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Texts -- Jeremiah 38:1-20 (NET)

Context
Jeremiah Is Charged with Treason and Put in a Cistern to Die
38:1 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan , Gedaliah son of Pashhur , Jehucal son of Shelemiah , and Pashhur son of Malkijah had heard the things that Jeremiah had been telling the people . They had heard him say , 38:2 “The Lord says , ‘Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease . Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians will live . They will escape with their lives .’” 38:3 They had also heard him say , “The Lord says, ‘This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon . They will capture it.’” 38:4 So these officials said to the king , “This man must be put to death . For he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in the city as well as all the other people there by these things he is saying . This man is not seeking to help these people but is trying to harm them.” 38:5 King Zedekiah said to them, “Very well, you can do what you want with him. For I cannot do anything to stop you.” 38:6 So the officials took Jeremiah and put him in the cistern of Malkijah , one of the royal princes , that was in the courtyard of the guardhouse . There was no water in the cistern, only mud . So when they lowered Jeremiah into the cistern with ropes he sank in the mud .
An Ethiopian Official Rescues Jeremiah from the Cistern
38:7 An Ethiopian , Ebed Melech , a court official in the royal palace , heard that Jeremiah had been put in the cistern . While the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate , 38:8 Ebed Melech departed the palace and went to speak to the king . He said to him, 38:9 “Your royal Majesty , those men have been very wicked in all that they have done to the prophet Jeremiah . They have thrown him into a cistern and he is sure to die of starvation there because there is no food left in the city . 38:10 Then the king gave Ebed Melech the Ethiopian the following order: “Take thirty men with you from here and go pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies .” 38:11 So Ebed Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasure room in the palace . He got some worn-out clothes and old rags from there and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern . 38:12 Ebed Melech called down to Jeremiah , “Put these rags and worn-out clothes under your armpits to pad the ropes . Jeremiah did as Ebed Melech instructed . 38:13 So they pulled Jeremiah up from the cistern with ropes . Jeremiah , however, still remained confined to the courtyard of the guardhouse .
Jeremiah Responds to Zedekiah’s Request for Secret Advice
38:14 Some time later Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah brought to him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple . The king said to Jeremiah , “I would like to ask you a question . Do not hide anything from me when you answer.” 38:15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah , “If I answer you, you will certainly kill me. If I give you advice , you will not listen to me.” 38:16 So King Zedekiah made a secret promise to Jeremiah and sealed it with an oath. He promised , “As surely as the Lord lives who has given us life and breath , I promise you this : I will not kill you or hand you over to those men who want to kill you.” 38:17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah , “The Lord , the God who rules over all , the God of Israel , says , ‘You must surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon . If you do, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down . Indeed, you and your whole family will be spared . 38:18 But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon , this city will be handed over to the Babylonians and they will burn it down . You yourself will not escape from them.’” 38:19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah , “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Babylonians . The Babylonians might hand me over to them and they will torture me.” 38:20 Then Jeremiah answered , “You will not be handed over to them. Please obey the Lord by doing what I have been telling you. Then all will go well with you and your life will be spared .

Pericope

NET
  • Jer 38:1-6 -- Jeremiah Is Charged with Treason and Put in a Cistern to Die
  • Jer 38:7-13 -- An Ethiopian Official Rescues Jeremiah from the Cistern
  • Jer 38:14-27 -- Jeremiah Responds to Zedekiah's Request for Secret Advice

Bible Dictionary

  • Jeremiah

    [ebd] raised up or appointed by Jehovah. (1.) A Gadite who joined David in the wilderness (1 Chr. 12:10). (2.) A Gadite warrior (1 Chr. 12:13). (3.) A Benjamite slinger who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:4). (4.) One of the chi...
    [nave] JEREMIAH 1. Of Libnah, grandfather of Jehoahaz, 2 Kin. 23:31; 24:18; Jer. 52:1. 2. A chief of Manasseh, 1 Chr. 5:24. 3. An Israelite who joined David at Ziklag, 1 Chr. 12:4. 4. Two Gadites who joined David at Ziklag, 1 Ch...

