Jeremiah 38:14-24

14 Then King Zedekiah ¹sent 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 ²ask you something; do not hide anything from me."

15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "³If 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 ⁴secret saying, "As the LORD lives, who made this ⁵life for us, surely I will not put you to death nor will I give you over to the hand of ⁶these men who are seeking your life."

Interview with Zedekiah

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD ⁷God of hosts, the ⁸God of Israel, 'If you will indeed ⁹go 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 ¹⁰not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city ¹¹will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and ¹²you yourself will not escape from their hand.' "

19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I ¹³dread the Jews who have ¹⁴gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will ¹⁵abuse me."

20 But Jeremiah said, "They will not give you over. Please ¹⁶obey * the LORD in what I am saying to you, that it may go ¹⁷well with you and ¹⁸you may live.

21 "But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which the LORD has shown me:

22 'Then behold, all of the ¹⁹women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say, "Your close friends * Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire, They turned back."

23 'They will also bring out all your wives and your ²⁰sons to the Chaldeans, and ²¹you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and ²²this city will be burned with fire.' "

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no man know about these words and you will not die.

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Jeremiah 38:14-24 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 22

1. Jeremiah 21:1, 2; Jeremiah 37:17
2. 1 Samuel 3:17, 18; 1 Kings 22:16; Jeremiah 15:11; Jeremiah 42:2-5, 20
3. Luke 22:67, 68
4. Jeremiah 37:17; John 3:2
5. Numbers 16:22; Numbers 27:16; Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 57:16; Zechariah 12:1; Acts 17:25, 28
6. Jeremiah 34:20; Jeremiah 38:4-6
7. Psalms 80:7, 14; Amos 5:27
8. 1 Chronicles 17:24; Ezekiel 8:4
9. 2 Kings 24:12; 2 Kings 25:27-30; Jeremiah 21:8-10; Jeremiah 27:12, 17; Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 39:3
10. Jeremiah 27:8
11. 2 Kings 25:4-10; Jeremiah 24:8-10; Jeremiah 32:3-5; Jeremiah 37:8; Jeremiah 38:3
12. Jeremiah 32:4; Jeremiah 34:3
13. Isaiah 51:12, 13; Isaiah 57:11; John 12:42; John 19:12, 13
14. Jeremiah 39:9
15. 2 Chronicles 30:10; Nehemiah 4:1; Jeremiah 38:22
16. 2 Chronicles 20:20; Jeremiah 11:4, 8; Jeremiah 26:13; Daniel 4:27; Acts 26:29
17. Jeremiah 7:23
18. Genesis 19:20; Isaiah 55:3
19. Jeremiah 6:12; Jeremiah 8:10; Jeremiah 43:6
20. 2 Kings 25:7; Jeremiah 39:6; Jeremiah 41:10
21. Jeremiah 38:18
22. Jeremiah 38:18

Footnotes 10

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