Jeremiah38

Jeremiah is cast into a miry dungeon by princes who accuse him of weakening the city's resolve with his prophecies of surrender. Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian eunuch, intercedes with King Zedekiah and rescues Jeremiah from certain death. Later, Zedekiah secretly consults Jeremiah, who reiterates that surrendering to the Babylonians is the only way for the king and Jerusalem to survive.

Princes Demand Jeremiah’s Death

But Sh'fatyah the son of Mattan, G'dalyahu the son of Pash'chur, Yukhal the son of Shelemyahu and Pash'chur the son of Malkiyah heard these words which Yirmeyahu had said to all the people,

"Here is what ADONAI says: whoever remains in this city will die by sword, famine and plague; but whoever leaves and surrenders to the Kasdim will stay alive; his own life will be his only 'spoils of war,' but he will stay alive.

ADONAI says that this city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Bavel, and he will capture it."

The leaders said to the king, "Please let this man be put to death; because by speaking such words to the soldiers left in this city and to all the people, he is demoralizing them. This man is seeking not to benefit this people, but to harm them."

Tzidkiyahu the king said, "All right, he is in your hands; for the king can't prevent you from doing as you please."

Then they took Yirmeyahu and threw him into the cistern of Malkiyahu the king's son, which was in the guards' quarters; they let down Yirmeyahu into it with ropes. In the pit there was no water, but there was mud; and Yirmeyahu sank into the mud.

Ebed-Melech Rescues Jeremiah

'Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian, an officer in the king's house, heard that they had put Yirmeyahu in the cistern. When the king was sitting at the gate leading toward Binyamin,

'Eved-Melekh left the palace and said to the king,

"My lord, king! What these men have done to Yirmeyahu the prophet is evil. They have thrown him into the cistern; and he is likely to die there where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more food in the city."

Then the king ordered 'Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and bring Yirmeyahu the prophet up out of the cistern before he dies."

So 'Eved-Melekh took the men with him and entered a storeroom under the treasury in the king's palace, from which he took some old clothes and rags. These he let down with ropes to Yirmeyahu in the cistern.

'Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian then said to Yirmeyahu, "Use these old clothes and rags as padding between your armpits and the ropes." After Yirmeyahu had done this,

they pulled Yirmeyahu up with the ropes and took him out of the cistern. Yirmeyahu remained in the guards' quarters.

Zedekiah Seeks Secret Counsel

Tzidkiyahu summoned and had Yirmeyahu brought to him through the third entry in the house of ADONAI. Then the king said to Yirmeyahu, "I want to ask you something; don't hide anything from me."

Yirmeyahu said to Tzidkiyahu, "If I do say it to you, won't you have me put to death? And if I give you counsel, you won't listen to me."

So Tzidkiyahu swore secretly to Yirmeyahu, "As ADONAI lives, who gave us our lives, I will not put you to death; nor will I hand you over to these men who want you put to death."

Then Yirmeyahu said to Tzidkiyahu, "Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: 'If you will go out and surrender to the king of Bavel's officers, then you will stay alive - this city will not be burned down; and you and your family will live.

But if you will not go out to the king of Bavel's officers, then this city will be handed over to the Kasdim; they will burn it to the ground; and you will not escape from them.'"

Tzidkiyahu the king said to Yirmeyahu, "I am afraid of the Judeans who deserted to the Kasdim. The Kasdim might hand me over to them, and they would mistreat me."

Yirmeyahu answered, "They won't hand you over. I beg you, listen to the voice of ADONAI concerning what I'm telling you about; then it will go well with you, and you will live.

But if you refuse to surrender, then this is the word ADONAI has shown me:

all the women remaining in the king of Y'hudah's palace will be brought out to the king of Bavel's officers, and those women will taunt you: 'Your own close friends misled you and took advantage of you. Now that your feet are stuck in the mud, they have abandoned you.'

They will bring all your women and children out to the Kasdim, and you will not escape from them. Rather, you will be captured by the king of Bavel, and you will cause this city to be burned to the ground."

King Zedekiah’s Deception

Tzidkiyahu said to Yirmeyahu, "Don't tell anyone what you just said, or you will die.

