Jeremiah 38:2
in Jeremiah 38“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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus saith Jehovah, He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey, and he shall live.
KJV
Thus saith the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.
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This verse in Jeremiah 38
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people
on Jeremiah 38:1-6
Four officials say, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors.” Zedekiah answers, “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.” They lower Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern of Malchiah, “which had no water but only mud.”
This site's exposition
whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live
The officials quote this word to the king as their charge. It repeats the choice set before the people at 21:9, with the same promise of life as a spoil of war. Matthew Henry notes that Jeremiah was then eating the king's bread, and it did not stop his mouth.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
9 ), to submit to divine judgments, and not think of contending with them. Note, In dealing with God, that which is good counsel to the meanest is so to the greatest, for there is no respect of persons with him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
Thus saith the Lord, he that remaineth in this city,....
The princes persist in their malice against Jeremiah. He was faithful to his country and to his trust as a prophet, though he had suffered many a time for his faithfulness; and, though at this time he ate the king's bread, yet that did not stop his mouth.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֹּה֮ | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֒ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הַיֹּשֵׁב֙ | haiyoshev | the [one who] remains | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בָּעִ֣יר | bair | in the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַזֹּ֔את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| יָמ֕וּת | yamut | he will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בַּחֶ֖רֶב | bacherev | by the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| בָּרָעָ֣ב | baraav | by <the> famine | H7458 → | 101 times |
| וּבַדָּ֑בֶר | uvadaver | and by <the> pestilence | H1698 → | 49 times |
| וְהַיֹּצֵ֤א | vehaiyotze' | and the [one who] goes out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַכַּשְׂדִּים֙ | hakasdim | the Chaldeans | H3778 → | 80 times |
| וְחָיָ֔ה | vechayah | and he will live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| וְהָיְתָה־ | vehayetah- | and it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לּ֥וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| נַפְשׁ֛וֹ | nafsho | life his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| לְשָׁלָ֖ל | leshalal | to plunder | H7998 → | 73 times |
| וָחָֽי׃ ס | vachai | and he will live | H2421 → | 282 times |
כֹּה֮thus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֒Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
הַיֹּשֵׁב֙the [one who] remains
haiyoshevH3427 →1079 times
בָּעִ֣ירin the city
bairH5892 →1090 times
הַזֹּ֔את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
יָמ֕וּתhe will die
yamutH4191 →839 times
בַּחֶ֖רֶבby the sword
bacherevH2719 →413 times
בָּרָעָ֣בby <the> famine
baraavH7458 →101 times
וּבַדָּ֑בֶרand by <the> pestilence
uvadaverH1698 →49 times
וְהַיֹּצֵ֤אand the [one who] goes out
vehaiyotze'H3318 →1067 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַכַּשְׂדִּים֙the Chaldeans
hakasdimH3778 →80 times
וְחָיָ֔הand he will live
vechayahH2421 →282 times
וְהָיְתָה־and it will belong
vehayetah-H1961 →3559 times
לּ֥וֹto <the> him
lo
נַפְשׁ֛וֹlife his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
לְשָׁלָ֖לto plunder
leshalalH7998 →73 times
וָחָֽי׃ סand he will live
vachaiH2421 →282 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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 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…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 21:9
Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 34:22
The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
- Ephesians 1:12
in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
- Psalms 84:12
O LORD of Hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!
- Jeremiah 21:9
Through
Jeremiah 45:5But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Stop seeking! For I will bring disaster on every living creature, declares the LORD, but wherever you go, I will grant your life…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 39:18
For 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…
- 1 Timothy 6:6–9
Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
- Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- Matthew 6:25–32
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more…
- Jeremiah 39:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.