Ebed‑Melech Rescues Jeremiah; Zedekiah's Failure
Jeremiah 38:14-28
Jer.38.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- מבוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השלישי: ADJ,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שאל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- אתך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- תכחד: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- ממני: PREP,suff,1,m,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 37:17 (verbal): Virtually the same scene and wording earlier in the book: Zedekiah brings Jeremiah to the third entrance of the house of the LORD and urges him to speak openly (a near-duplicate account).
- 2 Kings 20:4-6 (cf. Isaiah 38:4-6) (thematic): Hezekiah's private encounter with the prophet (Isaiah) in the royal/temple context—king consults a prophet within the house/court of the LORD seeking candid prophetic word.
- 1 Kings 22:8-28 (esp. 22:13, 22:24-28) (thematic): Ahab summons prophets and privately questions them (and later Micaiah). Illustrates the motif of a king calling a prophet for counsel and the tension between courtly prophets and a true prophetic voice.
- 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (thematic): Nathan's direct, private prophetic confrontation with King David in the royal sphere—another example of intimate prophet–king interaction where the prophet must speak plainly to the monarch.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him to the third entrance in the house of the LORD. The king said to Jeremiah, “I have something to ask you; do not hide a word from me.”
- Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him into the third entrance that is in the house of the LORD; and the king said to Jeremiah, "Ask me something; do not conceal from me a word."
Jer.38.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- אגיד: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- הלוא: PART
- המת: NOUN,m,sg,def
- תמיתני: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- וכי: CONJ
- איעצך: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- תשמע: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 38:19 (structural): Immediate narrative follow-up: Zedekiah privately promises Jeremiah he will not put him to death and will hide him—direct response to Jeremiah's fear that speaking will cost him his life or be ignored.
- Jeremiah 26:8-11 (thematic): Earlier episode in Jeremiah's ministry where priests and people seize him and seek to put him to death for prophesying—same theme of a prophet threatened with death for speaking God's word.
- Ezekiel 33:7-9 (thematic): Ezekiel as watchman is commanded to warn the wicked; the passage addresses the prophet's responsibility to warn even when people do not listen—parallels Jeremiah's concern that his counsel will not be heeded.
- 1 Kings 19:3 (thematic): Elijah flees and fears for his life after Jezebel threatens to kill him for confronting the king/people—similar motif of a prophet threatened because of his prophetic activity.
- 1 Kings 22:24-28 (thematic): Micaiah is seized and imprisoned after prophesying unwelcome truth to King Ahab—an analogous case of a prophet facing hostility, imprisonment, or death for candid counsel to a monarch.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jeremiah answered Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not put me to death? And if I counsel you, you will not listen to me.”
- Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not kill me? And if I counsel you, will you not listen to me?"
Jer.38.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישבע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בסתר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- חי: ADJ,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- הנפש: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- אם: CONJ
- אמיתך: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg
- ואם: CONJ
- אתנך: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg+PRON,2,m
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- האנשים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- האלה: DEM,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- מבקשים: VERB,qal,ptcp,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- נפשך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m
Parallels
- Jeremiah 38:14-15 (structural): Immediate context: Zedekiah summons Jeremiah secretly and promises protection — the verses just before 38:16 narrate the same private interview and set up the oath.
- Jeremiah 37:21-22 (structural): Earlier episode of Zedekiah sending for Jeremiah and questioning him privately; parallels the king's secret audience and his consultation with the prophet.
- 1 Kings 18:3-4 (thematic): Obadiah (a court official) hides and protects prophets from Jezebel's persecution — similar motif of an official sheltering or pledging safety to threatened prophetic figures.
- 2 Kings 6:15-17 (thematic): When Elisha is surrounded by an enemy army God opens the servant’s eyes to divine protection — parallels the theme of divine/political protection of a prophet amid mortal danger.
- 1 Samuel 19:1-7 (thematic): Jonathan and others intercede to protect David from Saul’s murderous intent — another case where friends/officials pledge or act to preserve someone targeted for death.
Alternative generated candidates
- Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As the LORD lives who made our souls, I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hand of the men who seek your life.”
- But the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, "As the LORD lives who has given us this life, I will not put you to death, nor will I hand you over to these men who seek your life."
Jer.38.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- צבאות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אם: CONJ
- יצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- תצא: VERB,qal,impf,2,ms
- אל: NEG
- שרי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וחיתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- נפשך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m
- והעיר: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- לא: PART_NEG
- תשרף: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- באש: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וחיתה: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- וביתך: NOUN,m,sg,cs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 27:12-13 (thematic): Both passages urge submission to Nebuchadnezzar as God’s instrument; Jeremiah teaches that serving Babylon will preserve life, echoing the offer of safety if Zedekiah yields.
