Jeremiah 39:17
in Jeremiah 39But I will deliver you on that day, declares the LORD, and you will not be delivered into the hands of the men whom you fear.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But I will deliver thee in that day, saith Jehovah; and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.
KJV
But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.
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This verse in Jeremiah 39
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Of whom thou art afraid - The Chaldaeans. Ebed-melech apparently looked forward with much alarm to the b oodshed sure to take place at the storming of the city.
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.
This site's exposition
the men whom you fear
Readers differ on whom Ebed-melech feared. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say the officials he crossed by rescuing Jeremiah (38:7-13), and Barnes says the Chaldeans and the bloodshed when the city fell. The LORD promises to deliver him on that day either way.
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
But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the men of whom thou art afraid-- (Jer 38:1, 4-6). The courtiers and princes hostile to thee for having delivered Jeremiah shall have a danger coming so home to themselves as to have no power to hurt. Heretofore intrepid, he was now afraid; this prophecy was therefore the more welcome to him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
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
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
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥יךָ | vehitzaltikha | and I will deliver you | H5337 → | 212 times |
| בַיּוֹם־ | vaiyom- | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֖וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִנָּתֵן֙ | tinaten | you will be given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְּיַ֣ד | beyad | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים | haanashim | the people | H582 → | 566 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתָּ֥ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| יָג֖וֹר | yagor | [are] fearful | H3016 → | |
| מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃ | mipeneihem | of <before> them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥יךָand I will deliver you
vehitzaltikhaH5337 →212 times
בַיּוֹם־on the day
vaiyom-H3117 →2304 times
הַה֖וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תִנָּתֵן֙you will be given
tinatenH5414 →2011 times
בְּיַ֣דin [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔יםthe people
haanashimH582 →566 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אַתָּ֥הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
יָג֖וֹר[are] fearful
yagorH3016 →
מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃of <before> them
mipeneihemH6440 →2123 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
Psalms 50:15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
it leads to
- Psalms 107:28
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
- Psalms 34:3–4
Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
- Psalms 107:19
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
- Zechariah 13:9
This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They…
- Psalms 107:28
Through
Jeremiah 1:19They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
it leads to
- Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Jeremiah 1:8
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 20:11
But the LORD is with me like a fearsome warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and will not prevail. Since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly put to shame, with an everlasting…
- Joshua 1:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
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.