  • Ebed-Melech

    [ebd] a servant of the king; probably an official title, an Ethiopian, "one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house;" i.e., in the palace of Zedekiah, king of Judah. He interceded with the king in Jeremiah's behalf, and was t...
    [isbe] EBED-MELECH - e-bed-me'-lek, eb-ed-me'-lek (`ebhedh-mekekh, "servant of the king" or "of (god) Melek"): An Ethiopian eunuch in the service of King Zedekiah, who interceded with the king for the prophet Jeremiah and rescued h...
    [nave] EBED-MELECH, an Ethiopian. Jeremiah rescued by, Jer. 38:7-13. Prophecy concerning, Jer. 39:16-18.

  • Malice

    [nave] MALICE. Gen. 3:15; Lev. 19:14, 17, 18; Deut. 27:17, 18; Deut. 32:32, 33; 2 Kin. 6:21, 22; Job 31:29, 30; Psa. 4:2; Psa. 7:14-16 Job 15:35. Psa. 10:7-10, 14; Psa. 21:11; Psa. 22:7, 8; Psa. 35:15, 16, 19-21; Psa. 38:16, 19; P...

  • Zedekiah

    [smith] (justice of Jehovah). The last king of Judah and Jerusalem. He was the son of Josiah by his wife Hamutal, and therefore own brother to Jehoahaz. (2 Kings 24:18) comp. 2Kin 23:31 His original name was Mattaniah, which was ...
    [nave] ZEDEKIAH 1. Made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Kin. 24:17, 18; 1 Chr. 3:15; 2 Chr. 36:10; Jer. 37:1. Throws off his allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Kin. 24:20; 2 Chr. 36:13; Jer. 52:3; Ezek. 17:12-21. Forms an allianc...

  • Prisoners

    [nave] PRISONERS Joseph, Gen. 39:20-23; 40; 41:1-44. Jeremiah, Jer. 38:6-28; 39:14. John the Baptist, Matt. 11:2; 14:3-12; Mark 6:17; Luke 3:20. Jesus, Matt. 26:47-75; 27; Mark 14:43-72; 15; Luke 22:47-71; 23; John 18:3-40; 19. ...

  • PASHHUR, PASHUR

    [isbe] PASHHUR, PASHUR - pash'-hur, pash'-ur (pashchur, "splitter," "cleaver"): The name of several persons difficult to individuate: (1) A priest, son of Immer, and "chief governor in the house of the Lord" (Jer 20:1), who persecu...

  • Pashur

    [ebd] release. (1.) The son of Immer (probably the same as Amariah, Neh. 10:3; 12:2), the head of one of the priestly courses, was "chief governor [Heb. paqid nagid, meaning "deputy governor"] of the temple" (Jer. 20:1, 2). At thi...
    [smith] (freedom). One of the families of priests of the chief house of Malchijah. (1 Chronicles 9:12; 24:9; Nehemiah 11:12; Jeremiah 21:1; 38:1) In the time of Nehemiah this family appears to have become a chief house, and its h...
    [nave] PASHUR 1. A priest, son of Malchiah, 1 Chr. 9:12. An influential person, and ancestor of an influential family, Jer. 21:1; 38:1; Ezra 2:38; 10:22; Neh. 7:41; 10:3; 11:12. 2. Son of Immer and governor of the temple. Beats a...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Ethiopia

    [isbe] ETHIOPIA - e-thi-o'-pi-a (kush; Aithiopia): 1. Location, Extent and Population: Critically speaking Ethiopia may refer only to the Nile valley above the First Cataract, but in ancient as in modern times the term was often us...
    [nave] ETHIOPIA, a region in Africa, inhabited by the descendants of Ham. The inhabitants of, black, Jer. 13:23. Within the Babylonian empire, Esth. 1:1. Rivers of, Gen. 10:6; Isa. 18:1. Bordered Egypt on the S., Ezek. 29:10. Wa...

