Jeremiah 38:4
in Jeremiah 38Then 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then the princes said unto the king, Let this man, we pray thee, be put to death; forasmuch as he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
KJV
Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
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This verse in Jeremiah 38
Commentary
4 notes on this verseTherefore the princes said unto the king,.... The four princes mentioned in Jer 38:1, having heard what Jeremiah said to the people, laid the case before the king, and addressed him upon it in the following manner: we beseech thee, let this man be put to death; or, "let this man now be put to death,'' as the Targum.
This site's exposition
heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people
on Jeremiah 38:1-6
Four princes report Jeremiah's public message, 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, and demand his execution on the ground that he weakeneth the hands of the men of war, treating the prophecy of doom as itself the cause of the coming doom rather than its accurate forecast. Zedekiah's answer, behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you, is the king's own confession of powerlessness before his court, the same weak man who had privately asked for a word from the Lord now surrendering the messenger to men who want him dead. Jeremiah is let down by cords into Malchiah's dungeon where there was no water, but mire, so that Jeremiah sunk in the mire, a slower death than the sword the princes did not formally order but plainly intended, as the bench reads their choice of method.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
The Prophet now shews that he was again dragged from the court of the prison to the inner part, which was dark, filthy, and like a grave. The cause of this he states: it was because four of the princes had heard his words.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For thus ... - Because he makes the men of war dispirited. No doubt this was true. Jeremiah, however, did not speak as a private person, but as the representative of the government; the temporal ruler in a theocracy being responsible directly to God.
The words behind it
40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַשָּׂרִ֜ים | hasarim | the officials | H8269 → | 421 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| י֣וּמַת | yumat | let him be put to death | H4191 → | 839 times |
| נָא֮ | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאִ֣ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הַזֶּה֒ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | since | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כֵּ֡ן | ken | <thus> | H3651 → | 771 times |
| הֽוּא־ | hu'- | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מְרַפֵּ֡א | merape' | [is] making drop | H7503 → | 46 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְדֵי֩ | yedei | [the] hands of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֨י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָ֜ה | hamilchamah | <the> war | H4421 → | 320 times |
| הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים׀ | hanisharim | who remain | H7604 → | 133 times |
| בָּעִ֣יר | bair | in the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַזֹּ֗את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| וְאֵת֙ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְדֵ֣י | yedei | [the] hands of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֔ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לְדַבֵּ֣ר | ledaber | by speaking | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים | kadevarim | according to the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָאֵ֑לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| כִּ֣י׀ | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָאִ֣ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הַזֶּ֗ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֵינֶ֨נּוּ | ʾeinenu | not he | H369 → | 789 times |
| דֹרֵ֧שׁ | doresh | [is] seeking | H1875 → | 164 times |
| לְשָׁל֛וֹם | leshalom | for welfare | H7965 → | 236 times |
| לָעָ֥ם | laam | for the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֖ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לְרָעָֽה׃ | leraah | for harm | H7451 → | 662 times |
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
הַשָּׂרִ֜יםthe officials
hasarimH8269 →421 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
י֣וּמַתlet him be put to death
yumatH4191 →839 times
נָא֮please
na'H4994 →404 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאִ֣ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
הַזֶּה֒<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עַל־since
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כֵּ֡ן<thus>
kenH3651 →771 times
הֽוּא־he
hu'-H1931 →1879 times
מְרַפֵּ֡א[is] making drop
merape'H7503 →46 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְדֵי֩[the] hands of
yedeiH3027 →1618 times
אַנְשֵׁ֨י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
הַמִּלְחָמָ֜ה<the> war
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים׀who remain
hanisharimH7604 →133 times
בָּעִ֣ירin the city
bairH5892 →1090 times
הַזֹּ֗את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
וְאֵת֙and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
יְדֵ֣י[the] hands of
yedeiH3027 →1618 times
כָל־all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֔םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
לְדַבֵּ֣רby speaking
ledaberH1696 →1141 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֔םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
כַּדְּבָרִ֖יםaccording to the words
kadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הָאֵ֑לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
כִּ֣י׀that
kiH3588 →4482 times
הָאִ֣ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
הַזֶּ֗ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֵינֶ֨נּוּnot he
ʾeinenuH369 →789 times
דֹרֵ֧שׁ[is] seeking
doreshH1875 →164 times
לְשָׁל֛וֹםfor welfare
leshalomH7965 →236 times
לָעָ֥םfor the people
laamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֖ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לְרָעָֽה׃for harm
leraahH7451 →662 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 29:7Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 2:1–2
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone—
- Ezra 6:10
Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.
- Ezra 7:23
Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons?
- 1 Peter 2:13–17
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,
- Daniel 4:27
Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be…
- 1 Timothy 2:1–2
Through
Exodus 5:4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”
it leads to
- Exodus 1:11
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
- Exodus 1:11
Through
Acts 16:20They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil
it leads to
- James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
- James 4:4
Through
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!”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 18:20
But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put…
- Deuteronomy 18:20
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.