TRV
Study This Verse
Commentary on Jeremiah 38 verses 1–13
Here, 1. Jeremiah persists in his plain preaching; what he had many a time said, he still says (Jer 38:3): This city shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon; though it hold out long, it will taken at last. Nor would he have so often repeated this unwelcome message but that he could put them in a certain way, though not to save the city, yet to save themselves; so that every man might have his own life given him for a prey if he would be advised, Jer 38:2. Let him not stay in the city, in hopes to defend that, for it will be to no purpose, but let him go forth to the Chaldeans, and throw himself upon their mercy, before things come to extremity, and then he shall live; they will not put him to the sword, but give him quarter (satis est prostrasse leoni - it suffices the lion to lay his antagonist prostrate) and he shall escape the famine and pestilence, which will be the death of multitudes within the city. Note, Those do better for themselves who patiently submit to the rebukes of Providence than those who contend with them. And, if we cannot have our liberty, we must reckon it a mercy to have our lives, and not foolishly throw them away upon a point of honour; they m ay be reserved for better times. 2. The princes persist in their malice against Jeremiah. He was faithful to his country and to his trust as a prophet, though he had suffered many a time for his faithfulness; and, though at this time he ate the king's bread, yet that did not stop his mouth. But his persecutors were still bitter against him, and complained that he abused the liberty he had of walking in the court of the prison; for, though he could not go to the temple to preach, yet he vented the same things in private conversation to those that came to visit him, and therefore (Jer 38:4) they represented him to the king as a dangerous man, disaffected to his country and to the government he lived under: He seeks not the welfare of this people, but the hurt - an unjust insinuation, for no man had laid out himself more for the good of Jerusalem than he had done. They represent his preaching as having a bad tendency. The design of it was plainly to bring men to repent and turn to God, which would have been as much as any thing a strengthening to the hands both the soldiery and of the burghers, and yet they represented it as weakening their hands and discouraging them; and, if it did this, it was their own fault. Note, It is common for wicked people to look upon God's faithful ministers as their enemies, only because they show them what enemies they are to themselves while they continue impenitent. 3. Jeremiah hereupon, by the king's permission, is put into a dungeon, with a view to his destruction there. Zedekiah, though he felt a conviction that Jeremiah was a prophet, sent of God, had not courage to own it, but yielded to the violence of his persecutors (Jer 38:5): He is in your hand; and a worse sentence he could not have passed upon him. We found in Jehoiakim's reign that the princes were better affected to the prophet than the king was (Jer 36:25); but now they were more violent against him, a sign that they were ripening apace for ruin. Had it been in a cause that concerned his own honour or profit, he would have let them know that the king is he who can do what he pleases, whether they will or no; but in the cause of God and his prophet, which he was very cool in, he basely sneaks, and truckles to them: The king is not he that can do any thing against you. Note, Those will have a great deal to answer for who, though they have a secret kindness for good people, dare not own it in a time of need, nor will do what they might do to prevent mischief designed them. The princes, having this general warrant from the king, immediately put poor Jeremiah into the dungeon of Malchiah, that was in the court of the prison (Jer 38:6), a deep dungeon, for they let him down into it with cords, and a dirty one, for there was no water in it, but mire; and he sunk in the mire, up to the neck, says Josephus. Those that put him here doubtless designed that he should die here, die for hunger, die for cold, and so die miserably, die obscurely, fearing, if they should put him to death openly, the people might be affected with what he would say and be incensed against them. Many of God's faithful witnesses have thus been privately made away, and starved to death, in prisons, whose blood will be brought to account in the day of discovery. We are not here told what Jeremiah did in this distress, but he tells us himself (Lam 3:55, Lam 3:57), I called upon thy name, O Lord! out of the low dungeon, and thou drewest near, saying, Fear not. 4. Application is made to the king by an honest courtier, Ebed-melech, one of the gentlemen of the bed-chamber, in behalf of the poor sufferer. Though the princes carried on the matter as privately as they could, yet it came to the ear of this good man, who probably sought opportunities to do good. It may be he came to the knowledge of it by hearing Jeremiah's moans out of the dungeon, for it was in the king's house, Jer 38:7. Ebed-melech was an Ethiopian, a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, and yet had in him more humanity, and more divinity too, than native Israelites had. Christ found more faith among Gentiles than among Jews. Ebed-melech lived in a wicked court and in a very corrupt degenerate age, and yet had a great sense both of equity and piety. God has his remnant in all places, among all sorts. There were saints even in Caesar's household. The king was now sitting in the gate of Benjamin, to try causes and receive appeals and petitions, or perhaps holding a council of war there. Thither Ebed-melech went immediately to him, for the case would not admit delay; the prophet might have perished if he had trifled or put it off till he had an opportunity of speaking to the king in private. Not