  • Eunuch

    [isbe] EUNUCH - u'-nuk (caric; spadon; eunouchos): Primarily and literally, a eunuch is an emasculated man (Dt 23:1). The Hebrew word caric seems, however, to have acquired a figurative meaning, which is reflected in English Versio...
    [nave] EUNUCH. Matt. 19:12. Prohibited from certain privileges of the congregation, Deut. 23:1; Isa. 56:3-5. Influential court officials, Jer. 38:7-13; 52:25; Dan. 1:3. Those who voluntarily became for the kingdom of heaven's s...

  • ZEDEKIAH (2)

    [isbe] ZEDEKIAH (2) - (tsidhqiyahu, "Yah my righteousness"; name changed from Mattaniah (mattanyah, "gift of Yah"; Sedekias): I. SOURCES FOR HIS REGION AND TIME 1. Annalistic 2. Prophetic II. THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAST KING OF ...

  • Shephatiah

    [ebd] judged of the Lord. (1.) A son of David by Abital (2 Sam. 3:4). (2.) A Benjamite who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:5). (3.) A Simeonite prince in David's time (1 Chr. 27:16). (4.) One of Jehoshaphat's sons (2 Chr. 21:2)....
    [isbe] SHEPHATIAH - shef-a-ti'-a, she-fat'-ya (shephaTyah, "Yah has judged"): (1) A son of David, by Abital (2 Sam 3:4; 1 Ch 3:3). (2) A Benjamite, father of Meshullam, of Jerusalem (1 Ch 9:8). (3) A Benjamite, who joined David at ...
    [smith] (judged by Jehovah). The fifth son of David. (2 Samuel 3:4; 1 Chronicles 3:3) (B.C. about 1050.) The family of Shephatiah, 372 in number, returned with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:4; Nehemiah 7:9) see also Ezra 8:8 (B.C. 536.)...
    [nave] SHEPHATIAH 1. Son of David, 2 Sam. 3:4; 1 Chr. 3:3. 2. A Benjamite, father of Meshullam, 1 Chr. 9:8. 3. A valiant man who joined David at Ziklag, 1 Chr. 12:5. 4. A ruler of Simeon, 1 Chr. 27:16. 5. Son of Jehoshaphat, 2 ...

  • Intercession

    [nave] INTERCESSION. Of One Person with Another 1 Sam. 2:25 Instances of: Reuben for Joseph, Gen. 37:21, 22. Judah for Joseph, Gen. 37:26, 27. Pharaoh's chief baker for Joseph, Gen. 41:9-13, with Gen. 40:14. Jonathan for David...

  • Minister

    [nave] MINISTER, a sacred teacher. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Call of; Character and Qualifications of; Charge Delivered to; Courage of; Duties of; Duties of the Church to; Emoluments of; Faithful, Instanc...

  • Persecution

    [nave] PERSECUTION See also Intolerance; Bigotry. Of Jesus Gen. 3:15; Psa. 2:1-5; Psa. 22:1, 2, 6-8, 11-21; Psa. 69:7-9, 20, 21, 26 vs. 1-21.; Psa. 109:25; Isa. 49:7; Isa. 50:6; Isa. 52:14; Isa. 53:2-5, 7-10; Mic. 5:1; Matt. 2:13...

  • Mattan

    [ebd] gift. (1.) A priest of Baal, slain before his altar during the reformation under Jehoiada (2 Kings 11:18). (2.) The son of Eleazar, and father of Jacob, who was the father of Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary (Matt. 1:1...
    [isbe] MATTAN - mat'-an (mattan, "a gift"): (1) A priest in the house of Baal, slain by Jehoiada before Baal's altar (2 Ki 11:18; 2 Ch 23:17). (2) The father of Shephatiah a contemporary and persecutor of Jeremiah (Jer 38:1), one o...
    [smith] (a gift). The priest of Baal slain before his altars in the idol temple at Jerusalem. (2 Kings 11:18; 2 Chronicles 23:17) He probably accompanied Athalia from Samaria. The father of Shephatiah. (Jeremiah 38:1)
    [nave] MATTAN 1. A priest of Baal slain in the idol temple at Jerusalem, 2 Kin. 11:18; 2 Chr. 23:17. 2. Father of Shephatiah, Jer. 38:1.

