Jeremiah 38
Jeremiah 38 depicts a situation in which the prophet Jeremiah is persecuted by King Zedekiah of Judah and by those in power, and it also shows how he boldly conveys God’s will even in the midst of it. This chapter can be divided into four main parts. First, there is the scene in which Jeremiah continues to proclaim the coming destruction of Jerusalem and that they must surrender to Babylon, thereby earning hatred (verses 1–6). Second, there is the process by which Jeremiah is rescued from the cistern through the intervention of King Zedekiah (verses 7–13). Third, there is the scene in which King Zedekiah meets Jeremiah secretly, wanting to hear his prophecy (verses 14–23). Fourth, there is the circumstance in which Jeremiah had no choice but to conceal his conversation from other officials (verses 24–28).
1verseShephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying,
2verse“The LORD says, ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live. He will escape with his life and he will live.’
3verseThe LORD says, ‘This city will surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.’”
4verseThen the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death, because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them; for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but harm.”
5verseZedekiah the king said, “Behold, he is in your hand; for the king can’t do anything to oppose you.”
6verseThen they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
7verseNow when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king was then sitting in Benjamin’s gate),
8verseEbedmelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,
9verse“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. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.”
10verseThen the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.”
11verseSo Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
12verseEbedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.” Jeremiah did so.
13verseSo they lifted Jeremiah up with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
14verseThen Zedekiah the king sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to himself into the third entry that is in the LORD’s house. Then the king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me.”
15verseThen Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? If I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.”
16verseSo Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”
17verseThen Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “The LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you will go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. You will live, along with your house.
18verseBut if you will not go out to the king of Babylon’s princes, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you won’t escape out of their hand.’”
19verseZedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.”
20verseBut Jeremiah said, “They won’t deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the LORD’s voice, in that which I speak to you; so it will be well with you, and your soul will live.
21verseBut if you refuse to go out, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:
22verse‘Behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah’s house will be brought out to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women will say, “Your familiar friends have turned on you, and have prevailed over you. Your feet are sunk in the mire, they have turned away from you.”
23verseThey will bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans. You won’t escape out of their hand, but will be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. You will cause this city to be burned with fire.’”
24verseThen Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no man know of these words, and you won’t die.
25verseBut if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and tell you, ‘Declare to us now what you have said to the king; don’t hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also tell us what the king said to you;’
26versethen you shall tell them, ‘I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.’”
27verseThen all the princes came to Jeremiah, and asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they stopped speaking with him, for the matter was not perceived.
28verseSo Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.
Persecution and God’s Message
As a result of Jeremiah faithfully delivering God’s message, he is threatened by the king, the nobles, and the soldiers. When he keeps saying that he must surrender to Babylon in order to live, the key authorities regard it as “something that harms public sentiment” and decide to kill him (verse 4). Even in this life-or-death situation, Jeremiah is rescued again, thanks to help from an outsider named Ebed-Melech and Zedekiah’s passive consideration, giving him the opportunity to share God’s word once more. This process conveys the message that those who speak the words of truth may sometimes face suffering, but God’s providence protects them.
Zedekiah’s Fear and Choice
King Zedekiah fears Jeremiah, yet because he is mindful of public opinion, he cannot truly listen to what he says. Jeremiah advises the king to surrender to Babylon, but the king hesitates out of fear (verse 19). Zedekiah’s struggle between truth and reality shows how important the choices a leader must make between conviction and fear can be. In the end, Zedekiah, sadly, fails to make the right decision and instead asks that Jeremiah’s conversation be kept secret.
Points to Ponder
- It suggests that speaking the truth itself can sometimes come with loneliness, misunderstandings, and crises.
- Through the example of Ebed-Melech, the foreigner who helps Jeremiah, we can learn that we too can find the strength to take small courage for the truth.
- Reflect on how difficult it is to make courageous decisions according to God’s will between fear and reality—and yet how necessary it is.
Try Applying It to Me
- In the community or circumstances I’m part of, I look back to see whether I have ever left out or hidden the truth that I should have spoken because of fear.
- Like Jeremiah, I can make it a week of trying to speak with sincerity—speak the right words and words that bring good influence—with courage.
- I ask in prayer, seeking the courage to stand on the side of truth even in small matters, and to quietly reach out my hand when someone is facing hardship.
