Jeremiah 38:25

KJV

But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

KJV (with Strong's)

But if the princes {H8269} hear {H8085} that I have talked {H1696} with thee, and they come {H935} unto thee, and say {H559} unto thee, Declare {H5046} unto us now what thou hast said {H1696} unto the king {H4428}, hide {H3582} it not from us, and we will not put thee to death {H4191}; also what the king {H4428} said {H1696} unto thee:

Complete Jewish Bible

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,'

Berean Standard Bible

If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’

American Standard Version

But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king; hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 38:25 captures a moment of profound ethical compromise and political maneuvering as King Zedekiah, deeply fearful of his powerful officials, instructs the prophet Jeremiah to conceal the true nature of their secret conversation. The king, having just received God's command for Judah to surrender to Babylon, directs Jeremiah to provide a partial, misleading account if interrogated by the princes, promising the prophet safety in exchange for this strategic deception. This verse starkly reveals Zedekiah's vacillation, his prioritization of self-preservation over divine truth, and the moral quandary faced by Jeremiah in the rapidly deteriorating final days of Jerusalem.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Jeremiah 38:25 is embedded within a highly charged and climactic section of the book of Jeremiah, specifically during the intense Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. Immediately preceding this verse, Jeremiah had been rescued from a life-threatening muddy cistern by Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian eunuch, a compassionate act that led directly to this clandestine meeting with King Zedekiah (see [Jeremiah 38:7-13](/jeremiah/38-7-13 "Jeremiah 38:7-13 - Ebed-melech Rescues Jeremiah")). Despite Jeremiah's prior imprisonment and suffering for his unpopular prophecies, Zedekiah secretly sought his counsel, hoping for a more favorable word from the Lord. However, Jeremiah faithfully reiterated God's unchanging message: only surrender to Babylon would spare the city and the king's life (see [Jeremiah 38:17-18](/jeremiah/38-17-18 "Jeremiah 38:17-18 - Jeremiah's Counsel to Zedekiah")). It is in the immediate aftermath of this divine pronouncement that Zedekiah, consumed by fear of his officials, devises the deceptive strategy for Jeremiah to employ, which is then carried out in the subsequent verses (see [Jeremiah 38:26-27](/jeremiah/38-26-27 "Jeremiah 38:26-27 - Jeremiah's Partial Disclosure")). The narrative continues with Jeremiah's ongoing confinement until Jerusalem's inevitable fall.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The historical setting for Jeremiah 38:25 is the final, desperate period of the Kingdom of Judah, roughly 588-586 BC, as Nebuchadnezzar's Neo-Babylonian Empire tightened its grip on Jerusalem. This era was characterized by profound political instability, intense nationalistic sentiment, and widespread spiritual apostasy. King Zedekiah, installed as a vassal king by Babylon, was a notoriously weak and indecisive ruler, perpetually caught between the powerful pro-Egyptian, anti-Babylonian faction of princes and the divinely inspired, yet politically unpopular, messages delivered by Jeremiah. The "princes" (Hebrew: _sarim_) mentioned here were high-ranking military commanders and aristocratic officials who wielded immense influence, often overriding the king's authority. They vehemently advocated for resistance against Babylon and viewed Jeremiah's call for surrender as treason. Culturally, prophets were expected to deliver God's unvarnished truth, yet the political climate meant such truth often led to persecution or death. Zedekiah's fear of these officials was well-founded; they had previously sought Jeremiah's execution (see [Jeremiah 38:4](/jeremiah/38-4 "Jeremiah 38:4 - Princes Seek Jeremiah's Death")) and were a constant source of pressure on the king.
* **Key Themes:** Jeremiah 38:25 profoundly contributes to several central themes woven throughout the book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it vividly illustrates the pervasive theme of **fear versus faith**. Zedekiah's actions are entirely driven by his profound fear of human reprisal and political fallout, rather than a courageous trust in God's explicit word, a recurring pattern throughout his reign (compare [Jeremiah 37:2](/jeremiah/37-2 "Jeremiah 37:2 - Zedekiah's Unbelief")). Secondly, the verse powerfully highlights the **corruption of leadership** and the tragic consequences when political expediency is allowed to eclipse divine truth. Zedekiah's willingness to engage in and orchestrate deception, even involving the prophet, underscores