Jeremiah 38:1-7

Jeremiah Thrown into the Cistern

1 Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the ¹son of Shelemiah, and ²Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying,

2 "Thus says the LORD, 'He who ³stays in this city will die by the ⁴sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own ⁵life as booty and stay alive.'

3 "Thus says the LORD, 'This city will certainly be ⁶given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.' "

4 Then the ⁷officials said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch * * as he is ⁸discouraging * the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man ⁹is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather * their harm."

5 So King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the king ¹⁰can do nothing * against you."

6 Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the ¹¹cistern of Malchijah the king's son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only ¹²mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

7 But ¹³Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a ¹⁴eunuch, while he was in the king's palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. Now the king was sitting in the ¹⁵Gate of Benjamin;

Jeremiah 38:1-7 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.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 37:3
• 2. Jeremiah 21:1
• 3. Jeremiah 21:9
• 4. Jeremiah 34:17; Jeremiah 42:17
• 5. Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 39:18; Jeremiah 45:5
• 6. Jeremiah 21:10; Jeremiah 32:3-5
• 7. Jeremiah 18:23; Jeremiah 26:11, 21; Jeremiah 36:12
• 8. Exodus 5:4; 1 Kings 18:17, 18; 1 Kings 21:20; Nehemiah 6:9; Amos 7:10; Acts 16:20
• 9. Jeremiah 29:7
• 10. 2 Samuel 3:39
• 11. Jeremiah 37:16, 21; Acts 16:24
• 12. Psalms 40:2; Psalms 69:2, 14, 15; Jeremiah 38:22; Zechariah 9:11
• 13. Jeremiah 39:16
• 14. Jeremiah 29:2; Acts 8:27
• 15. Deuteronomy 21:19; Job 29:7; Jeremiah 37:13; Amos 5:10

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "weakening the hands of"
• [b]. Lit "the hands of all"
• [c]. Lit "hand"
• [d]. Or "an official"