- Jeremiah 39:4-7 (structural): Narrates the actual capture of Zedekiah when he attempts to flee the city—fulfillment/contrast to Jeremiah’s warning that surrender would have preserved his life and house.
- 2 Kings 25:4-7 (structural): Parallel historical account of Zedekiah’s failed escape, the killing of his sons, and his blinding and exile—provides the outcome opposite to the promise of safety in Jer 38:17.
- Jeremiah 38:4-6 (structural): Immediate literary context: officials oppose Jeremiah’s pro-surrender message and cast him into a cistern; shows contemporary rejection of the same counsel offered in v.17.
- Jeremiah 21:8-10 (thematic): Earlier oracle about the city’s fate and the consequences of resisting Babylon—both passages address the choice between resistance (destruction) and the alternatives tied to God’s decree regarding Babylon.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, your life shall be spared; you shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; you and your house shall live.
- Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, your life shall be preserved; and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you shall live—you and your house."
Jer.38.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- תצא: VERB,qal,impf,2,ms
- אל: NEG
- שרי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ונתנה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הכשדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ושרפוה: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl+PRON,3,f,sg
- באש: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואתה: CONJ+PRON,2,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- תמלט: VERB,qal,imf,2,m,sg
- מידם: PREP
Parallels
- Jeremiah 21:9 (verbal): Uses the same conditional warning: if the people do not submit to the king of Babylon, the city will be given to the Chaldeans and burned (close verbal parallel).
- Jeremiah 38:17 (structural): Immediate context: the same exchange urging Jeremiah to go out to the princes of the king of Babylon and the related promise about the city's fate—repeats the conditional instruction.
- Jeremiah 39:8-10 (structural): Narrative outcome to the warning in 38:18: Nebuzaradan captures and burns the city but spares Jeremiah (and later Ebed‑Melech), showing fulfillment and consequences of the conditional.
- 2 Kings 25:8-10 (thematic): Describes the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem and the burning of the city/temple—fulfillment of the threat that the city would be given to the Chaldeans and burned.
- 2 Chronicles 36:17-19 (thematic): Parallel account of Jerusalem being handed over to Nebuchadnezzar and the house of the Lord and the city being burned, echoing the fate predicted in Jeremiah 38:18.
Alternative generated candidates
- But if you do not go out to the princes 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 shall not escape from their hand.”
- "But if you do not go out to the princes 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 shall not escape from their hand."
Jer.38.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- דאג: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- היהודים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נפלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- הכשדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- פן: CONJ
- יתנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- בידם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- והתעללו: VERB,hitpael,wayq,3,m,pl
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 21:9 (thematic): Jeremiah issues the warning that the city will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon—same prophetic counsel that frames Zedekiah’s dilemma about surrender and fear of mistreatment.
- 2 Kings 25:7 (thematic): Narrative recounting Zedekiah’s capture, the slaughter of his sons, and his being blinded and taken to Babylon—concrete fulfillment of the king’s fear that he would be handed over and badly treated.
- Jeremiah 38:4-6 (structural): The princes oppose Jeremiah’s message and cast him into a cistern for ‘weakening the hands’ of the soldiers—shows the internal resistance to surrender that precipitates the king’s anxiety about being handed over.
- Jeremiah 38:20-23 (structural): Continuation of the same episode: Zedekiah’s treatment of Jeremiah (hiding, later rescue by Ebed‑melech) and the political fallout—connects directly to the motives and consequences underlying the king’s expressed fear.
- Matthew 26:48-50 (thematic): Judas’s act of handing Jesus over to hostile authorities parallels the motif of betrayal/being delivered into enemies’ hands by one’s own people, with resultant mistreatment.
Alternative generated candidates
- The king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid for the Judeans who have fallen into the hands of the Chaldeans; perhaps they will hand me over to the Chaldeans and they will mistreat me.”
- Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me to them and mistreat me."
Jer.38.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- יתנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- נא: PART
- בקול: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לאשר: CONJ
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אליך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- וייטב: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- ותחי: VERB,qal,imprf,3,f,sg
- נפשך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m
Parallels
- Jeremiah 21:8-9 (verbal): Same prophetic counsel: surrender to the Chaldeans and you shall live; Jeremiah announces that those who go out to the Chaldeans will have their lives spared—closely parallels the life-for-surrender formula in 38:20.
- Jeremiah 38:17 (verbal): Immediate context/variant of the same exchange with Zedekiah: Jeremiah urges the king to obey the word of the LORD for his life’s sake; 38:20 reiterates and summarizes that admonition.
