Jeremiah 38

13. court of . . . prison--Ebed-melech prudently put him there to be out of the way of his enemies.

14. third entry--The Hebrews in determining the position of places faced the east, which they termed "that which is in front"; the south was thus called "that which is on the right hand"; the north, "that which is on the left hand"; the west, "that which is behind." So beginning with the east they might term it the first or principal entry; the south the second entry; the north the "third entry" of the outer or inner court [MAURER]. The third gate of the temple facing the palace; for through it the entrance lay from the palace into the temple ( 1 Kings 10:5 1 Kings 10:12 ). It was westward ( 1 Chronicles 26:16 1 Chronicles 26:18 , 2 Chronicles 9:11 ) [GROTIUS]. But in the future temple it is eastward ( Ezekiel 46:1 Ezekiel 46:2 Ezekiel 46:8 ).

15. wilt thou not hearken unto me--Zedekiah does not answer this last query; the former one he replies to in Jeremiah 38:16 . Rather translate, "Thou wilt not hearken to me." Jeremiah judges so from the past conduct of the king. Compare Jeremiah 38:17 with Jeremiah 38:19 .

16. Lord . . . made us this soul--( Isaiah 57:16 ). Implying, "may my life (soul) be forfeited if I deceive thee" [CALVIN].

17. princes--( Jeremiah 39:3 ). He does not say "to the king himself," for he was at Riblah, in Hamath ( Jeremiah 39:5 , 2 Kings 25:6 ). "If thou go forth" (namely, to surrender; 2 Kings 24:12 , Isaiah 36:16 ), God foreknows future conditional contingencies, and ordains not only the end, but also the means to the end.

19. afraid of the Jews--more than of God ( Proverbs 29:25 , John 9:22 , 12:43 ).
mock me--treat me injuriously ( 1 Samuel 31:4 ).

22. women--The very evil which Zedekiah wished to escape by disobeying the command to go forth shall befall him in its worst form thereby. Not merely the Jewish deserters shall "mock" him ( Jeremiah 38:19 ), but the very "women" of his own palace and harem, to gratify their new lords, will taunt him. A noble king in sooth, to suffer thyself to be so imposed on!
Thy friends--Hebrew, "men of thy peace" (see Jeremiah 20:10 , Psalms 41:9 , Margin). The king's ministers and the false prophets who misled him.
sunk in . . . mire--proverbial for, Thou art involved by "thy friends'" counsels in inextricable difficulties. The phrase perhaps alludes to Jeremiah 38:6 ; a just retribution for the treatment of Jeremiah, who literally "sank in the mire."
they are turned . . . back--Having involved thee in the calamity, they themselves shall provide for their own safety by deserting to the Chaldeans ( Jeremiah 38:19 ).

23. children--( Jeremiah 39:6 , 41:10 ). "wives . . . children . . . thou"; an ascending climax.

24. Let no man know--If thou wilt not tell this to the people, I will engage thy safety.

25. Kings are often such only in title; they are really under the power of their subjects.

26. presented--literally, "made my supplication to fall"; implying supplication with humble prostration
Jonathan's house--( Jeremiah 37:15 ), different from Malchiah's dungeon ( Jeremiah 38:6 ). This statement was true, though not the whole truth; the princes had no right to the information; no sanction is given by Scripture here to Jeremiah's representation of this being the cause of his having come to the king. Fear drove him to it. Compare Genesis 20:2 Genesis 20:12 ; on the other hand, 1 Samuel 16:2 1 Samuel 16:5 .
left off speaking with--Hebrew, "were silent from him," that is, withdrawing from him they left him quiet ( 1 Samuel 7:8 , Margin).

28. he was there when Jerusalem was taken--These words are made the beginning of the thirty-ninth chapter by many; but the accents and sense support English Version.