1Ale počul Šefatiáš, syn Mattánov, a Gedaliáš, syn Pašchúrov, a Júchal, syn Šelemiášov, a Pašchúr, syn Malkiášov, slová, ktoré hovoril Jeremiáš všetkému ľudu a vravel: 2Takto hovorí JeHoVaH: Ten, kto zostane bývať v tomto meste, zomrie mečom, hladom, alebo morom, a ten, kto vyjde k Chaldejom, bude žiť, a jeho duša mu bude za korisť, a zostane na žive. 3Takto hovorí JeHoVaH: Istotne bude vydané toto mesto do ruky vojska babylonského kráľa, a vezme ho. 4A kniežatá povedaly kráľovi: Nože nech zomrie ten človek, pretože oslabuje ruky bojovných mužov, ktorí ešte pozostali v tomto meste, i ruky všetkého ľudu hovoriac im tomu podobné slová. Lebo ten človek nehľadá pokoja tohoto ľudu, ale iba zlé. 5A kráľ Cedekiáš povedal: Hľa, je vo vašej ruke, lebo kráľ nemôže ničoho proti vám. 6Vtedy vzali Jeremiáša a hodili ho do jamy Malkiáša, syna kráľovho, ktorá bola vo dvore stráže, a spustili Jeremiáša po povrazoch. A v jame nebolo vody, ale tam bolo blato. A tak sa Jeremiáš zanoril do blata. 7Ale keď počul Ethiop Ebed-melech, eunuch, ktorý bol v dome kráľovom, že dali Jeremiáša do jamy - a kráľ sedel v bráne Benjaminovej-, 8vtedy vyšiel Ebed-melech z domu kráľovho a hovoril kráľovi a riekol: 9Môj pán kráľ, zle urobili tí mužovia všetko to, čo urobili prorokovi Jeremiášovi, že ho hodili do tej jamy, lebo zomrie na mieste, kde je, od hladu, lebo už neni chleba v meste. 10Vtedy rozkázal kráľ Ethiopovi Ebed-melechovi a riekol: Vezmi odtiaľto tridsiatich mužov so sebou a vytiahneš proroka Jeremiáša von z jamy, prv ako by zomrel. 11A Ebed-melech vzal so sebou mužov a vošiel do domu kráľovho pod pokladnicu a nabral odtiaľ handier z potrhaných a handier zo starých hábov zodraných a spustil ich po povrazoch k Jeremiášovi do jamy. 12A Ethiop Ebed-melech povedal Jeremiášovi: Nože si podlož handry z tých potrhaných a starých hábov zodraných pod pazuchy svojich rúk, pod povrazy. A Jeremiáš urobil tak. 13A ťahali Jeremiáša povrazmi, až ho i vytiahli hore z jamy. A Jeremiáš sedel zase vo dvore stráže. 14Potom poslal kráľ Cedekiáš a vzal proroka Jeremiáša k sebe do tretieho vchodu, ktorý bol v dome JeHoVaHovom. A kráľ povedal Jeremiášovi: Opýtam sa ťa na niečo; nezataj predo mnou ničoho. 15A Jeremiáš odpovedal Cedekiášovi: Keď ti oznámim, či ma azda neusmrtíš? A keď ti poradím, neposlúchneš ma. 16Vtedy prisahal kráľ Cedekiáš Jeremiášovi tajne a povedal: Ako že žije JeHoVaH, ktorý nám učinil túto dušu, že ťa neusmrtím ani ťa nevydám do ruky tých mužov, ktorý hľadajú tvoju dušu. 17Na to povedal Jeremiáš Cedekiášovi: Takto hovorí JeHoVaH, Bôh Zástupov, Bôh Izraelov: Ak naozaj vyjdeš ku kniežatám babylonského kráľa, tvoja duša bude žiť, a toto mesto nebude spálené ohňom, a budeš žiť i ty i tvoj dom. 18Ale ak nevyjdeš ku kniežatám babylonského kráľa, vtedy bude toto mesto vydané do ruky Chaldejov, a spália ho ohňom, a ty neujdeš ich ruke. 19Vtedy riekol kráľ Cedekiáš Jeremiášovi: Bojím sa Židov, ktorí prebehli ku Chaldejom, aby ma nevydali do ich ruky, a spravili by si zo mňa posmech. 20Ale Jeremiáš povedal: Nevydajú. Počuj, prosím, na hlas JeHoVaHa v tom, čo ti hovorím, a bude ti dobre, a tvoja duša bude žiť. 21Ale keď odoprieš vyjsť, toto je slovo, ktoré mi ukázal JeHoVaH: 22A hľa, všetky ženy, ktoré pozostaly v dome judského kráľa, budú vyvedené ku kniežatám babylonského kráľa, a ony samy povedia: Zviedli ťa a premohli tvoji dôverní priatelia; tvoje nohy sú ponorené v bahne, uhly nazad. 23A vyvedú všetky tvoje ženy i tvojich synov k Chaldejom, a ty neujdeš ich ruke, ale rukou babylonského kráľa budeš lapený, a toto mesto spáliš ohňom. 24Vtedy povedal Cedekiáš Jeremiášovi: Nech sa nikto nedozvie týchto slov, aby si nezomrel! 25A keď počujú kniežatá, že som hovoril s tebou, a prijdú k tebe a povedia ti: Nože nám oznám, čo si hovoril kráľovi, nezataj pred nami, a neusmrtíme ťa. A čo ti hovoril kráľ? 26Vtedy im povieš: Predkladal som svoju pokornú prosbu pred kráľa, aby ma nedal odviesť nazpät do domu Jonatánovho, aby som tam nezomrel. 27A prišli všetky kniežatá k Jeremiášovi a pýtali sa ho. A oznámil im podľa všetkých tých slov, ktoré prikázal kráľ. A tak mlčiac odišly od neho, lebo sa nepočula vec. 28A Jeremiáš sedel vo dvore stráže až do dňa, v ktorom bol vzatý Jeruzalem. A stalo sa, keď bol vzatý Jeruzalem:
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.
