Keraia
Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah 38:25

Jeremiah Cast into the Cistern · Jeremiah 38:1–28
Read Jeremiah 38

Translations

Modern
If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’
Traditional
But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:
Literal
And when the princes hear that I have spoken with you, and they come to you and say to you, ‘Declare now to us what you have said to the king—do not hide it from us, and we will not put you to death—and what the king said to you:’
Latin
Si autem audierint principes quia locutus sum tecum, et venerint ad te, et dixerint tibi: Indica nobis quid locutus sis cum rege: ne celes nos, et non te interficiemus: et quid locutus est tecum rex:

Original

Hebrew
English
If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’

Notes

Jeremiah 38:24–28

  • When Zedekiah feared his officials again, he demanded that Jeremiah keep secret what he had told him.

  • The officials might have suspected that Zedekiah planned to surrender to the enemy. Jeremiah obeyed the king's order to stay silent, and he spent the final days of the siege in the palace prison under the king's protection.

Jeremiah 37:1–38:28

The focus now returns to Zedekiah, who became king of Judah after his nephew Jehoiachin. These chapters describe meetings between Zedekiah and Jeremiah, highlighting Zedekiah’s struggle to fully commit to God's word (compare Deuteronomy 10:12–13). Zedekiah is a classic example of a person with divided loyalty (James 1:6–8).

Theme notes and profiles

Jeremiah God Protects His Servant Persecution

Events

Glossary

Book of Jeremiah Courts and Trials Guard, Courtyard of the Jehoiachin

Topics

King: Influenced by Popular Opinion: Zedekiah Prisoners: Jeremiah Prisoners: Kindness To by the Prison Guard to Jeremiah Zedekiah: Made King of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar by Jeremiah Zedekiah: Made King of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar: Imprisons Jeremiah on Account of his Denunciations Zedekiah: Made King of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar: Seeks the Intercession of Jeremiah with God on his Behalf Zedekiah: Made King of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar: The Evil Reign of