time must be lost when life is in danger, especially so valuable a life. He boldly asserts the Jeremiah had a great deal of wrong done him, and is not afraid to tell the king so, though they were princes that did it, though they were now present in court, and though they had the king's warrant for what they did. Whither should oppressed innocency flee for protection but to the throne, especially when great men are its oppressors? Ebed-melech appears truly brave in this matter. He does not mince the matter; though he had a place at court, which he would be in danger of losing for his plain dealing, yet he tells the king faithfully, let him take it as he will, These men have done ill in all that they have done to Jeremiah. They had dealt unjustly with him, for he had not deserved any punishment at all; and they had dealt barbarously with him, so as they used not to deal with the vilest malefactors. And they needed not to have put him to this miserable death; for, if they had let him alone where he was, he was likely to die for hunger in the place where he was, in the court of the prison to which he was confined, for there was not more bread in the city: the stores out of which he was to have his allowance (Jer 37:21) were in a manner spent. See how God can raise up friends for his people in distress where they little thought of them, and animate men for his service even beyond expectation. 5. Orders are immediately given for his release, and Ebed-melech takes care to see them executed. The king, who but now durst do nothing against the princes, had his heart wonderfully changed on a sudden, and will now have Jeremiah released in defiance of the princes, for therefore he orders no less than thirty men, and those of the lifeguard, to be employed in fetching him out of the dungeon, lest the princes should raise a party to oppose it, Jer 38:10. Let this encourage us to appear boldly for God - we may succeed better that we could have thought, for the hearts of kings are in the hand of God. Ebed-melech gained his point, and soon brought Jeremiah the good news; and it is observable how particularly the manner of his drawing him out of the dungeon is related (for God is not unrighteous to forget any work or labour of love which is shown to his people or ministers, no, nor any circumstance of it, Heb 6:10); special notice is taken of his great tenderness in providing old soft rags for Jeremiah to put under his arm-holes, to keep the cords wherewith he was to be drawn up from hurting him, his arm-holes being probably galled by the cords wherewith he was let down. Nor did he throw the rags down to him, lest they should be lost in the mire, but carefully let them down, Jer 38:11, Jer 38:12. Note, Those that are in distress should not only be relieved, but relieved with compassion and marks of respect, all which shall be placed to account and abound to a good account in the day of recompence. See what a good use even old rotten rags may be put to, which therefore should not be made waste of, any more than broken meat: even in the king's house, and under the treasury too, these were carefully preserved for the use of the poor or sick. Jeremiah is brought up out of the dungeon, and is now where he was, in the court of the prison, Jer 38:13. Perhaps Ebed-melech could have made interest with the king to get him his discharge thence also, now that he had the king's ear; but he though him safer and better provided for there than he would be any where else. God can, when he pleases, make a prison to become a refuge and hiding-place to his people in distress and danger.
Continue studying Jeremiah 38:1 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Jeremiah 38:1 introduces four highly influential officials—Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal, and Pashur—who intently heard the prophet Jeremiah's public pronouncements. This pivotal verse marks a critical escalation in Jeremiah's persecution, as these powerful figures, representing the entrenched opposition to God's unpopular message, determined to silence the prophet who boldly declared divine truth concerning Judah's impending judgment and the necessity of surrender to Babylon. Their deliberate hearing of Jeremiah's words directly precipitates his intensified suffering and imprisonment.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 38:1 skillfully employs several literary devices to establish the scene, characterize the key players, and powerfully foreshadow the impending conflict. Foreshadowing is prominently featured, as the mere act of these powerful, antagonistic officials "hearing" Jeremiah's words immediately signals imminent danger and intensified trouble for the prophet, leading directly to his further imprisonment and near-fatal ordeal. The verse also utilizes effective Characterization by meticulously listing the names and patronymics of the officials, implicitly identifying them as the primary antagonists in the unfolding drama of Jeremiah's persecution. Their collective presence underscores the formidable and unified opposition Jeremiah faced from the highest echelons of Judahite society. Furthermore, there is a subtle yet profound Irony at play: those who, by virtue of their leadership positions, should have been most attentive and obedient to God's word, the very leaders of the nation, are precisely those who hear it only to defiantly reject it and mercilessly persecute its faithful messenger, thereby tragically sealing their own fate and the devastating destruction of the city they ostensibly sought to protect.