---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Jeremiah 38"
description: "CHAPTER 38   :-. JEREMIAH
PREDICTS THE CAPTURE
OF JERUSALEM, FOR
WHICH HE
IS CAST
INTO A DUNGEON, BUT
IS TRANSFERRED
TO THE PRISON COURT
ON THE INTERCESSI"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/jeremiah/38"
---

CHAPTER 38

. 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 ().
**Pashur**— (; compare [Jeremiah 21:9](../../../kjv/jeremiah/21/9);
[Jeremiah 38:2](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/2)). The deputation in [Jeremiah 38:2](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/2), to whom Jeremiah gave this reply, if not identical with the
hearers of Jeremiah ([Jeremiah 38:1](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/1)),
must have been sent just before the latter "heard" him
speaking the same words. *Zephaniah* is not mentioned here as in
[Jeremiah 21:1](../../../kjv/jeremiah/21/1), but is so in [Jeremiah 21:1](../../../kjv/jeremiah/21/1). *Jucal* is mentioned here and in the previous
deputation ([Jeremiah 37:3](../../../kjv/jeremiah/37/3)), but not
in [Jeremiah 21:1](../../../kjv/jeremiah/21/1). *Shephatiah*
and *Gedaliah* here do not occur either in [Jeremiah 21:1](../../../kjv/jeremiah/21/1) or [Jeremiah 37:3](../../../kjv/jeremiah/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 ([Jeremiah 37:3](../../../kjv/jeremiah/37/3)).

**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 [Jeremiah 38:2](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/2)).

**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 [Jeremiah 26:11](../../../kjv/jeremiah/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 ([Jeremiah 37:15](../../../kjv/jeremiah/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 ([Jeremiah 37:15](../../../kjv/jeremiah/37/15)); the depth forbade hope of escape.
**Hammelech**— ([Jeremiah 37:15](../../../kjv/jeremiah/37/15)). His son followed in the father's steps, a ready tool for
evil.
**sunk in the mire**—Jeremiah
herein was a type of Messiah ([Psalms 69:2](../../../kjv/psalms/69/2);
[Psalms 69:14](../../../kjv/psalms/69/14)). "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 ([Acts 2:10](../../../kjv/acts/2/10);
[Acts 2:41](../../../kjv/acts/2/41); [Acts 8:27-39](../../../kjv/acts/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 ). 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 ([Jeremiah 37:21](../../../kjv/jeremiah/37/21));
or, *all but* no bread left anywhere [MAURER].

**10. with thee**—*Hebrew,*
"in thine hand," that is, at "thy disposal" (). "From hence," that is, from the gate of Benjamin
where the king was sitting ().
**thirty men**—not merely
to draw up Jeremiah, but to guard Ebed-melech against any opposition
on the part of the princes (), 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 ().

**11. cast clouts**—"torn
clothes" [HENDERSON].
**rotten rags**—"worn-out
garments." God can make the meanest things His instruments of
goodness to His people ().
**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 ([1 Kings 10:5](../../../kjv/1-kings/10/5);
[1 Kings 10:12](../../../kjv/1-kings/10/12)). It was westward
([1 Chronicles 26:16](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/26/16); [1 Chronicles 26:18](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/26/18);
[2 Chronicles 9:11](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/9/11)) [GROTIUS].
But in the future temple it is eastward ([Ezekiel 46:1](../../../kjv/ezekiel/46/1);
[Ezekiel 46:2](../../../kjv/ezekiel/46/2); [Ezekiel 46:8](../../../kjv/ezekiel/46/8)).

**15. wilt thou not hearken unto
me**—Zedekiah does not answer this last query; the former one he
replies to in [Jeremiah 38:16](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/16).
Rather translate, "Thou wilt not hearken to me." Jeremiah
judges so from the past conduct of the king. Compare [Jeremiah 38:17](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/17);
[Jeremiah 38:19](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/19).

**16. Lord . . . made us this soul**—
([Isaiah 57:16](../../../kjv/isaiah/57/16)). Implying, "may
my life (soul) be forfeited if I deceive thee" [CALVIN].

**17. princes**— (). He does not say "to the king himself," for he
was at Riblah, in Hamath ([Jeremiah 39:5](../../../kjv/jeremiah/39/5);
[2 Kings 25:6](../../../kjv/2-kings/25/6)). "*If* thou
go forth" (namely, to surrender; [2 Kings 24:12](../../../kjv/2-kings/24/12);
[Isaiah 36:16](../../../kjv/isaiah/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 ([Proverbs 29:25](../../../kjv/proverbs/29/25); [John 9:22](../../../kjv/john/9/22);
[John 12:43](../../../kjv/john/12/43)).
**mock me**—treat me
injuriously ([1 Samuel 31:4](../../../kjv/1-samuel/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 (), 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 [Jeremiah 20:10](../../../kjv/jeremiah/20/10);
[Psalms 41:9](../../../kjv/psalms/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 [Psalms 41:9](../../../kjv/psalms/41/9); 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 ([Psalms 41:9](../../../kjv/psalms/41/9)).

**23. children**— ([Jeremiah 39:6](../../../kjv/jeremiah/39/6);
[Jeremiah 41:10](../../../kjv/jeremiah/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 [Jeremiah 38:3](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/3)).
**Jonathan's house**— ([Jeremiah 38:3](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/3)), different from Malchiah's dungeon ([Jeremiah 38:3](../../../kjv/jeremiah/38/3)). 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 [Genesis 20:2](../../../kjv/genesis/20/2);
[Genesis 20:12](../../../kjv/genesis/20/12); on the other hand,
[1 Samuel 16:2](../../../kjv/1-samuel/16/2); [1 Samuel 16:5](../../../kjv/1-samuel/16/5).
**left off speaking
with**—*Hebrew,* "were silent from him," that is,
withdrawing from him they left him quiet ([1 Samuel 16:5](../../../kjv/1-samuel/16/5), *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.*

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