Jeremiah 39:15
in Jeremiah 39And while Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD had come to him:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the guard, saying,
KJV
Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
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This verse in Jeremiah 39
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
This prophecy probably came to Jeremiah after his interview with Zedekiah Jer 38:14, but is added here as a supplement in order not to break the sequence of events.
This site's exposition
while Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard
on Jeremiah 39:15-18
Ebed-melech is told, “you will not be delivered into the hands of the men whom you fear.” The reason is given: “Because you have trusted in Me.” The promise that he will escape “like a spoil of war” repeats the promise to those who surrender in 21:9 and 38:2.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
5 But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Belonging to the time when the city was not yet taken, and when Jeremiah was still in the court of the prison (Jer 38:13). This passage is inserted here because it was now that Ebed-melech's good act (Jer 38:7-12;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam who defected to the Chaldeans in compliance with Jeremiah’s orders, and when the city was taken, he appointed him governor over those remaining there.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
and they shall be before you on that day And the words shall be before you, for you shall see them fulfilled.
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
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֶֽל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ | yirmeyahu | Jeremiah | H3414 → | 147 times |
| הָיָ֣ה | hayah | it had come | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| דְבַר־ | devar- | [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בִּֽהְיֹת֣וֹ | bihyoto | when was he | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עָצ֔וּר | ʾatzur | shut up | H6113 → | 47 times |
| בַּחֲצַ֥ר | bachatzar | in [the] courtyard of | H2691 → | 191 times |
| הַמַּטָּרָ֖ה | hamatarah | the guard | H4307 → | 16 times |
| לֵאמֹֽר׃ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
וְאֶֽל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
יִרְמְיָ֖הוּJeremiah
yirmeyahuH3414 →147 times
הָיָ֣הit had come
hayahH1961 →3559 times
דְבַר־[the] word of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בִּֽהְיֹת֣וֹwhen was he
bihyotoH1961 →3559 times
עָצ֔וּרshut up
ʾatzurH6113 →47 times
בַּחֲצַ֥רin [the] courtyard of
bachatzarH2691 →191 times
הַמַּטָּרָ֖הthe guard
hamatarahH4307 →16 times
לֵאמֹֽר׃<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 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 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…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 38:28
And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 38:13
and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
- Jeremiah 52:6
By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.
- Jeremiah 38:28
Through
2 Timothy 2:9for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained!
it leads to
- Acts 28:31
Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
- 2 Timothy 1:8
So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.
- Philippians 1:7
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you…
- Ephesians 6:19–20
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,
- Colossians 4:3
as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
- Acts 28:31
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 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.