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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 38:1–13.
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.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
How distressed I am, mind you, when I call to mind that on the festival days the multitudes assembled resemble the broad expanse of the sea, but now not even the smallest part of that multitude is gathered together here. Where are they now who oppress us with their presence on the feast days?… Now if they make the summer season their excuse, for I hear of their saying things of this kind, “the present stifling heat is excessive, the scorching sun is intolerable, we cannot bear being trampled and crushed in the crowd and to be steaming all over with perspiration and oppressed by the heat and confined space.” … What then am I to say to those who advance these pretexts? I would remind them of the three children in the furnace and the flame, who when they saw the fire encircling them on all sides, enveloping their mouth and their eyes and even their breath, did not cease singing that sacred and mystical hymn to God, in company with the universe but standing in the midst of the pyre, sent up their song of praise to the common Lord of all with greater cheerfulness than they who abide in some flowery field. Together with these three children I should think it proper to remind them also of the lions that were in Babylon, and of Daniel and the den: 2 and not of this one only but also of another den, and the prophet Jeremiah and the mire in which he was smothered up to the neck.
They have Lazarus in Moses and the prophets. Moses was Lazarus; he was a poor man. He was naked. He esteemed the poverty of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Pharaoh. They also have the prophets. They have Jeremiah, who is thrown into a cistern of mud and who fed on the bread of tribulation. They have all the prophets. Let them hear them. Every day Moses and the prophets are preaching against your five brothers. Let them teach them. Let them instruct them. Let them summon the eye. What do they say to it? Do not look on the carnal, but discern the spiritual. “What we have seen with our eyes,” says the apostle, “what we have heard, what our hands have handled: of the Word of God.” He instructs the ear, too, the sense of smell, of taste. All the prophets and all the saints teach these brothers.
Why am I making such a point of all this? Because a monk should not look at the crowd of sinners but reflect on the way of life and the fewness of the saints. The whole of Judea was led into captivity. Nebuchadnezzar had come, and thousands of people were displaced into Babylonia as prisoners. Jeremiah alone was left praising God, and they threw him into a muddy cistern; nevertheless, the soul of this one man was more precious than that of all the people. Would you know what one person can do? Jesus, son of Nave, was alone, although the whole world was inhabited. There were, to be sure, countless multitudes, but he was alone. Alone he commanded the sun and the moon, and they stood still. A man gives an order, and heaven gives heed. Heaven listened to him because he was listening to the Lord. Jeremiah was in captivity, but there were also with him great numbers of exiles. What does he say? “I sat alone, because you filled me with indignation.” How were you alone in the city? I say, I was alone because I had no one with whom to share my purpose.
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Summary
Jeremiah 38:6 powerfully depicts the prophet Jeremiah's harrowing ordeal as his adversaries, the Judean princes, cast him into a disused cistern, the "dungeon of Malchiah." This act, intended to silence his prophetic voice and eliminate his influence, plunged him into a vile pit devoid of water but filled with suffocating mire, where he began to sink. This desperate situation vividly symbolizes the profound depths of suffering and relentless persecution Jeremiah endured for faithfully delivering God's unpopular message of judgment and surrender to a rebellious Judah, highlighting his vulnerability and the extreme cost of obedience to divine truth.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is strategically placed within the climactic narrative of Jeremiah's ministry during the final, desperate siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army (588-586 BC). Chapters 37-39 chronicle the escalating confrontation between Jeremiah and the ruling elite, who vehemently opposed his prophecies urging surrender to Babylon as God's will. Immediately preceding this event, the princes of Judah accuse Jeremiah before the vacillating King Zedekiah, asserting that his words "weaken the hands of the soldiers and the hands of all the people" by advocating for peace rather than resistance Jeremiah 38:4. Zedekiah, a weak and indecisive ruler, capitulates to their demands, declaring, "Behold, he is in your hand; for the king can do nothing against you" Jeremiah 38:5. This royal concession grants the officials unchecked authority, setting the stage for the cruel and calculated act of imprisonment described in verse 6, emphasizing the prophet's profound isolation and powerlessness in the face of entrenched opposition.
Historical & Cultural Context
The events of Jeremiah 38:6 unfold in Jerusalem during the final, tumultuous years of the Kingdom of Judah, just prior to its catastrophic destruction and the Babylonian exile. Cisterns, like the "dungeon of Malchiah," were ubiquitous in ancient Near Eastern cities, serving as vital infrastructure for collecting and storing precious rainwater in arid climates. However, when disused, damaged, or neglected, these pits often became receptacles for refuse or, as in Jeremiah's case, makeshift, inhumane prisons. The specific mention of "no water, but mire" indicates a particularly vile and neglected pit, designed not for secure confinement but for a slow, agonizing death by exposure, starvation, or suffocation in the putrid sludge. The name "Hammelech" (H4428), meaning "the king," suggests that Malchiah was "the son of the king" or a royal prince, underscoring the high social and political status of Jeremiah's persecutors and the deeply political nature of his imprisonment within the royal "court of the prison."
