Jeremiah 38:20

20 But Jeremiah said, "They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

Jeremiah 38:20 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 38:20

But Jeremiah said, they shall not deliver [thee]
To take off the above excuse, or remove that objection, the prophet assures the king that the Chaldeans would never deliver him into the hands of the Jews; he might depend upon it, it would never be done: obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee;
the counsel he had given him, to surrender to the Chaldeans, was not from himself, but from the Lord: and though he had no express order to give it at that time, yet it was what was agreeable to the will of God, and what he had exhorted the people to in the beginning of this chapter; and therefore, since it came from the Lord, as it ought to be attended to, so he might be assured of the divine protection, should he act according to it: so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live;
that is, it would not only be much better with him than he feared, but than it would be with him should he obstinately stand out to the last; he should have more respect and honour from the king of Babylon; and not only have his life spared, but enjoy more of the comforts of life; particularly the sight of his eyes, which he lost when taken.

Jeremiah 38:20 In-Context

18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.'"
19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me."
20 But Jeremiah said, "They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.
21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shown me:
22 And behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, `Thy friends have set thee up and have prevailed against thee. Thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they have turned away back.'
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.