Jeremiah 38 Study Notes: Jeremiah Rescued from the Cistern
Officials angered by Jeremiah’s call to surrender to Babylon get Zedekiah’s consent and lower him into a muddy cistern. Ebed-melech gains the king’s approval and draws the prophet out, and in a secret meeting Jeremiah urges the fearful king to surrender, then stays under guard until the city falls.
General
What reason did the officials give the king for saying Jeremiah should be put to death (Jeremiah 38:4)?
Answer: He was weakening the courage of the soldiers and the people
The officials told Zedekiah that Jeremiah deserved death because his words were taking the heart out of the fighting men left in the city and out of all the people. They claimed he wanted the people harmed, not helped (38:4). In fact Jeremiah was telling them the one way to survive (38:2). Prophets who spoke God’s unwelcome truth were often treated as enemies of the nation: King Ahab called Elijah the one who troubled Israel (1 Kings 18:17-18), and a priest accused Amos of conspiracy because the land could not stand his words (Amos 7:10). Paul asked the Galatians whether telling them the truth had made him their enemy (Galatians 4:16).
- Jeremiah 38:4 (BSB)“Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.””The officials accuse Jeremiah of discouraging the soldiers and the people and seeking their ruin.
- 1 Kings 18:17-18 (BSB)“When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.”Ahab blamed Elijah for troubling Israel, though the king’s own sin was the cause.
- Amos 7:10 (BSB)“Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words,”Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, charged Amos with conspiracy and said the land could not endure his message.
- Galatians 4:16 (BSB)“Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?”Paul notes that speaking the truth can cause a messenger to be counted an enemy.
Theological
On what grounds did the officials demand Jeremiah’s death before Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38:4)?
Answer: He was weakening the courage of the soldiers and the people
The officials’ case is that Jeremiah is demoralizing the remaining soldiers and the whole population, and that he seeks their harm rather than their welfare (38:4). The irony is sharp, since his message was the only path to survival (38:2). The charge follows a recurring pattern in which the bearer of God’s word is branded a threat to the nation: Ahab’s accusation against Elijah (1 Kings 18:17-18) and Amaziah’s against Amos (Amos 7:10). The apostle faced the same misreading when he asked whether telling the truth had made him an enemy (Galatians 4:16).
- Jeremiah 38:4 (BSB)“Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.””The officials accuse Jeremiah of discouraging the soldiers and the people and seeking their ruin.
- 1 Kings 18:17-18 (BSB)“When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.”Ahab blamed Elijah for troubling Israel, though the king’s own sin was the cause.
- Amos 7:10 (BSB)“Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words,”Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, charged Amos with conspiracy and said the land could not endure his message.
- Galatians 4:16 (BSB)“Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?”Paul notes that speaking the truth can cause a messenger to be counted an enemy.
General
What was in the cistern the officials lowered Jeremiah into (Jeremiah 38:6)?
Answer: No water at all, only mud that he sank into
The officials seized Jeremiah and cast him into a cistern belonging to Malchiah, a son of the king, in the guard’s courtyard. A cistern was a pit dug to collect and store rainwater. They let him down with ropes. It held no water, only mud, and the prophet sank into the mud (38:6). Joseph had once been thrown by his brothers into an empty pit with no water (Genesis 37:24). The psalms use this same picture of sinking into mire for deep distress (Psalm 69:2), and they praise God for lifting His servant out of the pit and the clay and setting his feet on a rock (Psalm 40:2).
- Jeremiah 38:6 (BSB)“So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.”The officials lower Jeremiah into a waterless cistern, where he sinks into the mud.
- Genesis 37:24 (BSB)“and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.”Joseph’s brothers had once thrown him into a dry pit.
- Psalm 69:2 (BSB)“I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have drifted into deep waters, where the flood engulfs me.”Sinking into miry depths is a biblical picture of overwhelming distress.
- Psalm 40:2 (BSB)“He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.”God raises His servant from the pit and the mud and gives him firm footing.
Theological
What did Jeremiah find in Malchiah’s cistern when the officials let him down into it (Jeremiah 38:6)?