  • Foreknowledge of God

    [ebd] Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet. 1:2), one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite (1 Sam. 23:9-13; Jer. ...

  • Jehucal

    [ebd] able, the son of Shelemiah. He is also called Jucal (Jer. 38:1). He was one of the two persons whom Zedekiah sent to request the prophet Jeremiah to pray for the kingdom (Jer. 37:3) during the time of its final siege by Nebu...
    [isbe] JEHUCAL - je-hu'-kal (yechukhal, probably meaning "Yahweh is able"): A courtier sent by King Zedekiah to Jeremiah to ask the prophet to pray for the king and the people (Jer 37:3). Most versions except Septuagint, with Jer 3...
    [nave] JEHUCAL, called also Jucal. Son of Shelemiah, Jer. 37:3; 38:1, 4.

  • Hammelech

    [isbe] HAMMELECH - ham'-e-lek (ha-melekh, "the king"): Wrongly translated as a proper name in the King James Version. It should be rendered "the king," as in the American Standard Revised Version (Jer 36:26; 38:6).
    [smith] lit. "the king, " unnecessarily rendered in the Authorized Version as a proper name. (Jeremiah 36:26; 38:6)
    [nave] HAMMELECH, name of a man, or possibly only an appellation, meaning "the king,'' Jer. 36:26; 38:6.

