecy · Jeremiah — Jeremiah overview

A. 1–13 Cast into the Miry Dungeon; Ebed-melech's Rags and Cords
B. 14–28 Go Forth and Live: a Secret Word at the Third Entry

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Jeremiah 387 verses
- Jeremiah 38:1Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:
- Jeremiah 38:2“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
- Jeremiah 38:3This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”
- Jeremiah 38:4Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”
- Jeremiah 38:18But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”
- Jeremiah 38:22All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’
- Read Jeremiah 38: 1 more there →
Jeremiah 375 verses
- Jeremiah 37:15The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison.
- Jeremiah 37:16So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon and remained there a long time.
- Jeremiah 37:17Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
- Jeremiah 37:20But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”
- Jeremiah 37:21So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread daily from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
- Read Jeremiah 37 →
Jeremiah 393 verses
- Jeremiah 39:6There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah.
- Jeremiah 39:14had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guard, and they turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So Jeremiah remained among his own people.
- Jeremiah 39:18For I will surely rescue you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will escape with your life like a spoil of war, declares the LORD.’”
- Read Jeremiah 39 →
Jeremiah 212 verses
- Jeremiah 21:1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said,
- Jeremiah 21:10For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’
- Read Jeremiah 21 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Jeremiah 262 verses
- Jeremiah 26:11Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears!”
- Jeremiah 26:13So now, correct your ways and deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, so that He might relent of the disaster He has pronounced against you.
- Read Jeremiah 26 →
Romans 122 verses
- Romans 12:10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
- Romans 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
- Read Romans 12 →
Jeremiah 272 verses
- Jeremiah 27:12And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!
- Jeremiah 27:17Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?
- Read Jeremiah 27 →
Ezekiel 22 verses
- Ezekiel 2:4They are obstinate and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’
- Ezekiel 2:7But speak My words to them, whether they listen or refuse to listen, for they are rebellious.
- Read Ezekiel 2 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.