Jeremiah 38:24

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Do not tell anyone that I have been talking to you, or you will die.

Jeremiah 38:24 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 38:24

Then said Zedekiah to Jeremiah
Not a word signifying his approbation of the counsel given him, or that he intended to take it; his silence showed the reverse: let no man know of these words:
that had passed between them; of the conference and conversation they had had together, at least not the particulars of it; the thing itself was known, as appears by what follows, that the king and prophet had been discoursing together; but what they talked of, he desires might be concealed, pretending the prophet's good, though it was his own honour and safety he sought: and thou shall not die;
as he had promised he should not, and had sworn to it; but suggests by this, that if he disclosed the conversation, he should took upon himself free from his word and oath; so that this carried something menacing in it: or it may be rendered "that thou die not" F3; intimating, that if the princes should come to the knowledge of what he had said, of the advice he had given, they would surely put him to death; and therefore, for his own safety, he desires the whole may be kept a secret.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 (twmt alw) "ne moriaris", Gataker, Schmidt; "ut non moriaris", Piscator.

Jeremiah 38:24 In-Context

22 All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out and taken to the important officers of the king of Babylon. Your women will make fun of you with this song: 'Your good friends misled you and were stronger than you. While your feet were stuck in the mud, they left you.'
23 "All your wives and children will be brought out and given to the Babylonian army. You yourself will not even escape from them. You will be taken prisoner by the king of Babylon, and Jerusalem will be burned down."
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Do not tell anyone that I have been talking to you, or you will die.
25 If the officers find out I talked to you, they will come to you and say, 'Tell us what you said to King Zedekiah and what he said to you. Don't keep any secrets from us. If you don't tell us everything, we will kill you.'
26 If they ask you, tell them, 'I was begging the king not to send me back to Jonathan's house to die.'"
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.