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Jeremiah 38:19

in Jeremiah 38

But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

KJV

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

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This verse in Jeremiah 38

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

All he suggests is, " I am afraid, not of the Chaldeans; their princes are men of honour, but of the Jews, that have already gone over to the Chaldeans; when they see me follow them, and who had so much opposed their going, they will laugh at me, and say, Hast thou also become weak as water? " Isa. xiv.

This site's exposition

I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans

on Jeremiah 38:19-28

Zedekiah names his fear: “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans.” Jeremiah answers, “They will not hand you over,” and describes the palace women mocking the king: “Your feet sank into the mire.” He remains in the courtyard “until the day Jerusalem was captured.”

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

They mock me - Insult me, and exhibit me in triumph.
The Jews that are fallen to the Chaldaeans - These deserters probably formed a numerous party, and now would be the more indignant with Zedekiah for having rejected their original advice to submit.

The words behind it

19 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.

  • וַיֹּ֛אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • הַמֶּ֥לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּZedekiah

    tzidkiyahuH6667 →63 times

  • אֶֽל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • יִרְמְיָ֑הוּJeremiah

    yirmeyahuH3414 →147 times

  • אֲנִ֧יI

    ʾaniH589 →874 times

  • דֹאֵ֣ג[am] dreading

    doegH1672 →7 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַיְּהוּדִ֗יםthe Jews

    haiyehudimH3064 →75 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֤רwho

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • נָֽפְלוּ֙they have fallen

    nafeluH5307 →435 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔יםthe Chaldeans

    hakasdimH3778 →80 times

  • פֶּֽן־lest

    pen-H6435 →133 times

  • יִתְּנ֥וּthey should give

    yitenuH5414 →2011 times

  • אֹתִ֛י<obj.> me

    ʾotiH853 →10935 times

  • בְּיָדָ֖םin hand their

    beyadamH3027 →1618 times

  • וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־and they will deal wantonly

    vehitalelu-H5953 →20 times

  • בִֽי׃ פwith <the> me

    vi

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

Related verses

14 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.

John 12:42Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue.5 worksIsaiah 57:11Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and failed to remember Me or take this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me?4 worksJohn 19:12–13From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”4 worksIsaiah 51:12–13“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?4 worksJeremiah 38:22All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’4 works1 Samuel 31:4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.3 works
The other 8 cross-references, with their words ▾
Jeremiah 39:9Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried away to Babylon the remnant of the people who had remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to him.3 worksJudges 9:54He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died.2 worksProverbs 29:25The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.2 works1 Samuel 15:24Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.2 worksJudges 16:25And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars.2 worksIsaiah 45:9–10Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?2 worksJob 31:34because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—2 worksJeremiah 38:5“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Isaiah 57:11

    Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and failed to remember Me or take this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear…

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 29:25

      The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Isaiah 51:12–13

      “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?

    • Psalms 50:21

      You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

    • Jeremiah 3:21

      A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD their God.

  • Through

    John 12:42

    Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue.

    it leads to

    • John 7:13

      Yet no one would speak publicly about Him for fear of the Jews.

    • Isaiah 51:7

      Listen to Me, you who know what is right, you people with My law in your hearts: Do not fear the scorn of men; do not be broken by their insults.

    • John 9:22

      His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already determined that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.

    • Matthew 10:32

      Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.

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, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; 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 →