1Šefatjáš, syn Matánův, Gedaljáš, syn Pašchúrův, Júkal, syn Šelemjášův a Pašchúr, syn Malkijášův, slyšeli slova, která mluvil Jeremjáš ke všemu lidu: 2Toto praví Hospodin: Ten, kdo zůstane v tomto městě, zemře mečem, hladem a morem, ale ten, kdo vyjde ke Chaldejcům, bude žít; kořistí se mu stane jeho duše a bude žít. 3Toto praví Hospodin: Toto město bude jistě vydáno do moci vojska babylonského krále a dobude ho. 4Nato knížata řekla králi: Ať je tento muž konečně usmrcen, neboť takto oslabuje ruce bojovníků, kteří v tomto městě zůstali, a ruce všeho lidu, když k nim mluví taková slova. Vždyť tento muž nehledá pro tento lid pokoj, ale zlo. 5Král Sidkijáš řekl: Hle, je ve vaší ruce, protože král proti vám nic nezmůže. 6Vzali Jeremjáše a hodili ho do cisterny královského syna Malkijáše, která byla na nádvoří stráží; spustili Jeremjáše po provaze. V cisterně nebyla voda, ale jen bahno, takže se Jeremjáš v bahně topil. 7Kúšijec Ebedmelek, dvorní úředník, který byl v královském paláci, uslyšel, že Jeremjáše dali do cisterny. Král seděl v té době v Benjamínově bráně. 8Ebedmelek odešel z královského paláce a promluvil ke králi: 9Můj pane a králi, zle jednali tito muži ve všem, co spáchali vůči proroku Jeremjášovi, že ho hodili do cisterny. Zemře tam hladem, protože ve městě už není chléb. 10Nato král Kúšijci Ebedmelekovi přikázal: Vezmi s sebou odsud třicet mužů a vyndej proroka Jeremjáše z cisterny, dříve nežli zemře. 11Ebedmelek vzal s sebou muže, vešel dolů do skladu v královském paláci, vzal odtamtud obnošené a roztrhané hadry a spustil je po provaze Jeremjášovi do cisterny. 12Kúšijec Ebedmelek Jeremjášovi řekl: Polož si, prosím, obnošené a roztrhané hadry do podpaží pod provazy. Jeremjáš to udělal. 13Vytáhli Jeremjáše na provazech a vyndali ho z cisterny. Jeremjáš opět pobýval na nádvoří stráží. 14Král Sidkijáš poslal pro proroka Jeremjáše a nechal si ho přivést ke třetímu vchodu, který byl v Hospodinově domě. Král Jeremjášovi řekl: Ptám se tě na slovo. Nic přede mnou nezatajuj. 15Jeremjáš Sidkijášovi řekl: Cožpak mě určitě nedáš usmrtit, když ti ho oznámím? A když ti poradím, neposlechneš mě. 16Král Sidkijáš Jeremjášovi tajně přísahal: Živ je Hospodin, který nám dal tento život, že tě nedám usmrtit, a že tě nevydám do ruky těchto mužů, kteří usilují o tvůj život. 17Jeremjáš řekl Sidkijášovi: Toto praví Hospodin, Bůh zástupů, Bůh Izraele: Jestliže opravdu vyjdeš ke knížatům babylonského krále, tvá duše bude žít, toto město nebude spáleno ohněm a budeš žít ty i tvůj dům. 18Jestliže však ke knížatům babylonského krále nevyjdeš, toto město bude vydáno do ruky Chaldejců a spálí ho ohněm; ani ty neunikneš z jejich ruky. 19Král Sidkijáš Jeremjášovi řekl: Bojím se Judejců, kteří přeběhli ke Chaldejcům, že mě vydají do jejich ruky a budou se mi posmívat. 20Jeremjáš řekl: Nevydají. Poslechni, prosím, Hospodina, ohledně toho, co ti říkám. Povede se ti dobře a tvoje duše bude žít. 21Jestliže se zdráháš vyjít, toto je slovo, které mi Hospodin ukázal: 22Hle, všechny ženy, které zůstaly v paláci judského krále, budou vyvedeny ke knížatům babylonského krále a budou říkat: Tví důvěrní přátelé tě naváděli a přemohli tě. Tvoje nohy jsou ponořeny do bahna, oni se stáhli zpět. 23Všechny tvé ženy a tvé syny vyvedou ke Chaldejcům, a ty jim neunikneš, ale budeš chycen babylonským králem a toto město bude spáleno ohněm. 24Sidkijáš Jeremjášovi řekl: Ať se o těchto slovech nikdo nedozví, abys nezemřel. 25Když se knížata doslechnou, že jsem s tebou mluvil, přijdou k tobě a řeknou ti: Oznam nám, co jsi povídal králi? Nic před námi nezatajuj, ať tě nedáme usmrtit. A co povídal král tobě? 26— pak jim řekni: Předložil jsem před krále svoji úpěnlivou prosbu, aby mě neposílal zpět do Jónatanova domu, abych tam nezemřel. 27Všechna knížata přišla k Jeremjášovi a vyptávala se ho. On jim oznámil všechna ta slova, která mu přikázal král. Umlkla tedy před ním, protože se o té věci nikdo nedoslechl. 28Jeremjáš pobýval na nádvoří stráží až do dne, kdy byl Jeruzalém dobyt. Stalo se, když byl Jeruzalém dobýván,
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 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. (Jer. 38:1-28)
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 (
Zech 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,
Ps 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,
Acts 2:41;
Acts 8:27-
Acts 8:39). 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" (
1Sam 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-
Jer 38:4), 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-
Jer 39:18).
11 cast clouts--"torn clothes" [HENDERSON].
rotten rags--"worn-out garments." God can make the meanest things His instruments of goodness to His people (
1Cor 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 (
1Kgs 10:5,
1Kgs 10:12). It was westward (
1Chr 26:16,
1Chr 26:18;
2Chr 9:11) [GROTIUS]. But in the future temple it is eastward (
Ezek 46:1-
Ezek 46:2,
Ezek 46:8).
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;
2Kgs 25:6). "If thou go forth" (namely, to surrender;
2Kgs 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 (
Pro 29:25;
John 9:22;
John 12:43).
mock me--treat me injuriously (
1Sam 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;
Jer 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
Gen 20:2,
Gen 20:12; on the other hand,
1Sam 16:2,
1Sam 16:5.
left off speaking with--Hebrew, "were silent from him," that is, withdrawing from him they left him quiet (
1Sam 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.
This chapter consists of two parts: the first describes the capture of Jerusalem, the removal of the people to Babylon, and the fate of Zedekiah, and that of Jeremiah. The second tells of the assurance of safety to Ebed-melech.