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Jeremiah 38:1
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Jeremiah in the Dungeon

1 Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, aJucal the son of Shelemiah, and bPashhur the son of Malchiah cheard the words that Jeremiah had spoken to all the people, saying,  
2 “Thus says the Lord: a‘He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes over to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be as a prize to him, and he shall live.’  
3 Thus says the Lord: a‘This city shall surely be bgiven into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.’ ”  
4 Therefore the princes said to the king, “Please, alet this man be put to death, for thus he1 weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the2 welfare of this people, but their harm.”  
5 Then Zedekiah the king said, “Look, he is in your hand. For the king can do nothing against you.”
6 aSo they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.  
7 aNow Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, one of the1 eunuchs, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon. When the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,  
8 Ebed-Melech went out of the king’s house and spoke to the king, saying:
9 “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is. For there is ano more bread in the city.”  
10 Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.”
11 So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there old clothes and old rags, and let them down by ropes into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
12 Then Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Please put these old clothes and rags under your armpits, under the ropes.” And Jeremiah did so.
13 So they pulled Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained ain the court of the prison.  

Zedekiah’s Fears and Jeremiah’s Advice

14 Then Zedekiah the king sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance of the house of the Lord. And the king said to Jeremiah, “I will aask you something. Hide nothing from me.”  
15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”
16 So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, “As the Lord lives, awho made our very souls, I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”  
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you surely asurrender bto the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live; this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.  
Commentaries:
Matthew Henry
<< Jeremiah 37:21   Jeremiah 38:2 >>


Jeremiah 38:1-28

Jeremiah is cast into a dungeon, from whence he is delivered by an Ethiopian. (1-13) He advises the king to surrender to the Chaldeans. (14-28)

Verses 1-13 Jeremiah went on in his plain preaching. The princes went on in their malice. It is common for wicked people to look upon God's faithful ministers as enemies, because they show what enemies the wicked are to themselves while impenitent. Jeremiah was put into a dungeon. Many of God's faithful witnesses have been privately made away in prisons. Ebed-melech was an Ethiopian; yet he spoke to the king faithfully, These men have done ill in all they have done to Jeremiah. See how God can raise up friends for his people in distress. Orders were given for the prophet's release, and Ebed-melech saw him drawn up. Let this encourage us to appear boldly for God. Special notice is taken of his tenderness for Jeremiah. What do we behold in the different characters then, but the same we behold in the different characters now, that the Lord's children are conformed to his example, and the children of Satan to their master?

Verses 14-28 Jeremiah was not forward to repeat the warnings, which seemed only to endanger his own life, and to add to the king's guilt, but asked whether he feared to do the will of God. The less men fear God, the more they fear men; often they dare not act according to their own judgments and consciences.


 
<< Jeremiah 37:21   Jeremiah 38:2 >>

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