Answer: No water at all, only mud that he sank into
The officials lower Jeremiah by ropes into a cistern owned by Malchiah, a son of the king, in the guard’s courtyard; it holds no water, only mud, and the prophet sinks into it (38:6). The scene recalls Joseph cast into a dry pit by his brothers (Genesis 37:24). The Psalms use the same image of sinking in mire for overwhelming distress (Psalm 69:2) and praises the LORD who draws His servant out of the pit and sets his feet on a rock (Psalm 40:2), the very kind of rescue Jeremiah is about to receive.
- Jeremiah 38:6 (BSB)“So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.”The officials lower Jeremiah into a waterless cistern, where he sinks into the mud.
- Genesis 37:24 (BSB)“and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.”Joseph’s brothers had once thrown him into a dry pit.
- Psalm 69:2 (BSB)“I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have drifted into deep waters, where the flood engulfs me.”Sinking into miry depths is a biblical picture of overwhelming distress.
- Psalm 40:2 (BSB)“He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.”God raises His servant from the pit and the mud and gives him firm footing.
General
What did Ebed-melech the Cushite tell King Zedekiah about the men who had lowered the prophet into the pit (Jeremiah 38:7-9)?
Answer: They had done evil, and Jeremiah would die of hunger
Ebed-melech was a Cushite, a foreigner who served as an official in the king’s palace (38:7). When he heard what had been done, he went out to the king, who was seated by the Benjamin Gate. He told Zedekiah that these men had done evil in everything they had done to the prophet, and that Jeremiah would die of hunger in the cistern since the city had run out of bread (38:8-9). A foreigner spoke up for God’s prophet when Judah’s own leaders would not. Proverbs calls those with authority to speak up for people who cannot defend themselves (Proverbs 31:8-9) and urges the rescue of those being dragged toward death (Proverbs 24:11).
- Jeremiah 38:7-9 (BSB)“Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin, Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king, “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.””Ebed-melech hears of Jeremiah’s plight and tells the king the officials have acted wickedly.
- Proverbs 31:8-9 (BSB)“Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.”King Lemuel’s mother taught him to speak up for the voiceless and defend the poor and needy.
- Proverbs 24:11 (BSB)“Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.”God’s people are to step in for those being dragged toward death.
Theological
How did Ebed-melech the Cushite describe the officials’ treatment of Jeremiah when he appealed to the king (Jeremiah 38:7-9)?
Answer: They had done evil, and Jeremiah would die of hunger
Ebed-melech, a Cushite official of the palace, hears of the prophet’s fate and confronts the king at the Benjamin Gate (38:7-8). He names the officials’ deed as evil and warns that Jeremiah will starve in the cistern, since there is no bread left in the city (38:9). A foreigner in the king’s service defends the LORD’s prophet when Judah’s own officials have turned on him. His intervention embodies the wisdom that opens its mouth for the voiceless (Proverbs 31:8-9) and acts to rescue those being hauled toward death (Proverbs 24:11).
- Jeremiah 38:7-9 (BSB)“Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin, Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king, “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.””Ebed-melech hears of Jeremiah’s plight and tells the king the officials have acted wickedly.
- Proverbs 31:8-9 (BSB)“Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.”King Lemuel’s mother taught him to speak up for the voiceless and defend the poor and needy.
- Proverbs 24:11 (BSB)“Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.”God’s people are to step in for those being dragged toward death.
General
In his secret meeting with Jeremiah, what reason did Zedekiah give for being afraid to surrender to the Babylonians (Jeremiah 38:17-20)?
