Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Jeremiah 32:4

in Jeremiah 32

Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hands of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

KJV

And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

⋯

This verse in Jeremiah 32

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

And shall speak with him mouth to mouth - He shall be reduced to a state of the most abject servitude. The slave was obliged to fix his eyes on every motion of the master whilst giving his orders, who often condescended to give them only by dumb signs.

This site's exposition

in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah

on Jeremiah 32:1-5

The date is exact, “the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.” His offense is the message that the city will fall, and the king confines the messenger. The chapter's sign of hope takes place in this same prison yard.

This site's exposition

will not escape from the hands of the Chaldeans

Ezekiel 12:13 says the king will never see Babylon, while this verse says he will see its king eye to eye. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown join the two through Jeremiah 39:6-7. Zedekiah faced Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah and was blinded before he was taken to Babylon.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Jeremiah · Written before 420.

proposed

(Verses 4, 5) Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. And King Zedekiah of Judah will not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and they will speak face to face and his eyes will see his eyes. And Zedekiah will be taken to Babylon, and he will stay there until I visit him, says the Lord. But if you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not have success.

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

He prays with admiration of God's majesty and works; and represents his own conflict, ver. 16-25. God confirms the captivity for their sins, ver. 26-35. but promises a gracious return, ver. 36-44.

quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-26/36-anchored-1-15

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

),-- that Zedekiah shall be carried to Babylon, and continue a miserable captive there, until God visit him, that is, till God put an end to his life by a natural death, as Nebuchadnezzar had long before put an end to his days by putting out his eyes. Note, Those that live in misery may be truly said to be visited in mercy when God by death takes them home to himself.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

his eyes shall behold his eyes--that is, only before reaching Babylon, which he was not to see. Jer 39:6, 7 harmonizes this prophecy (Jer 32:4) with the seemingly opposite prophecy, Eze 12:13, "He shall not see."

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְצִדְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙and Zedekiah

    vetzidkiyahuH6667 →63 times

  • מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of

    melekhH4428 →2525 times

  • יְהוּדָ֔הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • לֹ֥אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • יִמָּלֵ֖טhe will escape

    yimaletH4422 →95 times

  • מִיַּ֣דfrom [the] hand of

    miyadH3027 →1618 times

  • הַכַּשְׂדִּ֑יםthe Chaldeans

    hakasdimH3778 →80 times

  • כִּ֣יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • הִנָּתֹ֤ןcertainly <to be given>

    hinatonH5414 →2011 times

  • יִנָּתֵן֙he will be given

    yinatenH5414 →2011 times

  • בְּיַ֣דin [the] hand of

    beyadH3027 →1618 times

  • מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of

    melekh-H4428 →2525 times

  • בָּבֶ֔לBabylon

    bavelH894 →262 times

  • וְדִבֶּר־and it will speak

    vediber-H1696 →1141 times

  • פִּ֣יוmouth his

    pivH6310 →498 times

  • עִם־with

    ʾim-H5973 →1050 times

  • פִּ֔יוmouth his

    pivH6310 →498 times

  • וְעֵינָ֖יוand eyes his

    veeinavH5869 →887 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • עֵינָ֥יוeyes his

    einovH5869 →887 times

  • תִּרְאֶֽינָה׃they will see

    tireinahH7200 →1300 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

14 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Jeremiah 34:3And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you will go to Babylon.6 worksJeremiah 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.’”4 works2 Kings 25:4–7Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,4 worksJeremiah 38:23All 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.”4 worksJeremiah 39:4–7When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and they went out along the route to the Arabah.4 worksJeremiah 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.”4 works
The other 8 cross-references, with their words ▾
Ezekiel 12:12–13And at dusk the prince among them will lift his bags to his shoulder and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land.3 worksJeremiah 52:8–11but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was separated from him.3 worksEzekiel 17:13–21He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land,2 worksEzekiel 21:25–26And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your final punishment.’2 works2 Kings 25:6The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him.2 worksEzekiel 17:15But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’2 worksJeremiah 25:35Flight will evade the shepherds, and escape will elude the leaders of the flock.2 worksJeremiah 34:21And I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon that had withdrawn from you.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Jeremiah 38:23

    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…

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 41:10

      Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah—the daughters of the king along with all the others who remained in Mizpah—over whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah…

    • Jeremiah 39:6

      There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah.

    • Jeremiah 38:18

      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…

  • Through

    Jeremiah 37:17

    Later, 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…

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 21:7

      ‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon…

  • Through

    Jeremiah 38:18

    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…

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 25:4–10

      Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden.…

    • Jeremiah 38:3

      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.”

    • Jeremiah 32:3–5

      For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying: “Why are you prophesying like this? You claim that the LORD says, ‘Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the…

    • Jeremiah 24:8–10

      But like the bad figs, so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the LORD, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land…

Where this verse is studied

About Jeremiah

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, Rembrandt, 1630. Public domain.
Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, Rembrandt, 1630. Public domain.
Jeremiah: the study guide →Read Jeremiah 32 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Jeremiah 32 →