Jeremiah 38:24

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Do not let anyone else know of this conversation, 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 a vision of all the women remaining in the house of the king of Judah being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and saying, "Your trusted friends have seduced you and have overcome you; Now that your feet are stuck in the mud, they desert you.'
23 All your wives and your children shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon; and this city shall be burned with fire."
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Do not let anyone else know of this conversation, or you will die.
25 If the officials should hear that I have spoken with you, and they should come and say to you, "Just tell us what you said to the king; do not conceal it from us, or we will put you to death. What did the king say to you?'
26 then you shall say to them, "I was presenting my plea to the king not to send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.' "
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.