Jeremiah 38:27

27 Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah and asked him, and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him, for the matter was not perceived.

Jeremiah 38:27 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 38:27

Then came all the princes to Jeremiah, and asked him
After he had parted with the king, and was come back to the court of the prison; as soon as the princes had been informed of the interview between the king and the prophet, which soon came to their ears, they came in a body to him, to the court of the prison, where he was, and asked him of what passed between him and the king: and he told them according to all those words that the king had
commanded;
what he told them, no doubt, was truth; though he did not tell them all the truth; which he was not obliged to do, having no command from God, and being forbid by the king: so they left off speaking with him;
or, "were silent from him" ^F5; went away silent, not being able to disprove what he had said, or object unto it, and finding they could get nothing more out of him: for the matter was not perceived;
or, "was not heard" ^F6; though there were persons that saw the king and the prophet together, yet nobody heard anything that passed between them; and therefore Jeremiah could not be confronted in what he had said, or be charged with concealing anything.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (wnmm wvrxyw) "et tacuerunt ab eo", Pagninus, Montanus; "siluerunt", Calvin.
F6 (rbdh emvn al) "quia non auditum est verbum", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 38:27 In-Context

25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee and say unto thee, `Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, also what the king said unto thee; hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death,'

26 then thou shalt say unto them, `I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house to die there.'"

27 Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah and asked him, and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him, for the matter was not perceived.

28 So Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken, and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.