Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah 38:1-28 . JEREMIAH PREDICTS THE CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM, FOR WHICH HE IS CAST INTO A DUNGEON, BUT IS TRANSFERRED TO THE PRISON COURT ON THE INTERCESSION OF EBED-MELECH, AND HAS A SECRET INTERVIEW WITH ZEDEKIAH.

All this was subsequent to his imprisonment in Jonathan's house, and his release on his interview with Zedekiah. The latter occurred before the return of the Chaldeans to the siege; the similar events in this chapter occurred after it.

1. Jucal--Jehucal ( Jeremiah 37:3 ).
Pashur--( Jeremiah 21:1 ; compare Jeremiah 21:9 with Jeremiah 38:2 ). The deputation in Jeremiah 21:1 , to whom Jeremiah gave this reply, if not identical with the hearers of Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 38:1 ), must have been sent just before the latter "heard" him speaking the same words. Zephaniah is not mentioned here as in Jeremiah 21:1 , but is so in Jeremiah 37:3 . Jucal is mentioned here and in the previous deputation ( Jeremiah 37:3 ), but not in Jeremiah 21:1 . Shephatiah and Gedaliah here do not occur either in Jeremiah 21:1 or Jeremiah 37:3 . The identity of his words in both cases is natural, when uttered, at a very short interval, and one of the hearers (Pashur) being present on both occasions.
unto all the people--They had free access to him in the court of the prison ( Jeremiah 32:12 ).

2. life . . . a prey--He shall escape with his life; though losing all else in a shipwreck, he shall carry off his life as his gain, saved by his going over to the Chaldeans.

4. Had Jeremiah not had a divine commission, he might justly have been accused of treason; but having one, which made the result of the siege certain, he acted humanely as interpreter of God's will under the theocracy, in advising surrender (compare Jeremiah 26:11 ).

5. the king is not he--Zedekiah was a weak prince, and now in his straits afraid to oppose his princes. He hides his dislike of their overweening power, which prevented him shielding Jeremiah as he would have wished, under complimentary speeches. "It is not right that the king should deny aught to such faithful and wise statesmen"; the king is not such a one as to deny you your wishes [JEROME].

6. dungeon--literally, the "cistern." It was not a subterranean prison as that in Jonathan's house ( Jeremiah 37:15 ), but a pit or cistern, which had been full of water, but was emptied of it during the siege, so that only "mire" remained. Such empty cisterns were often used as prisons ( Zechariah 9:11 ); the depth forbade hope of escape.
Hammelech--( Jeremiah 36:26 ). His son followed in the father's steps, a ready tool for evil.
sunk in the mire--Jeremiah herein was a type of Messiah ( Psalms 69:2 Psalms 69:14 ). "I sink in deep mire," &c.

7. Ebed-melech--The Hebrew designation given this Ethiopian, meaning "king's servant." Already, even at this early time, God wished to show what good reason there was for calling the Gentiles to salvation. An Ethiopian stranger saves the prophet whom his own countrymen, the Jews, tried to destroy. So the Gentiles believed in Christ whom the Jews crucified, and Ethiopians were among the earliest converts ( Acts 2:10 Acts 2:41 , 8:27-39 ). Ebed-melech probably was keeper of the royal harem, and so had private access to the king. The eunuchs over harems in the present day are mostly from Nubia or Abyssinia.

8. went forth . . . and spake--not privately, but in public; a proof of fearless magnanimity.