Key Themes
Jeremiah 38:6 profoundly contributes to several overarching themes woven throughout the book of Jeremiah and the broader prophetic tradition. It vividly illustrates the persecution of God's messengers, a recurring biblical motif where prophets delivering uncomfortable truths face severe opposition, rejection, and suffering, mirroring the experiences of figures like Elijah 1 Kings 19:1-3 and Amos Amos 7:10-13. The verse starkly portrays extreme suffering and vulnerability, highlighting the physical and psychological torment Jeremiah endures, a poignant reminder of the immense cost of faithfulness. Despite these dire circumstances, Jeremiah's unyielding commitment to delivering God's word, even under duress, exemplifies unwavering faithfulness under pressure, a core theme that defines his entire ministry. This incident also serves as a potent illustration of the rejection of divine counsel by a people and their leaders who, prioritizing their own wisdom and political expediency over God's clear word, hasten their own inevitable downfall, a tragic narrative arc that dominates the book of Jeremiah.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term (H953) denotes a pit-hole, specifically one used as a cistern or, as in this context, a prison. Its primary function was water storage, but its repurposing here as a "dungeon" highlights the ad-hoc, cruel, and life-threatening nature of Jeremiah's confinement. The word itself evokes a sense of being trapped, isolated, and confined within a dark, often subterranean, space, emphasizing the prophet's desperate predicament.
The word (H2256) refers to a rope (as twisted), often used as a measuring line, but also a noose or a band. In this narrative, "cords" signify the deliberate means by which Jeremiah was lowered into the pit, underscoring his utter helplessness and the calculated, controlled nature of his descent into suffering. It emphasizes the agency of his captors in meticulously executing their cruel plan, rather than merely throwing him in.
This term (H2916) describes mud or clay, often associated with dirt to be swept away. Figuratively, it can represent deep calamity, distress, or degradation. Its presence in the "dungeon" indicates a foul, sticky, and dangerous substance, far more than mere damp earth. The mire symbolizes the profound depth of Jeremiah's physical and metaphorical predicament—a vile, suffocating, and inescapable situation that threatened to consume him entirely.
Verse Breakdown
"Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that [was] in the court of the prison:"
This initial clause details the immediate, forceful action taken by Jeremiah's adversaries—the princes and officials who had secured King Zedekiah's permission. The verbs "took" and "cast" convey a decisive, dehumanizing act of violence. The precise location, "the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech," identifies a specific, high-status pit belonging to a royal official, underscoring the high-level involvement in Jeremiah's persecution and the deeply political nature of his imprisonment within the royal "court of the prison," implying a place of official, albeit cruel, confinement.
"and they let down Jeremiah with cords."
This phrase specifies the method of Jeremiah's descent. The use of "cords" indicates a deliberate, controlled, and perhaps even ritualistic act of lowering him into the pit, rather than a haphazard throwing. This detail highlights the calculated cruelty of his captors and the prophet's utter powerlessness as he is systematically plunged into his predicament, unable to resist or escape.
"And in the dungeon [there was] no water, but mire:"
This descriptive clause reveals the horrific, life-threatening condition of the pit. The absence of water in a cistern designed for its collection signifies its disuse and neglect, while the presence of "mire" (thick, sticky mud or sludge) indicates a foul, stagnant, and dangerous environment. This detail intensifies the sense of despair and the slow, agonizing nature of his anticipated demise, implying suffocation or slow death rather than a quick one.
"so Jeremiah sunk in the mire."
