4 Therefore the princes H8269 said H559 unto the king, H4428 We beseech thee, let this man H376 be put to death: H4191 for thus H3651 he weakeneth H7503 the hands H3027 of the men H582 of war H4421 that remain H7604 in this city, H5892 and the hands H3027 of all the people, H5971 in speaking H1696 such words H1697 unto them: for this man H376 seeketh H1875 not the welfare H7965 of this people, H5971 but the hurt. H7451
And it came to pass, when Ahab H256 saw H7200 Elijah, H452 that Ahab H256 said H559 unto him, Art thou he that troubleth H5916 Israel? H3478 And he answered, H559 I have not troubled H5916 Israel; H3478 but thou, and thy father's H1 house, H1004 in that ye have forsaken H5800 the commandments H4687 of the LORD, H3068 and thou hast followed H3212 H310 Baalim. H1168
But G1161 some G5100 of G1537 them G846 went their ways G565 to G4314 the Pharisees, G5330 and G2532 told G2036 them G846 what things G3739 Jesus G2424 had done. G4160 Then G3767 gathered G4863 the chief priests G749 and G2532 the Pharisees G5330 a council, G4892 and G2532 said, G3004 What G5101 do we? G4160 for G3754 this G3778 man G444 doeth G4160 many G4183 miracles. G4592 If G1437 we let G863 him G846 thus G3779 alone, G863 all G3956 men will believe G4100 on G1519 him: G846 and G2532 the Romans G4514 shall come G2064 and G2532 take away G142 both G2532 our G2257 place G5117 and G2532 nation. G1484 And G1161 one G1520 G5100 of G1537 them, G846 named Caiaphas, G2533 being G5607 the high priest G749 that same G1565 year, G1763 said G2036 unto them, G846 Ye G5210 know G1492 nothing at all, G3756 G3762 Nor G3761 consider G1260 that G3754 it is expedient G4851 for us, G2254 that G2443 one G1520 man G444 should die G599 for G5228 the people, G2992 and G2532 that the whole G3650 nation G1484 perish G622 not. G3361
Woe H1945 to her that is filthy H4754 and polluted, H1351 to the oppressing H3238 city! H5892 She obeyed H8085 not the voice; H6963 she received H3947 not correction; H4148 she trusted H982 not in the LORD; H3068 she drew not near H7126 to her God. H430 Her princes H8269 within H7130 her are roaring H7580 lions; H738 her judges H8199 are evening H6153 wolves; H2061 they gnaw not the bones H1633 till the morrow. H1242
And I said, H559 Hear, H8085 I pray you, O heads H7218 of Jacob, H3290 and ye princes H7101 of the house H1004 of Israel; H3478 Is it not for you to know H3045 judgment? H4941 Who hate H8130 the good, H2896 and love H157 the evil; H7451 who pluck off H1497 their skin H5785 from off them, and their flesh H7607 from off their bones; H6106 Who also eat H398 the flesh H7607 of my people, H5971 and flay H6584 their skin H5785 from off them; and they break H6476 their bones, H6106 and chop them in pieces, H6566 as for the pot, H5518 and as flesh H1320 within H8432 the caldron. H7037
Then he went down H3381 into the king's H4428 house, H1004 into the scribe's H5608 chamber: H3957 and, lo, all the princes H8269 sat H3427 there, even Elishama H476 the scribe, H5608 and Delaiah H1806 the son H1121 of Shemaiah, H8098 and Elnathan H494 the son H1121 of Achbor, H5907 and Gemariah H1587 the son H1121 of Shaphan, H8227 and Zedekiah H6667 the son H1121 of Hananiah, H2608 and all the princes. H8269 Then Michaiah H4321 declared H5046 unto them all the words H1697 that he had heard, H8085 when Baruch H1263 read H7121 the book H5612 in the ears H241 of the people. H5971 Therefore all the princes H8269 sent H7971 Jehudi H3065 the son H1121 of Nethaniah, H5418 the son H1121 of Shelemiah, H8018 the son H1121 of Cushi, H3570 unto Baruch, H1263 saying, H559 Take H3947 in thine hand H3027 the roll H4039 wherein thou hast read H7121 in the ears H241 of the people, H5971 and come. H3212 So Baruch H1263 the son H1121 of Neriah H5374 took H3947 the roll H4039 in his hand, H3027 and came H935 unto them. And they said H559 unto him, Sit down H3427 now, and read H7121 it in our ears. H241 So Baruch H1263 read H7121 it in their ears. H241 Now it came to pass, when they had heard H8085 all the words, H1697 they were afraid H6342 both H413 one H376 and other, H7453 and said H559 unto Baruch, H1263 We will surely H5046 tell H5046 the king H4428 of all these words. H1697