  • ETHIOPIAN

    [smith] properly "Cushite," (Jeremiah 13:23) used of Zerah, (2 Chronicles 14:9) (8), and Ebed-melech. (Jeremiah 38:7,10,12; 39:16)
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Zedekiah (Mattaniah) was Josiah's third son to rule over Judah. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (v. 20) by making a treaty with Pharaoh Hophra (589-570 B.C.) under pressure from nationalists in Judah (cf. Jer. 37-38)."Clea...
  • Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book. 6 vols. London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott, 1965.Bromiley, Geoffrey W. God and Marriage. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1980.Bullock, C. Hassell. An Introduction to the Poe...
  • The biblical records of the times in which Jeremiah ministered are 2 Kings 21-25 and 2 Chronicles 33-36. His contemporary prophets were Zephaniah and Habakkuk before the Exile, and Ezekiel and Daniel after it began.King Manas...
  • Jeremiah's purpose was to call his hearers to repentance in view of God's judgment on Judah, which would come soon from an army from the north (chs. 2-45). Judgment was coming because God's people had forsaken Yahweh and had ...
  • I. Introduction ch. 1A. The introduction of Jeremiah 1:1-3B. The call of Jeremiah 1:4-191. The promise of divine enablement 1:4-102. Two confirming visions 1:11-19II. Prophecies about Judah chs. 2-45A. Warnings of judgment on...
  • 1:4 The prophet now began speaking to his readers and telling them what the Lord had said to him. Throughout this book, an indication that the Lord had told Jeremiah something is often the sign of a new pericope, as here (cf....
  • This pericope contains two instances in which Jeremiah faced crushing discouragement in his ministry (vv. 10-14, 15-21). He confessed his frustration to the Lord, and the Lord responded with encouragement.15:10 Jeremiah addre...
  • This passage probably dates from the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 588-586 B.C. (vv. 2, 4; cf. 2 Kings 25). King Zedekiah sought advice from Jeremiah more than once (cf. 37:3-10, 17-21; 38:14-28). This passage consists of ...
  • This section consists of four parts: a summary of Jeremiah's Temple Sermon (vv. 2-6), the prophet's arrest and trial (vv. 7-16), the elders' plea for his life (vv. 17-19, 24), and the incident involving Uriah and his executio...
  • The Book of Consolation contained messages of future hope for Judah (chs. 30-33). Now Jeremiah returned to document her present judgment. Chapters 34-45 continue the theme of judgment on Judah and Jerusalem from chapters 2-29...
  • "While ch. 36 is, in a sense, an independent unit, it is at the same time the last segment in a tradition complex' which begins at ch. 26, where Jeremiah is vindicated as a true prophet of Yahweh by Jerusalem's highest court ...
  • 37:1 Nebuchadnezzar, sovereign over Judah since Jehoiakim's unsuccessful rebellion against him in 598 B.C., set up Zedekiah, Jehoiakim's brother, as Judah's king in 597 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 24:17). Jehoiakim's son, Jehoiachin (C...
  • 37:11-12 During the lifting of the siege of Jerusalem just described (v. 5), Jeremiah left the city to conduct some personal business concerning the purchase of some property in the territory of Benjamin. This may have been t...
  • Some scholars regard chapter 38 as a retelling of the event just narrated in chapter 37. There is some precedent for such a practice in this book. There are two accounts of Jeremiah's Temple Sermon (chs. 7 and 26) and perhaps...
  • 38:1-3 Four prominent men in Jerusalem heard Jeremiah preaching that anyone who remained in Jerusalem would die but those who surrendered to the Chaldeans would live. He prophesied, apparently at this time from the court of t...
  • 38:7-8 A courtier in the palace, Ebed-melech (lit. "servant of the king"), heard about Jeremiah's plight. He happened to be an Ethiopian or Cushite (from modern-day southern Egypt, northeastern Sudan, and northern Ethiopia).4...
  • 38:14 Shortly after this event Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him at one of the temple entrances, possibly the king's private entrance (cf. 2 Kings 16:18). He told the prophet that he was going to ask him a question and he ...
  • The preceding pericope recorded how the Lord preserved his prophet, and this one shows how He preserved the prophet's rescuer.39:15-16 Before his release from the stockade, the Lord told Jeremiah to give a message to Ebed-mel...
  • This chapter records an incident late in Jeremiah's ministry. How much later than chapter 43 is unknown. Many commentators suppose it dates from about 580 B.C. because it would have taken some time for the Judean refugees to ...
  • This chapter belongs after chapter 36 chronologically, either after 36:8 or 36:32. It serves as an appendix to the historical incidents recorded there. Perhaps the writer or final editor placed it here to show that Yahweh exe...
  • This is one of four accounts of the fall of Jerusalem in the Old Testament (cf. 2 Kings 25; 2 Chron. 36:11-21; Jer. 39:1-14). The repetition underlines the importance of the event.52:1 Zedekiah (Mattaniah, 2 Kings 24:17) was ...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. London: Collier Macmillan Publishers; and New York: Macmillan Publishers Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The Archaeology of Palestine. Revis...
  • 3:1 Jeremiah claimed to have seen much affliction because Yahweh had struck Jerusalem in His anger (cf. Job 9:34; 21:9; Ps. 89:32; Isa. 10:5)."The two preceding poems ended with sorrowful complaint. This third poem begins wit...
  • The following section of the lament falls into two parts marked by Jeremiah's use of the plural (vv. 41-47) and singular personal pronouns (vv. 48-66). In the first part he called on the Judahites to confess their sins to God...
  • 17:11-12 Ezekiel was now to tell his rebellious hearers what this story represented.250The first eagle stood for the king of Babylon (cf. Jer. 48:40; 49:22; Dan. 7:4). His invasion of Jerusalem (the specific identity of the L...
  • In 605 B.C. Prince Nebuchadnezzar led the Babylonian army of his father Nabopolassar against the allied forces of Assyria and Egypt. He defeated them at Carchemish near the top of the Fertile Crescent. This victory gave Babyl...
  • Before Messiah can reign in peace, He must destroy all enemies and deliver and restore His people (cf. Ps. 110).9:11 As for the Israelites (Zion), the Lord promised to set free those of them whom their enemies would hold pris...
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