This final clause describes the immediate and dire consequence of being in the pit. Jeremiah's "sinking" action emphasizes his helplessness and the inescapable nature of his situation. The mire is not merely present; it actively engulfs him, symbolizing the overwhelming and suffocating despair that threatened to consume him both physically and spiritually, reflecting the depths of his suffering.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 38:6 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid and visceral picture of the prophet's desperate plight. The description of "no water, but mire" and Jeremiah "sunk in the mire" appeals directly to the senses, allowing the reader to almost feel the stickiness, the cold, and the despair of the pit. This potent imagery contributes significantly to the powerful Symbolism within the verse. The "dungeon" (a disused cistern) symbolizes not only a physical prison but also the spiritual and political "pit" that Judah finds itself in due to its persistent rebellion against God. The "mire" is a particularly potent symbol of deep distress, degradation, and inescapable calamity, reflecting both the moral and spiritual decay of the nation and the prophet's personal suffering for speaking truth to power. The act of "sinking" further emphasizes helplessness, suffocation, and the overwhelming nature of his predicament. There is also a poignant Irony at play: a structure originally designed to preserve life-giving water is perverted into a tomb, highlighting the profound perversion of justice and the life-threatening consequences of rejecting God's word and His messenger.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah's descent into the miry pit serves as a profound theological statement on the arduous cost of prophetic faithfulness and the nature of divine judgment. It underscores the sobering reality that God's messengers often face severe opposition, not because their message is false, but precisely because it is true and challenges entrenched sin and rebellion. The "mire" into which Jeremiah sinks powerfully symbolizes the spiritual degradation and moral corruption of Judah, into which the prophet, as a faithful representative of God's truth, is forcibly plunged. Yet, even in this deepest despair, God's sovereign presence is implicitly affirmed, as the narrative later reveals His miraculous intervention for Jeremiah's rescue (Jeremiah 38:7-13), demonstrating His unwavering faithfulness to those who endure suffering for His name. This event profoundly foreshadows the ultimate suffering of the righteous for the unrighteous, a central theme woven throughout the biblical narrative of redemption and the suffering servant.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah's experience in the miry pit is a stark and enduring reminder that faithfulness to God's truth can come at a significant personal cost, particularly when that truth challenges prevailing norms, powerful interests, or popular opinion. For believers today, this narrative calls us to a deeper, more resolute commitment to biblical truth, even when articulating it is unpopular, difficult, or brings personal discomfort. It encourages us to cultivate profound resilience, unwavering courage, and steadfast trust in God's presence, even when we find ourselves in our own metaphorical "pits" of despair, opposition, or suffering. Furthermore, this account should stir within us a profound empathy and active concern for those around the world who are currently experiencing persecution for their faith, prompting us to intercede for them fervently and, where possible, to advocate for their freedom and well-being. Ultimately, Jeremiah's suffering also reminds us that God often uses our trials, even the most agonizing ones, to refine our character, deepen our dependence on Him, and to powerfully demonstrate His sovereign power and unfailing faithfulness, transforming moments of profound despair into compelling testimonies of divine deliverance and grace.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Jeremiah cast into this specific "dungeon of Malchiah"?
Jeremiah was cast into the dungeon of Malchiah because his prophetic messages were deemed treasonous and demoralizing by the princes and officials of Judah. During the intense Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, Jeremiah consistently advised King Zedekiah and the people to surrender to Babylon, asserting that this was God's explicit will and the only path to survival. This message was perceived as undermining the morale of the soldiers and the populace, weakening their resolve to resist the Babylonians Jeremiah 38:4. The "dungeon of Malchiah," likely a disused cistern, was chosen as a cruel and effective means to silence him, essentially a death sentence by slow starvation or suffocation in the mire, designed to avoid a direct execution which might have provoked public outcry or divine intervention.
What was the significance of "no water, but mire" in the dungeon?
The detail "no water, but mire" is profoundly significant, emphasizing the extreme cruelty and life-threatening nature of Jeremiah's confinement. Cisterns were typically dug to collect and store rainwater, so the absence of water indicated it was either long disused or deliberately emptied. The presence of "mire" (thick mud or sludge) meant the pit was not merely dry but filled with a foul, sticky, and suffocating substance, possibly accumulated sewage or putrid runoff. This made it a particularly vile, dangerous, and dehumanizing place, designed to cause a slow, agonizing death by exposure, starvation, or by literally sinking and suffocating in the filth. It was a deliberate act of torture and a testament to the depths of human depravity.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah's descent into the miry pit, a place of profound suffering, isolation, and apparent abandonment, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate suffering and humiliation of Jesus Christ. Just as Jeremiah, the faithful prophet, was rejected and persecuted by his own people for speaking God's truth, so too was Jesus, the ultimate Prophet and Son of God, rejected by His own nation John 1:11. The "mire" into which Jeremiah sank can be seen as a poignant type of the "horrible pit" and "miry clay" from which the Psalmist cries out Psalm 40:2, a metaphor for the profound depths of human sin, despair, and judgment that Christ Himself would willingly enter. Jesus, though perfectly sinless, descended into the mire of humanity's sin and suffering, taking upon Himself the full weight of our rebellion and its devastating consequences, culminating in His sacrificial death on the cross 2 Corinthians 5:21. His agonizing cry of dereliction on the cross Matthew 27:46 echoes the profound isolation and feeling of abandonment Jeremiah experienced. Yet, just as Jeremiah was miraculously delivered from the pit, Christ's descent into death was followed by His glorious resurrection, demonstrating God's ultimate triumph over sin, death, and despair Romans 6:4. Thus, Jeremiah's suffering in the mire points to the greater suffering and subsequent victorious deliverance of the Lamb of God, who, by entering our mire, lifts us out of it and sets our feet upon the solid rock of His salvation.