And when Jehoiakim H3079 the king, H4428 with all his mighty men, H1368 and all the princes, H8269 heard H8085 his words, H1697 the king H4428 sought H1245 to put him to death: H4191 but when Urijah H223 heard H8085 it, he was afraid, H3372 and fled, H1272 and went H935 into Egypt; H4714 And Jehoiakim H3079 the king H4428 sent H7971 men H582 into Egypt, H4714 namely, Elnathan H494 the son H1121 of Achbor, H5907 and certain men H582 with him into Egypt. H4714 And they fetched forth H3318 Urijah H223 out of Egypt, H4714 and brought H935 him unto Jehoiakim H3079 the king; H4428 who slew H5221 him with the sword, H2719 and cast H7993 his dead body H5038 into the graves H6913 of the common H1121 people. H5971
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Jeremiah 38
Commentary on Jeremiah 38 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 38
Jer 38:1-28. Jeremiah Predicts the Capture of Jerusalem, for Which He Is Cast into a Dungeon, but Is Transferred to the Prison Court on the Intercession of Ebed-melech, and Has a Secret Interview with Zedekiah.
All this was subsequent to his imprisonment in Jonathan's house, and his release on his interview with Zedekiah. The latter occurred before the return of the Chaldeans to the siege; the similar events in this chapter occurred after it.
1. Jucal—Jehucal (Jer 37:3).
Pashur—(Jer 21:1; compare Jer 21:9 with Jer 38:2). The deputation in Jer 21:1, to whom Jeremiah gave this reply, if not identical with the hearers of Jeremiah (Jer 38:1), must have been sent just before the latter "heard" him speaking the same words. Zephaniah is not mentioned here as in Jer 21:1, but is so in Jer 37:3. Jucal is mentioned here and in the previous deputation (Jer 37:3), but not in Jer 21:1. Shephatiah and Gedaliah here do not occur either in Jer 21:1 or Jer 37:3. The identity of his words in both cases is natural, when uttered, at a very short interval, and one of the hearers (Pashur) being present on both occasions.
unto all the people—They had free access to him in the court of the prison (Jer 32:12).
2. life … a prey—He shall escape with his life; though losing all else in a shipwreck, he shall carry off his life as his gain, saved by his going over to the Chaldeans. (See on Jer 21:9).
4. Had Jeremiah not had a divine commission, he might justly have been accused of treason; but having one, which made the result of the siege certain, he acted humanely as interpreter of God's will under the theocracy, in advising surrender (compare Jer 26:11).
5. the king is not he—Zedekiah was a weak prince, and now in his straits afraid to oppose his princes. He hides his dislike of their overweening power, which prevented him shielding Jeremiah as he would have wished, under complimentary speeches. "It is not right that the king should deny aught to such faithful and wise statesmen"; the king is not such a one as to deny you your wishes [Jerome].
6. dungeon—literally, the "cistern." It was not a subterranean prison as that in Jonathan's house (Jer 37:15), but a pit or cistern, which had been full of water, but was emptied of it during the siege, so that only "mire" remained. Such empty cisterns were often used as prisons (Zec 9:11); the depth forbade hope of escape.
Hammelech—(Jer 36:26). His son followed in the father's steps, a ready tool for evil.
sunk in the mire—Jeremiah herein was a type of Messiah (Ps 69:2, 14). "I sink in deep mire," &c.
7. Ebed-melech—The Hebrew designation given this Ethiopian, meaning "king's servant." Already, even at this early time, God wished to show what good reason there was for calling the Gentiles to salvation. An Ethiopian stranger saves the prophet whom his own countrymen, the Jews, tried to destroy. So the Gentiles believed in Christ whom the Jews crucified, and Ethiopians were among the earliest converts (Ac 2:10, 41; 8:27-39). Ebed-melech probably was keeper of the royal harem, and so had private access to the king. The eunuchs over harems in the present day are mostly from Nubia or Abyssinia.
8. went forth … and spake—not privately, but in public; a proof of fearless magnanimity.