the deep moral decay at the highest echelons of Judahite society. Thirdly, it speaks to the **prophet's unwavering faithfulness** amidst immense, life-threatening pressure. Despite being placed in an ethically precarious position by the king, Jeremiah remains committed to delivering God's message, even if its reception is compromised by human weakness and deceit. Finally, it underscores the **inevitability of God's judgment** when His word is persistently rejected or compromised, serving as a poignant foreshadowing of Jerusalem's ultimate destruction as a direct consequence of such disobedience and lack of integrity (see [Jeremiah 39:1-10](/jeremiah/39 "Jeremiah 39 - The Fall of Jerusalem")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **princes (Hebrew, _sar'_):** From H8269, meaning "a head person (of any rank or class); captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord,(-task-)master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward." In this context, "princes" refers to the high-ranking officials, military commanders, and aristocratic elite of Judah who held significant power and influence over King Zedekiah. Their authority and willingness to act decisively, even against the king's wishes (as seen in their previous attempts to silence and execute Jeremiah), are central to Zedekiah's profound fear and the ensuing deception he orchestrates.
* **Declare (Hebrew, _nâgad'_):** From H5046, meaning "properly, to front, i.e., stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise." The princes' anticipated demand for Jeremiah to "declare" implies a forceful expectation for full, unvarnished disclosure—to "manifest" or "expose" the entire content of his secret conversation with the king. This word emphasizes the directness, urgency, and demand for transparency in their anticipated interrogation, creating a stark contrast with Zedekiah's instruction to conceal the truth.
* **hide (Hebrew, _kâchad'_):** From H3582, meaning "a primitive root; to secrete, by act or word; hence (intensively) to destroy; conceal, cut down (off), desolate." This term is profoundly ironic and central to the ethical dilemma of the verse. Zedekiah uses this word to instruct Jeremiah to "hide" or "conceal" the most crucial part of their conversation—God's command for Judah to surrender to Babylon—even as the princes will explicitly demand, "hide it not from us." It highlights Zedekiah's desperate attempt to manipulate information, avoid accountability, and escape the political consequences of God's truth, choosing cowardly concealment over courageous truth-telling.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee,"**: This opening clause immediately establishes the king's paramount concern: the inevitable discovery of his clandestine meeting with Jeremiah by his powerful, anti-Jeremiah officials. It reveals Zedekiah's acute awareness that such a secret audience, especially with a prophet advocating surrender, would be politically incendiary and could severely undermine his already fragile authority and precarious position.
* **"and they come unto thee, and say unto thee,"**: This phrase sets the stage for the anticipated confrontation. The king envisions the princes directly approaching Jeremiah, demanding a full account of the secret conversation. This highlights the princes' proactive, assertive, and intimidating nature, which stands in stark contrast to Zedekiah's characteristic passivity and fear.
* **"Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king,"**: This represents the core of the princes' expected interrogation. They will demand to know what specific counsel or message Jeremiah communicated to Zedekiah, especially given Jeremiah's reputation for delivering unpopular, often condemnatory, prophecies. The urgency implied by "now" underscores the immediate political stakes and the princes' desire for swift disclosure.
* **"hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death;"**: This clause encapsulates the princes' implied threat and conditional promise. Their demand "hide it not from us" is a direct, imperative plea for complete transparency, implicitly backed by the severe threat of death if Jeremiah conceals any information. The manipulative assurance "we will not put thee to death" is designed to coerce Jeremiah into compliance by playing on his recent experiences of near-death persecution and imprisonment.
* **"also what the king said unto thee:"**: This final phrase completes the comprehensive scope of the princes' anticipated inquiry. They are not only interested in Jeremiah's message to the king but also in the king's response, instructions, or any commitments made to Jeremiah. This indicates their desire for a complete picture of the secret dialogue, making Zedekiah's subsequent instruction for Jeremiah to provide only a partial truth all the more significant and deceptive.