Answer: He feared being handed over to Jews who had already gone over
Zedekiah met Jeremiah secretly at the temple’s third entrance and asked him to hold nothing back (38:14). Jeremiah replied that the king would kill him or would not listen to his advice, but the king swore he would neither kill him nor give him to those seeking his life (38:15-16). Jeremiah then gave him the LORD’s offer: if he gave himself up to Babylon’s officers, he and his household would live and the city would not be burned; if he refused, the city would be burned and he would not escape (38:17-18). Zedekiah answered that he dreaded the Jews who had gone over to the enemy, in case the Chaldeans gave him to them to be mistreated (38:19). Jeremiah promised that would not happen and urged him to obey the LORD and live (38:20). The king feared people more than he trusted God’s word. Jesus taught not to fear those who can only take physical life but to fear God (Matthew 10:28), and God asks His people why they are afraid of mere mortals (Isaiah 51:12-13). Afterward Jeremiah kept the conversation private as the king asked, and he stayed in the guard’s courtyard until Jerusalem fell (38:24-28).
- Jeremiah 38:17-20 (BSB)“Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive. But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’” But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.” “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.”Jeremiah offers life through surrender, and Zedekiah answers with his fear of the deserters.
- Matthew 10:28 (BSB)“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”Jesus teaches fearing God rather than people whose power ends at physical death.
- Isaiah 51:12-13 (BSB)““I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass? But you have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You live in terror all day long because of the fury of the oppressor who is bent on destruction. But where is the fury of the oppressor?”God rebukes His people for fearing mortal men while forgetting the LORD their Maker.
Theological
What fear did Zedekiah voice to explain his reluctance to surrender to Babylon’s officers (Jeremiah 38:17-20)?
Answer: He feared being handed over to Jews who had already gone over
In a secret audience at the temple’s third entrance (38:14), and only after swearing not to kill Jeremiah or hand him over (38:15-16), Zedekiah hears the LORD’s terms: surrender brings life for him and his house and the sparing of the city; refusal brings fire and capture (38:17-18). His objection is not the word of God but the fear of men, namely the Jews who had defected to Babylon’s side and might be given the chance to abuse him (38:19). Jeremiah assures him otherwise and calls him to obey the LORD’s voice (38:20). Scripture sets the fear of God against the fear of those who can only kill the body (Matthew 10:28), and rebukes God’s people for dreading mortal men while forgetting their Maker (Isaiah 51:12-13). Jeremiah then keeps the meeting secret as the king directs, remaining in the guard’s courtyard until the city is taken (38:24-28).
- Jeremiah 38:17-20 (BSB)“Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive. But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’” But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.” “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.”Jeremiah offers life through surrender, and Zedekiah answers with his fear of the deserters.
- Matthew 10:28 (BSB)“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”Jesus teaches fearing God rather than people whose power ends at physical death.
- Isaiah 51:12-13 (BSB)““I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass? But you have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You live in terror all day long because of the fury of the oppressor who is bent on destruction. But where is the fury of the oppressor?”God rebukes His people for fearing mortal men while forgetting the LORD their Maker.
General
True or False: When the officials demanded Jeremiah’s death, Zedekiah refused and ordered them to leave the prophet alone (Jeremiah 38:5).
Answer: False
This is false. Zedekiah gave Jeremiah over to them. He told the officials that the prophet was in their hands and admitted that the king was powerless against them (38:5). The man on the throne gave way to his own officials rather than protect a prophet he had consulted in secret (37:17). Later in the chapter he admitted that he was also afraid of other people (38:19). Proverbs calls fear of people a trap, while the one who trusts the LORD is kept safe (Proverbs 29:25), and the psalm warns not to rely on human rulers, who cannot save (Psalm 146:3).
- Jeremiah 38:5 (BSB)““Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.””Zedekiah hands Jeremiah over, saying the king can do nothing against his officials.
- Jeremiah 38:19 (BSB)“But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.””Zedekiah later admits his fear of the Jews who had deserted to the Chaldeans.
- Proverbs 29:25 (BSB)“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.”Fear of people is a trap, but trust in the LORD keeps a person safe.
- Psalm 146:3 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.”Mortal rulers cannot save, so trust is not to rest on them.
Theological
True or False: Zedekiah resisted the officials’ demand and refused to surrender Jeremiah to them (Jeremiah 38:5).
