1
But Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah kept speaking to all the people:
2
“Thus says the LORD: Whoever remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but whoever goes out to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be as spoil to him, and he shall live.
3
Thus says the LORD: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it.”
4
Then the officials said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for by speaking such words he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people. Surely this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but harm.”
5
King Zedekiah answered, “Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you!”
6
So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard; they let Jeremiah down with ropes. In the cistern there was no water, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
7
But when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern — at that time the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate —
8
Ebed-melech went out from the king’s house and spoke to the king:
9
“My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern; he will die there of hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.”
10
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take three men from here and lift the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies!”
11
So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the king’s house, to the wardrobe room in the treasury; from there he took worn-out clothes and torn clothes and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.
12
Ebed-melech the Ethiopian called to Jeremiah, “Put the worn-out and torn clothes under your armpits as padding for the ropes!” And Jeremiah did so.
13
Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
14
King Zedekiah sent and had the prophet Jeremiah brought to him at the third entrance of the house of the LORD. The king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you something; hide nothing from me!”
15
Jeremiah answered Zedekiah, “If I tell it to you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me!”
16
Then King Zedekiah secretly swore to Jeremiah, saying, “As the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not put you to death, and I will not give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”
17
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will go out and surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire; you and your household shall live.
18
But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire; and you yourself shall not escape from their hand.”
19
Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have gone over to the Chaldeans; perhaps I will be given into their hand, and they will mistreat me.”
20
Jeremiah answered, “That will not happen! Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am saying to you, and it will go well with you, and your life shall be spared.
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But if you refuse to surrender, then this is the word the LORD has shown me:
22
Indeed, all the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah shall be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon, while they cry:
You have been deceived, you have been overcome
by your friends.
But just as your feet sank in the mud,
they have already turned back.
23
All your wives and your children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but you shall be seized by the king of Babylon; and this city shall be burned with fire.”
24
Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know about this conversation, so that you may not die.
25
If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’
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then you must say to them, ‘I presented my plea before the king, that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.'”
27
Indeed all the officials came and questioned Jeremiah, but he answered them exactly as the king had commanded. So they let him alone, for no one had heard anything of that conversation.
28
Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
⚖️🕳️⛓ Summary of Jeremiah 38 – The Prophet in the Pit, the King in Distress
Jeremiah 38 shows how truth is often rejected and persecuted, even by one’s own people. Jeremiah is imprisoned again — this time more severely: put into a muddy cistern for speaking the word of the LORD that Jerusalem would surely fall. King Zedekiah remains weak, afraid of the people, though he knows Jeremiah speaks truly. But the LORD uses a foreigner, Ebed-Melech, to save Jeremiah. This chapter shows two contrasts: the steadfastness of a prophet vs. the fear of a king, and how simple faith can preserve the truth.
📌 1. Jeremiah Is Seen as Undermining the Nation’s Morale (verses 1–4)
“This man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but rather their harm!”
➡️ Jeremiah said: “Whoever remains in this city will die… whoever surrenders to Babylon will live.”
➡️ The officials (Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal, Pashhur) were angry and asked that Jeremiah be put to death because he was thought to be stirring up trouble.
🎯 Truth that does not match the expectations of the crowd is often taken as betrayal.
📌 2. Jeremiah Is Thrown into the Muddy Cistern (verses 5–6)
“Then they lowered Jeremiah… into the cistern, and the mud came up to his body.”
➡️ King Zedekiah did not defend Jeremiah, yielding to political pressure.
➡️ Jeremiah did not die at once, but was left to sink slowly in the mud.
🎯 The righteous can suffer because of injustice and weak leadership.
📌 3. Ebed-Melech Helps Jeremiah (verses 7–13)
“The Ethiopian said… ‘Let me draw him up out of the cistern.’”
➡️ Ebed-Melech, a foreign official and a black slave, showed courage and compassion.
➡️ He received permission from the king and pulled Jeremiah out with ropes and old cloth.
🎯 God can use anyone — even the small and the marginalized — to save His people.
📌 4. A Secret Conversation between the King and the Prophet (verses 14–28)
“Do not hide anything from me…”
➡️ Zedekiah secretly called Jeremiah and asked whether there was still a word from the Lord.
➡️ Jeremiah said: “If you surrender to the king of Babylon, your life will be spared.”
➡️ Zedekiah was afraid of the nobles who would mock him if he surrendered.
➡️ Jeremiah affirmed that if the king refused to obey, the city would be burned and the king’s family would suffer.
➡️ But the king asked that Jeremiah not tell anyone the content of this conversation.
🎯 A leader who is more afraid of people than of God will bring ruin upon many.
📖 Main Teaching
- The word of God cannot be adjusted to human taste — sometimes it is bitter, but it saves
- Truth is often rejected and punished, but it must still be spoken
- Small people who fear God can surpass great leaders in faith and action
- Spiritual leadership requires moral courage, not only political power
- Obedience to God brings salvation; refusal brings destruction
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
📖 Matthew 10:28
“Do not fear those who can kill the body…”
➡️ Jeremiah was not afraid of people, but still delivered the word.
📖 Luke 12:11–12
“The Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour…”
➡️ Like Jeremiah, who knew what to say even under pressure.
📖 Philippians 2:7
“Jesus emptied Himself and took the form of a servant…”
➡️ Like the humble Ebed-Melech, Jesus also came down to save.
📖 Hebrews 11:36–38
“Some were tortured, chained, and put in prison…”
➡️ Jeremiah belongs in the gallery of faith that suffered for the truth.
🕊️ “This man is not seeking the welfare of this nation…” – Jeremiah 38:4
🕊️ “They lowered Jeremiah with ropes… the mud reached up to his body.” – Jeremiah 38:6
🕊️ “Pull Jeremiah up out of the cistern before he dies.” – Jeremiah 38:10
🕊️ “If you are willing to surrender… you will live.” – Jeremiah 38:17