#### Literary Devices
Jeremiah 38:25 is rich in **Irony**, particularly the tragic **situational irony** of King Zedekiah instructing Jeremiah to "hide" the truth, even as he anticipates the princes' forceful demand, "hide it not from us." This stark contrast underscores Zedekiah's profound moral weakness and his desperate, ultimately futile, attempt to control a situation spiraling out of his grasp. The entire verse is presented as **Direct Speech**, capturing Zedekiah's precise words and thereby vividly revealing his character—his debilitating fear, his indecisiveness, and his willingness to compromise divine truth for self-preservation. The king's elaborate instruction to Jeremiah serves as potent **Foreshadowing**, hinting at the inevitable downfall of a leadership that consistently prioritizes self-preservation and deception over courageous action and adherence to divine truth. Furthermore, the **Contrast** between the princes' bold demand for transparency and Zedekiah's cowardly instruction for concealment further illuminates the dysfunctional and morally bankrupt dynamics within Jerusalem's leadership during its final days.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 38:25 serves as a poignant and sobering illustration of the profound spiritual and ethical compromises that inevitably arise when human fear and political expediency are allowed to eclipse divine truth. Zedekiah's instruction to Jeremiah to conceal the full extent of their conversation, particularly God's unambiguous command for Judah to surrender, reveals a king more concerned with placating powerful human officials than with obeying the Lord and ensuring the welfare of his people. This act of calculated deception, even if framed as a partial truth or omission, stands in stark contrast to the biblical call for unwavering integrity and transparency, especially in positions of leadership. The passage underscores the dangerous and corrosive consequences of the fear of man, which can lead to moral cowardice, obstruct God's redemptive purposes, and ultimately bring about destruction. It challenges believers to deeply consider the personal and communal cost of speaking truth to power and the spiritual imperative to prioritize God's word above all human pressures, regardless of the perceived consequences.

* [Proverbs 29:25](/proverbs/29-25 "Proverbs 29:25 - The Fear of Man")
* [John 8:32](/john/8-32 "John 8:32 - The Truth Sets Free")
* [Matthew 10:28](/matthew/10-28 "Matthew 10:28 - Fear God, Not Man")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 38:25 offers a powerful and convicting mirror for contemporary believers, challenging us to critically examine our own responses when confronted with pressure to compromise truth for personal comfort, social acceptance, professional advancement, or even perceived safety. Zedekiah's tragic example serves as a stark reminder that fear-driven decisions, while often appearing pragmatic or expedient in the short term, invariably lead to far more devastating and regrettable long-term consequences. As followers of Christ, we are called to cultivate a radical and unwavering trust in God's sovereignty and the infallible authority of His Word, recognizing that true safety, peace, and flourishing are found not in human schemes, deceptions, or evasions, but in courageous, obedient faithfulness, even when such obedience is unpopular, costly, or puts us at odds with prevailing cultural or political narratives. The prophet Jeremiah, despite being placed in an unenviable and ethically precarious position, ultimately remained faithful to his divine calling, demonstrating the profound integrity required of those who bear God's message. This passage compels us to earnestly pray for divine wisdom and spiritual courage to speak and live truthfully in every sphere of our lives, understanding that our ultimate allegiance is to God alone, who sees and knows all things.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what specific areas of my life am I tempted to compromise or withhold the truth due to fear of others' reactions, disapproval, or potential negative consequences?**
* **How does King Zedekiah's fear-driven and deceptive leadership contrast with the kind of courageous, faith-filled, and integrity-driven leadership that God desires for His people?**
* **What are the potential long-term consequences, both personally and communally, of prioritizing political expediency, social acceptance, or self-preservation over divine truth and moral integrity?**
* **How can I cultivate a deeper, more robust trust in God that effectively frees me from the debilitating fear of man and empowers me to live with greater authenticity, courage, and integrity in all my interactions?**