Answer: False
This is false. Zedekiah yields: Jeremiah is in their hands, the king being powerless against them (38:5). The king who seeks Jeremiah’s word in private abandons him to his officials, a weakness that surfaces again when he confesses his fear of the deserters (38:19). Scripture names this fear of man a snare and sets against it the security of trusting the LORD (Proverbs 29:25), and it warns against putting confidence in princes, who cannot save (Psalm 146:3).
- Jeremiah 38:5 (BSB)““Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.””Zedekiah hands Jeremiah over, saying the king can do nothing against his officials.
- Jeremiah 38:19 (BSB)“But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.””Zedekiah later admits his fear of the Jews who had deserted to the Chaldeans.
- Proverbs 29:25 (BSB)“The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.”Fear of people is a trap, but trust in the LORD keeps a person safe.
- Psalm 146:3 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.”Mortal rulers cannot save, so trust is not to rest on them.
General
True or False: Ebed-melech had Jeremiah pad the ropes with old cloth under his arms before he was pulled out of the pit (Jeremiah 38:11-13).
Answer: True
This is true. The king told Ebed-melech to take thirty men and lift Jeremiah out before he died (38:10). Ebed-melech went to a place under the palace storehouse and collected old, worn cloth. He let it down on ropes to Jeremiah and told him to put the cloth under his arms as padding. Then they drew Jeremiah out of the pit, and he stayed in the guard’s courtyard (38:11-13). Ebed-melech did not only rescue the prophet; he took care that the rescue itself would not hurt him. Scripture urges God’s people not to hold back good when they are able to do it (Proverbs 3:27). The LORD later promised Ebed-melech his own rescue because he had trusted in Him (Jeremiah 39:18).
- Jeremiah 38:10-13 (BSB)“So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.”With the king’s permission Ebed-melech pads the ropes with old rags and draws Jeremiah out.
- Proverbs 3:27 (BSB)“Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.”God’s people are not to hold back kindness they are able to give.
- Jeremiah 39:18 (BSB)“For I will surely rescue you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will escape with your life like a spoil of war, declares the LORD.’””The LORD later promises Ebed-melech rescue because he trusted in Him.
Theological
True or False: To spare Jeremiah from the ropes, Ebed-melech had him place worn cloths under his arms before the men drew him out (Jeremiah 38:11-13).
Answer: True
This is true. Commissioned by the king to take thirty men and raise Jeremiah before he dies (38:10), Ebed-melech gathers worn cloths from beneath the palace storehouse, lowers them by ropes, and has Jeremiah set them under his arms as padding before he is hauled up; Jeremiah then remains in the guard’s courtyard (38:11-13). The rescue is marked by careful mercy, doing good when it lies within one’s power (Proverbs 3:27). The LORD later honors this man with a promise of deliverance grounded in his trust in Him (Jeremiah 39:18).
- Jeremiah 38:10-13 (BSB)“So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.”With the king’s permission Ebed-melech pads the ropes with old rags and draws Jeremiah out.
- Proverbs 3:27 (BSB)“Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.”God’s people are not to hold back kindness they are able to give.
- Jeremiah 39:18 (BSB)“For I will surely rescue you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will escape with your life like a spoil of war, declares the LORD.’””The LORD later promises Ebed-melech rescue because he trusted in Him.
General
What message had Jeremiah been proclaiming to everyone, which stirred up four officials against him (Jeremiah 38:1-3)?
Answer: Those who stayed would die, but those who surrendered would live
Four of the king’s officials, among them Shephatiah and Jucal, heard what Jeremiah was saying (38:1). His message from the LORD was that anyone who remained in Jerusalem would die by the sword, by hunger or by disease, but anyone who gave himself up to the Chaldeans would keep his life, escaping with it like a prize taken from battle (38:2). The city itself would surely fall to Babylon’s army (38:3). Jeremiah had earlier set the same choice before the people as a choice between life and death (Jeremiah 21:8-9). Surrender here meant submitting to the judgment God Himself had announced; Jeremiah had already brought Zedekiah God’s message to bow to Babylon’s king and live (Jeremiah 27:12).
- Jeremiah 38:1-3 (BSB)“Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people: “This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live. This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.””Four officials hear Jeremiah announce death for those who stay and life for those who surrender.
