Jeremiah 38:10-20

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies."

11 So Ebed-melech took the men under his authority and went into the king's palace to a place beneath the storeroom and took from there worn-out clothes and worn-out rags and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah.

12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits * under the ropes "; and Jeremiah did so.

13 So they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, and Jeremiah stayed in the ¹court of the guardhouse.

14 Then King Zedekiah ²sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance that is in the house of the LORD; and the king said to Jeremiah, "I am going to ³ask you something; do not hide anything from me."

15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "⁴If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Besides, if I give you advice, you will not listen to me."

16 But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in ⁵secret saying, "As the LORD lives, who made this ⁶life for us, surely I will not put you to death nor will I give you over to the hand of ⁷these men who are seeking your life."

Interview with Zedekiah

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD ⁸God of hosts, the ⁹God of Israel, 'If you will indeed ¹⁰go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive.

18 'But if you will ¹¹not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city ¹²will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and ¹³you yourself will not escape from their hand.' "

19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I ¹⁴dread the Jews who have ¹⁵gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will ¹⁶abuse me."

20 But Jeremiah said, "They will not give you over. Please ¹⁷obey * the LORD in what I am saying to you, that it may go ¹⁸well with you and ¹⁹you may live.

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Jeremiah 38:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 38

This chapter is taken up in giving an account of Jeremiah's being cast into a dungeon; his deliverance from it; and private conversation with King Zedekiah. The occasion of the prophet's being cast into a dungeon was his discourse to the people, which four of the princes represented to the king as seditious, and moved to have him put to death; and, being delivered into their hands, was put into a miry dungeon, Jer 38:1-6. Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, hearing of his miserable case, represented it to the king, and interceded for his release; which being granted, with the help of thirty men, and by means of old clouts and rotten rags, let down by cords, drew him up, and placed him in the court of the prison, Jer 38:7-13. King Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah, and has a private conference with him about the state of affairs; when the prophet faithfully told him how things would issue, and gave him his best advice, Jer 38:14-23; upon parting, the king desires the conference might be kept a secret from the princes, which was accordingly done, Jer 38:24-27; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison till the taking of Jerusalem, Jer 38:28.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 19

1. Nehemiah 3:25; Jeremiah 32:2; Jeremiah 37:21; Jeremiah 38:6; Jeremiah 39:14, 15; Acts 23:35; Acts 24:27; Acts 28:16, 30
2. Jeremiah 21:1, 2; Jeremiah 37:17
3. 1 Samuel 3:17, 18; 1 Kings 22:16; Jeremiah 15:11; Jeremiah 42:2-5, 20
4. Luke 22:67, 68
5. Jeremiah 37:17; John 3:2
6. Numbers 16:22; Numbers 27:16; Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 57:16; Zechariah 12:1; Acts 17:25, 28
7. Jeremiah 34:20; Jeremiah 38:4-6
8. Psalms 80:7, 14; Amos 5:27
9. 1 Chronicles 17:24; Ezekiel 8:4
10. 2 Kings 24:12; 2 Kings 25:27-30; Jeremiah 21:8-10; Jeremiah 27:12, 17; Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 39:3
11. Jeremiah 27:8
12. 2 Kings 25:4-10; Jeremiah 24:8-10; Jeremiah 32:3-5; Jeremiah 37:8; Jeremiah 38:3
13. Jeremiah 32:4; Jeremiah 34:3
14. Isaiah 51:12, 13; Isaiah 57:11; John 12:42; John 19:12, 13
15. Jeremiah 39:9
16. 2 Chronicles 30:10; Nehemiah 4:1; Jeremiah 38:22
17. 2 Chronicles 20:20; Jeremiah 11:4, 8; Jeremiah 26:13; Daniel 4:27; Acts 26:29
18. Jeremiah 7:23
19. Genesis 19:20; Isaiah 55:3

Footnotes 10

[a]. Lit "in your hand"
[b]. Lit "hand"
[c]. Lit "took Jeremiah the prophet to him"
[d]. Lit "soul"
[e]. Lit "soul"
[f]. Lit "your soul"
[g]. Lit "live"
[h]. Lit "fallen"
[i]. Lit "listen to the voice of"
[j]. Lit "your soul"