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 38:1 stands as a stark and enduring reminder of the perennial conflict between divine truth and human rebellion. The officials' deliberate hearing of Jeremiah's words, swiftly followed by their immediate and decisive action to silence him, powerfully illustrates humanity's deep-seated and often violent resistance to God's uncomfortable truths, especially when those truths fundamentally challenge established power structures, deeply ingrained national pride, or cherished personal comfort. This pervasive resistance is a recurring and tragic theme throughout biblical history, where God's faithful messengers are frequently met with intense hostility, rejection, and persecution rather than humble repentance and obedient submission. The verse profoundly underscores that unwavering faithfulness to God's divine calling often necessitates enduring significant opposition and profound suffering, yet it simultaneously affirms that the ultimate vindication and triumph belong solely to God and His unwavering, eternal word.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 38:1 presents a profound and searching challenge for contemporary believers, compelling us to deeply examine our own receptivity to God's authoritative word, particularly when that word is unpopular, counter-cultural, or personally challenging to our comfort and convictions. Just as the powerful officials in Judah vehemently rejected Jeremiah's divine message because it directly contradicted their political agenda, nationalistic pride, and desire for self-preservation, we too can be subtly or overtly tempted to dismiss, rationalize, or ignore truths that disrupt our comfort zones, challenge our preconceived notions, or demand costly obedience. This verse calls us to cultivate a spirit of profound humility and discerning openness, to genuinely "hear" God's word with an open and submissive heart, even—and especially—when it demands radical surrender, personal sacrifice, or a complete reorientation of our lives. Furthermore, it serves as a powerful and enduring encouragement to all who are called to speak God's unvarnished truth in a world that is often hostile, indifferent, or resistant. Jeremiah's unwavering faithfulness and steadfast perseverance in the face of intense and life-threatening opposition profoundly remind us that obedience to God is paramount, regardless of the personal cost or the human consequences. Our ultimate validation and vindication come solely from God, not from fleeting human approval or societal affirmation.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who were these officials, and why were they significant?
Answer: The officials named in Jeremiah 38:1—Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashur son of Malchiah—were highly prominent and influential figures within King Zedekiah's beleaguered court in Jerusalem. They were almost certainly "princes" or high-ranking advisors, wielding considerable political and perhaps military power during the final siege of the city. Their significance lies precisely in their direct, unified, and aggressive opposition to Jeremiah's prophetic message. They represented the prevailing sentiment among the Judahite elite who adamantly favored continued resistance against Babylon and viewed Jeremiah's consistent call for surrender as an act of treason and a demoralizing blow to national morale. Their actions, spurred by their deliberate hearing of Jeremiah's words, directly precipitated his further persecution and imprisonment, highlighting their crucial role as key antagonists in the prophet's arduous and often solitary ministry.
What "words" had Jeremiah spoken that provoked such a strong reaction?
Answer: The "words" Jeremiah had spoken that so profoundly agitated these powerful officials were his consistent, unwavering, and divinely-inspired prophecies concerning Jerusalem's imminent and inevitable fall to the Babylonian army, coupled with the divine command for the people to surrender to the Chaldeans. Specifically, Jeremiah 38:2-3 directly details the very message that ignited their fury: "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; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. Thus saith the Lord, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it." This message, advocating what appeared to be a defeatist surrender rather than a valiant resistance, was perceived as undermining national resolve and was therefore deemed treasonous by the officials, leading them to seek Jeremiah's death.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 38:1, with its vivid depiction of God's faithful prophet being rejected and persecuted by the very leaders of His own people, powerfully and poignantly foreshadows the ultimate rejection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Just as Jeremiah faithfully delivered God's unpopular and challenging truth concerning judgment and the only path to life, so too did Jesus come proclaiming the profound truth of God's kingdom, calling His people to radical repentance and complete surrender to divine will. Yet, tragically, like Jeremiah, He was met with intense hostility and murderous opposition from the religious and political authorities of His day. The chief priests and elders "heard" Jesus' words—His transformative teachings, His audacious claims of divinity, His direct challenges to their traditions and authority—and rather than embracing them in faith, they conspired to silence Him, ultimately leading to His unjust trial and brutal crucifixion (as recounted in Matthew 26:3-4). The profound suffering of Jeremiah, a prophet persecuted for faithfully speaking God's truth, finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Christ, the true Prophet, Priest, and King, who willingly endured the cross, despising its shame, for the immeasurable joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). His rejection by His own people, a sorrowful reality lamented in John 1:11, paradoxically paved the way for the ultimate act of redemption. This profound narrative demonstrates that God's truth, though often rejected and leading to immense suffering for His messengers, ultimately triumphs through the glorious resurrection, establishing the singular path to eternal life for all who believe and surrender to Him.