- Jeremiah 21:8-9 (BSB)“Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war.”Jeremiah had already set the same choice of life or death before the people.
- Jeremiah 27:12 (BSB)“And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!”Jeremiah had earlier urged Zedekiah to submit to Babylon’s king and so stay alive.
Theological
According to 38:2-3, what word from the LORD was Jeremiah proclaiming to the people of Jerusalem?
Answer: Those who stayed would die, but those who surrendered would live
Jeremiah’s message, overheard by four officials including Shephatiah and Jucal (38:1), is the LORD’s ultimatum: remaining in the city means death by sword, famine and plague, while giving oneself up to the Chaldeans means survival, life itself carried off like plunder from a battle (38:2). The city’s fall is certain (38:3). It restates the choice of life and death he had already set before Jerusalem (Jeremiah 21:8-9). Since God had decreed Babylon’s rule, surrender was submission to His judgment rather than mere political defeat; Jeremiah had already brought Zedekiah the LORD’s summons to bow under Babylon’s yoke and live (Jeremiah 27:12).
- Jeremiah 38:1-3 (BSB)“Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people: “This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live. This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.””Four officials hear Jeremiah announce death for those who stay and life for those who surrender.
- Jeremiah 21:8-9 (BSB)“Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war.”Jeremiah had already set the same choice of life or death before the people.
- Jeremiah 27:12 (BSB)“And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!”Jeremiah had earlier urged Zedekiah to submit to Babylon’s king and so stay alive.
General
According to what the LORD showed Jeremiah, what would the women of the palace say about Zedekiah as they were led out to Babylon’s officials (Jeremiah 38:21-23)?
Answer: His trusted friends had misled him, then left him stuck in mud
Jeremiah told Zedekiah what the LORD had shown him would happen if he refused to surrender. All the women left in the king’s palace would be led out to Babylon’s officers, and they would speak against Zedekiah: his close friends had misled him and gotten the better of him, and now that his feet were sunk in the mud, they had abandoned him (38:21-22). His wives and children would be handed over to the Chaldeans, he himself would not escape, and the city would be burned (38:23). The picture recalls what had just happened to the prophet in the pit (38:6). Now it would be the king who was left sinking in the mire by the advisers he had relied on. The LORD had declared that the one who relies on mere human strength instead of on Him is under a curse (Jeremiah 17:5), and the psalm prefers sheltering in the LORD over relying on princes (Psalm 118:8-9).
- Jeremiah 38:21-23 (BSB)“But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me: All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’ All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.””Jeremiah describes the palace women’s words over Zedekiah and the fall of his household and city.
- Jeremiah 17:5 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.”Relying on human strength while turning away from the LORD brings a curse.
- Psalm 118:8-9 (BSB)“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”Sheltering in the LORD is wiser than relying on human rulers.
Theological
What words did Jeremiah say the palace women would speak over Zedekiah if he refused to surrender (Jeremiah 38:21-23)?
Answer: His trusted friends had misled him, then left him stuck in mud
If Zedekiah refuses, the LORD has revealed to Jeremiah a scene of humiliation: the women of the palace led out to Babylon’s officers, lamenting that the king’s trusted friends misled and overpowered him, then deserted him once his feet had sunk in the mire (38:21-22). His wives and children would be surrendered to the Chaldeans, he would be seized, and the city burned (38:23). The image echoes the cistern of 38:6: the king who let the prophet sink in mud would himself be left sinking by the counselors he trusted. It is the curse on the man who makes flesh his strength (Jeremiah 17:5), the opposite of sheltering in the LORD rather than in princes (Psalm 118:8-9).
- Jeremiah 38:21-23 (BSB)“But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me: All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’ All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.””Jeremiah describes the palace women’s words over Zedekiah and the fall of his household and city.
- Jeremiah 17:5 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.”Relying on human strength while turning away from the LORD brings a curse.
- Psalm 118:8-9 (BSB)“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”Sheltering in the LORD is wiser than relying on human rulers.