9. die for hunger in the place where he is; for … no … bread in … city—(Compare Jer 37:21). He had heretofore got a piece of bread supplied to him. "Seeing that there is the utmost want of bread in the city, so that even if he were at large, there could no more be regularly supplied to him, much less now in a place where none remember or pity him, so that he is likely to die for hunger." "No more bread," that is, no more left of the public store in the city (Jer 37:21); or, all but no bread left anywhere [Maurer].
10. with thee—Hebrew, "in thine hand," that is, at "thy disposal" (1Sa 16:2). "From hence," that is, from the gate of Benjamin where the king was sitting (Jer 38:7).
thirty men—not merely to draw up Jeremiah, but to guard Ebed-melech against any opposition on the part of the princes (Jer 38:1-4), in executing the king's command. Ebed-melech was rewarded for his faith, love, and courage, exhibited at a time when he might well fear the wrath of the princes, to which even the king had to yield (Jer 39:16-18).
11. cast clouts—"torn clothes" [Henderson].
rotten rags—"worn-out garments." God can make the meanest things His instruments of goodness to His people (1Co 1:27-29).
under … armholes—"under the joints of thine hands," that is, where the fingers join the hand, the clothes being in order that the hands should not be cut by the cords [Maurer].
13. court of … prison—Ebed-melech prudently put him there to be out of the way of his enemies.
14. third entry—The Hebrews in determining the position of places faced the east, which they termed "that which is in front"; the south was thus called "that which is on the right hand"; the north, "that which is on the left hand"; the west, "that which is behind." So beginning with the east they might term it the first or principal entry; the south the second entry; the north the "third entry" of the outer or inner court [Maurer]. The third gate of the temple facing the palace; for through it the entrance lay from the palace into the temple (1Ki 10:5, 12). It was westward (1Ch 26:16, 18; 2Ch 9:11) [Grotius]. But in the future temple it is eastward (Eze 46:1, 2, 8).
15. wilt thou not hearken unto me—Zedekiah does not answer this last query; the former one he replies to in Jer 38:16. Rather translate, "Thou wilt not hearken to me." Jeremiah judges so from the past conduct of the king. Compare Jer 38:17 with Jer 38:19.
16. Lord … made us this soul—(Isa 57:16). Implying, "may my life (soul) be forfeited if I deceive thee" [Calvin].
17. princes—(Jer 39:3). He does not say "to the king himself," for he was at Riblah, in Hamath (Jer 39:5; 2Ki 25:6). "If thou go forth" (namely, to surrender; 2Ki 24:12; Isa 36:16), God foreknows future conditional contingencies, and ordains not only the end, but also the means to the end.
19. afraid of the Jews—more than of God (Pr 29:25; Joh 9:22; 12:43).
mock me—treat me injuriously (1Sa 31:4).
22. women—The very evil which Zedekiah wished to escape by disobeying the command to go forth shall befall him in its worst form thereby. Not merely the Jewish deserters shall "mock" him (Jer 38:19), but the very "women" of his own palace and harem, to gratify their new lords, will taunt him. A noble king in sooth, to suffer thyself to be so imposed on!
Thy friends—Hebrew, "men of thy peace" (see Jer 20:10; Ps 41:9, Margin). The king's ministers and the false prophets who misled him.
sunk in … mire—proverbial for, Thou art involved by "thy friends'" counsels in inextricable difficulties. The phrase perhaps alludes to Jer 38:6; a just retribution for the treatment of Jeremiah, who literally "sank in the mire."
they are turned … back—Having involved thee in the calamity, they themselves shall provide for their own safety by deserting to the Chaldeans (Jer 38:19).
23. children—(Jer 39:6; 41:10). "wives … children … thou"; an ascending climax.
24. Let no man know—If thou wilt not tell this to the people, I will engage thy safety.
25. Kings are often such only in title; they are really under the power of their subjects.
26. presented—literally, "made my supplication to fall"; implying supplication with humble prostration (see on Jer 36:7).
Jonathan's house—(Jer 37:15), different from Malchiah's dungeon (Jer 38:6). This statement was true, though not the whole truth; the princes had no right to the information; no sanction is given by Scripture here to Jeremiah's representation of this being the cause of his having come to the king. Fear drove him to it. Compare Ge 20:2, 12; on the other hand, 1Sa 16:2, 5.
left off speaking with—Hebrew, "were silent from him," that is, withdrawing from him they left him quiet (1Sa 7:8, Margin).
28. he was there when Jerusalem was taken—These words are made the beginning of the thirty-ninth chapter by many; but the accents and sense support English Version.