If the officials hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you and say, 'Tell us now what you said to the king; don't hide it from us, or we will put you to death, and also what the king said to you,'

then tell them, 'I presented my request to the king that he would not make me return to Y'honatan's house, to die there.'"

All the officials did come to Yirmeyahu and asked him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they stopped speaking with him, since the matter had not been reported.

Yirmeyahu remained in the guards' quarters until the day Yerushalayim was captured; he was there when Yerushalayim was captured.

Study Notes for Jeremiah 38

Verse 1

These officials were influential pro-Egyptian nationalists who viewed Jeremiah’s message of surrender to Babylon as dangerous treason against the state. The names overlap with those mentioned in ch. 37.

Verse 2

Jeremiah repeats the core prophetic message: resistance means death by siege conditions; surrender to the Chaldeans (Babylonians) is the only path to survival. This message was theologically correct, though politically inflammatory.

Verse 4

The accusation that Jeremiah “weakeneth the hands” implies that the prophet was committing sabotage by undermining the morale of the soldiers and citizens, equating prophecy with disloyalty.

Verse 5

Zedekiah’s weakness is evident. He fears his own officials more than he fears God or the consequences of the war, illustrating his inability to exercise royal authority effectively.

Verse 6

The 'dungeon' was likely a deep cistern (a water storage pit) that had dried up, leaving only deep mud (*mire*). This method was a slow, agonizing way to kill someone without incurring the ritual blood guilt of execution.

Verse 7

Ebed-Melech ('Servant of the King'), an Ethiopian (Cushite) eunuch, is a key figure of righteousness. As a foreigner, he demonstrates more faith and courage than the native Israelite leaders, foreshadowing his later promised reward (39:15–18).

Verse 9

Ebed-Melech correctly identifies the princes' intent—to let Jeremiah die by starvation, especially since the city was already suffering from famine.

Verse 10

The command to take 'thirty men' suggests the difficulty and danger of the rescue, requiring a significant force to extract Jeremiah from the deep mire and prevent interference from the hostile princes.

Verse 12

The use of rags and cords shows the practical nature of the rescue, designed to protect Jeremiah from being cut by the rope while being pulled from the thick, clinging mud.

Verse 14

The 'third entry' was likely a secluded, private access point in the palace or temple complex, emphasizing the secrecy of this meeting, which Zedekiah desperately needed to hide from his officials.

Verse 16

Zedekiah swears a solemn oath by the Lord to protect Jeremiah. This displays the king's deep internal conflict: he believes Jeremiah's prophecy but remains paralyzed by fear of his own court.

Verse 17

This is Jeremiah’s final, clear, conditional promise of life for the king and safety for Jerusalem, contingent entirely upon Zedekiah's immediate surrender to the Babylonian princes.

Verse 19

Zedekiah’s primary fear is not death, but humiliation. He is afraid of being mocked by the Jewish deserters who had already defected, revealing his priority for personal dignity over the survival of his kingdom.

Verse 22

Jeremiah predicts that the royal women will mock Zedekiah after their capture, using the metaphor of sinking in the mire—a direct parallel to Jeremiah's own recent suffering (v. 6), indicating Zedekiah is spiritually stuck just as Jeremiah was physically stuck.

Verse 23

Jeremiah confirms that refusal to surrender will lead to the destruction of the city and the king’s capture, emphasizing that Zedekiah’s decision is the key factor determining the city’s fate.

Verse 24

Zedekiah's instruction confirms his fear of the princes and his desire to maintain secrecy regarding God’s ultimate counsel, which he refuses to follow publicly.

Verse 26

Jeremiah is instructed to give a false, but plausible, excuse for the meeting: that he was pleading not to be returned to the deadly prison of Jonathan's house (cf. 37:15, 20).

Verse 28

This verse concludes the narrative of Jeremiah's imprisonment leading up to the fall of Jerusalem, demonstrating God’s protection of the prophet amidst political chaos and military siege.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Jeremiah38

Princes Demand Jeremiah’s Death

Ebed-Melech Rescues Jeremiah

Zedekiah Seeks Secret Counsel

King Zedekiah’s Deception

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options