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Jeremiah 38:11

in Jeremiah 38

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

KJV

So Ebed–melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

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This verse in Jeremiah 38

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Went into the house of the king - and took thence - The eastern kings had their wardrobes always well furnished; as garments were a usual present to ambassadors, etc. I cannot think that, in the proper acceptation of the words, these were in any part of the king’s house. Old cast clouts, and old rotten rags - The fact seems to be this: there were several garments that had been used, and would not be used again; and there were others which, through continuing long there, had by insects, etc., been rendered useless.

This site's exposition

heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern

on Jeremiah 38:7-13

Ebed-melech, a Cushite, goes to the king and says, “these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet.” Ebed-melech lowers “old rags and worn-out clothes” to pad the ropes. The foreigner who rescues the prophet receives his own promise of deliverance in 39:15-18.

This site's exposition

old rags and worn-out clothes

The rescue is told in unusual detail. Matthew Henry says God forgets no part of a kindness done to his servants. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say God can make the least things, here old rags and worn-out clothes, serve his people.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

So Ebedmelech took the men with him,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Note, Those that are in distress should not only be relieved, but relieved with compassion and marks of respect, all which shall be placed to account and abound to a good account in the day of recompence.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

cast clouts--"torn clothes" [HENDERSON]. rotten rags--"worn-out garments." God can make the meanest things His instruments of goodness to His people (1Co 1:27-29). under . . . armholes--"under the joints of thine hands," that is, where the fingers join the hand, the clothes being in order that the hands should not be cut by the cords [MAURER].

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

Old cast clouts ... - Rags of torn garments and rags of worn-out garments.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

thirty men Since they were weakened by the famine, all of them were required.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Jeremiah 38:10:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

24 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.

  • וַיִּקַּ֣ח׀and he took

    vaiyikachH3947 →966 times

  • עֶֽבֶד־Ebed

    ʾeved-H5663 →12 times

  • מֶ֨לֶךְMelech

    melekhH5663 →12 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הָאֲנָשִׁ֜יםthe men

    haanashimH582 →566 times

  • בְּיָד֗וֹin hand his

    beyadoH3027 →1618 times

  • וַיָּבֹ֤אand he went

    vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times

  • בֵית־[the] house of

    veit-H1004 →2046 times

  • הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • תַּ֣חַתunder

    tachatH8478 →505 times

  • הָאוֹצָ֔רthe storehouse

    haotzarH214 →79 times

  • וַיִּקַּ֤חand he took

    vaiyikachH3947 →966 times

  • מִשָּׁם֙from there

    mishamH8033 →834 times

  • בְּלוֹיֵ֣worn out things of

    beloyeH1094 →3 times

  • סְחָב֔וֹתclothes

    sechavotH5499 →

  • וּבְלוֹיֵ֖and worn out things of

    uveloyeH1094 →3 times

  • מְלָחִ֑יםrags

    melachimH4418 →

  • וַיְשַׁלְּחֵ֧םand he let down them

    vayshalechemH7971 →845 times

  • אֶֽל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • יִרְמְיָ֛הוּJeremiah

    yirmeyahuH3414 →147 times

  • אֶל־into

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַבּ֖וֹרthe cistern

    haborH953 →66 times

  • בַּחֲבָלִֽים׃with ropes

    bachavalimH2256 →62 times

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

Related verses

1 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.

Joshua 6:19For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.”1 works

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

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 38 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Jeremiah 38 →