38:1 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of
Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son
of a Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken
to all the people, saying,
(a) For Zedekiah had sent these to Jeremiah to enquire at
the Lord for the state of the country how when
Nebuchadnezzar came, as in (Jer 21:1).
38:2 Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall
die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but
he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he
shall have his life for b a prize, and shall live.
38:4 Therefore the princes said to the king, We beseech thee,
let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the
hands of the men of war c that remain in this city, and
the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to
them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people,
but the harm.
(c) Thus we see how the wicked when they cannot abide to
hear the truth of God's word, seek to put the ministers
to death, as transgressors of policies.
38:5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he [is] in your hand:
for the king [is] not [he that] can do [any] d thing
against you.
(d) In which he grievously offended in that not only would
he not hear the truth spoken by the prophet, but also
gave him to the lusts of the wicked to be cruelly
treated.
38:7 Now when Ebedmelech the Cushite, one of the eunuchs who was
in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in
the dungeon; the king then sitting in the e gate of
Benjamin;
(e) To hear matters and give sentence.
38:9 My lord the king, f these men have done evil in all that
they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast
into the dungeon; and he is certain to die from hunger in
the place where he is: for [there is] no more bread in the
city.
(f) By this is declared that the prophet found more favour
at this strangers hands, than he did by all them of his
country, which was to their great condemnation.
38:13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him out of
the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the g court of the
prison.
(g) Where the king had set him before to be at more
liberty, as in (Jer 37:21).
38:17 Then said Jeremiah to Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the
God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go
forth to the king of Babylon's h princes, then thy soul
shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire;
and thou shalt live, and thy house:
(h) And yield yourself to them.
38:19 And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, I am afraid of the
Jews that have fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver
me into their hand, and they i mock me.
(i) Which declares that he more feared the reproach of men
than the threatenings of God.
38:22 And, behold, all the women that are k left in the king
of Judah's house [shall be] brought forth to the king of
Babylon's princes, and those [women] shall say, Thy
friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee:
thy feet are sunk in the mire, [and] they are turned away
back.
(k) When Jeconiah and his mother with others were carried
away, these women of the king's house were left: who
will be taken, says the prophet and tell the king of
Babel how Zedekiah has been seduced by his familiar
friends and false prophets who have left him in the
mire.
38:26 Then thou shalt say to them, I l presented my
supplication before the king, that he would not cause me
to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
(l) In this appears the infirmity of the prophet, who
dissembled to save his life even though it was not to
the denial of his doctrine or to the hurt of any.