### FAQ

**Why did King Zedekiah ask Jeremiah to hide the truth from the princes?**

Answer: King Zedekiah was profoundly afraid of his powerful officials, the princes, who were vehemently opposed to Jeremiah's prophecies of surrender to Babylon and had previously sought to kill the prophet (see [Jeremiah 38:4](/jeremiah/38-4 "Jeremiah 38:4 - Princes Seek Jeremiah's Death")). Zedekiah feared that if the princes knew Jeremiah had advised him to surrender to the Babylonians, they would turn their wrath on the king himself, potentially deposing or even executing him. He sought to protect his fragile authority and his own life by instructing Jeremiah to give a partial, politically palatable account of their secret meeting, thereby avoiding a direct and dangerous confrontation with his powerful and often rebellious advisors.

**Did Jeremiah lie by following Zedekiah's instructions?**

Answer: The biblical text indicates that Jeremiah followed Zedekiah's instructions precisely (see [Jeremiah 38:26-27](/jeremiah/38-26-27 "Jeremiah 38:26-27 - Jeremiah's Partial Disclosure to the Princes")). While Jeremiah did not utter an explicit falsehood, he engaged in a lie of omission by withholding the most crucial part of his conversation with the king—God's direct command for Judah to surrender to Babylon. This act, while not a fabrication, served to conceal the full and vital truth and allowed Zedekiah to maintain his deception. The narrative highlights the immense and difficult ethical dilemma Jeremiah faced, caught between a divine mandate to speak truth and the life-threatening demands of a fearful king who held his very life in his hands. The text focuses more on Zedekiah's moral failure and the consequences of his fear than on directly condemning Jeremiah's actions in this specific, highly pressurized instance.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 38:25, with its poignant portrayal of a weak and vacillating king consumed by the fear of man and resorting to deception, powerfully anticipates the ultimate King, Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodied truth, courage, and unwavering faithfulness to God's will. Unlike Zedekiah, who prioritized his own safety and precarious political standing over God's clear word, Jesus consistently spoke the truth, even when it led directly to His rejection, suffering, and crucifixion. The princes' demand for Jeremiah to "declare" the truth, juxtaposed with Zedekiah's instruction to "hide" it, finds its ultimate and glorious contrast in Christ, who emphatically declared Himself to be "the way, the truth, and the life" ([John 14:6](/john/14-6 "John 14:6 - Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life")). He did not hide from His divine mission, nor did He compromise His message of salvation, even when facing intense political pressure from Pilate and the religious authorities ([John 18:37](/john/18-37 "John 18:37 - Jesus' Testimony to Truth"), [John 19:10-11](/john/19-10-11 "John 19:10-11 - Jesus' Authority Over Pilate")). Where Zedekiah's fear and deception led to the catastrophic destruction of his earthly kingdom, Christ's unwavering faithfulness, even unto death on the cross, led to the establishment of an eternal kingdom and the offer of eternal life to all who believe. Believers are therefore called to follow Christ's supreme example, to be those who speak truth in love, empowered by the Holy Spirit, rather than succumbing to the fear of man, knowing that true life, freedom, and ultimate victory are found only in Him who overcame the world and offers eternal salvation to all who place their trust in Him ([Matthew 10:22](/matthew/10-22 "Matthew 10:22 - Enduring Persecution"), [Luke 12:4-5](/luke/12-4-5 "Luke 12:4-5 - Fear God, Not Man")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Jeremiah 38:27

Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

Jeremiah 38:4

Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

Jeremiah 38:6

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that [was] in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon [there was] no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.