- 2 Kings 25:6-7 (structural): Narrative fulfillment/contrast: Zedekiah’s attempt to flee (refusing prophetic counsel) leads to capture and the killing of his sons—illustrates the lethal outcome for not heeding Jeremiah’s warning.
- Ezekiel 18:21-22 (thematic): Theological parallel: turning from evil and heeding God’s command results in life rather than death—echoes Jeremiah’s promise that obedience to the LORD’s word will bring life.
- Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (thematic): Lawal summons to 'choose life' by obeying God’s voice and commandments; thematically parallels Jeremiah’s appeal to listen to the LORD so that 'it will be well with you' and you may live.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jeremiah answered, “They will not hand you over. Hear now the voice of the LORD that I speak to you, and it will be well with you, and your life shall be spared.”
- Jeremiah answered, "They will not give you up. Hear now the voice of the LORD in what I speak to you, and it will be well for you; your life will be spared."
Jer.38.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואם: CONJ
- מאן: PRON,interr
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- לצאת: VERB,qal,inf
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הראני: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 1:11-12 (verbal): Both passages record God revealing a vision or word to Jeremiah using the formula of divine showing/inspection (‘what do you see?’; God ‘showed me’), underscoring prophetic revelation as the basis for Jeremiah’s message.
- Amos 3:7 (verbal): Shares the theme that God reveals his plans to his prophets—‘the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets’—paralleling the claim that the LORD has shown the speaker the matter.
- Jeremiah 26:16-19 (thematic): Both passages occur amid hostile reactions to Jeremiah’s prophecies and involve appeals to the divine origin and vindication of his message; they illustrate the recurring pattern of opposition to, and protection of, the prophet’s word.
- 1 Kings 13:20-22 (allusion): Narrative parallel about a prophet’s movement (going out/returning) tied to a prophetic claim and its consequences; the episode highlights risks and authority issues when prophets act on—or are led away from—what they profess the LORD has shown them.
- Ezekiel 2:1-3 (structural): Like Jeremiah’s statement that the LORD showed him something, Ezekiel’s commissioning features a vision/manifestation of the LORD and a structural pattern of divine revelation to a prophet who must then respond publicly.
Alternative generated candidates
- “And if you will not go out,” he added, “then know for certain that this is what the LORD has shown me.”
- "And if you will not go out, then know for certain that this is the thing the LORD has shown me."
Jer.38.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: ADV
- כל: DET
- הנשים: NOUN,f,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נשארו: VERB,qal,perf,3,mp
- בבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- מוצאות: VERB,qal,ptcp,0,f,pl
- אל: NEG
- שרי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- והנה: ADV
- אמרות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הסיתוך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויכלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- אנשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- שלמך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF,2,m,sg
- הטבעו: VERB,hifil,perf,3,m,pl
- בבץ: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רגלך: NOUN,f,sg,abs+SUFF,2,m,sg
- נסגו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אחור: ADV
Parallels
- Jeremiah 39:1-10 (structural): Parallel account of the fall of Jerusalem and the fate of the king’s house and officials; continues the same historical episode and repeats details about capture and treatment of the palace and its people.
- 2 Kings 25:1-12 (structural): Confluent narrative of Jerusalem’s siege and fall under Nebuchadnezzar; provides a parallel report of the capture of the royal house and the humiliation/ displacement of Judah’s leaders.
- Lamentations 2:4-5 (thematic): Lament over Jerusalem’s destruction and the abasement of its leaders and sanctuaries; shares the theme of public humiliation and the city’s ruin that underlies the women’s taunt in Jer 38:22.
- Isaiah 3:16-26 (thematic): Prophetic depiction of the humiliation of Zion’s proud women and the stripping away of status and adornment; echoes the motif of social reversal and the public exposure of Judah’s elite.
- Jeremiah 50:37 (allusion): A prophetic taunt against a nation’s nobles who are cut down or brought low; thematically parallels the mocking tone and the image of leaders sunk or beset that is present in Jer 38:22.
Alternative generated candidates
- “Behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah will be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon; they will say, ‘Where are your trusted men? Your closest companions—they are overwhelmed; they have sunk in the mire, your feet have slipped back.’”
- "Behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah will go out to the princes of the king of Babylon; and they will say to you, 'Your counselors have misled you; your trusted men are sunk in the mire; your feet are entangled; they have turned back.'"
Jer.38.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- נשיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs+2ms
- ואת: CONJ
- בניך: NOUN,m,pl,abs+POSS,2,m,sg
- מוצאים: VERB,qal,part,3,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- הכשדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואתה: CONJ+PRON,2,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- תמלט: VERB,qal,imf,2,m,sg
- מידם: PREP
- כי: CONJ
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תתפש: VERB,niphal,imf,2,m,sg
- ואת: CONJ
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- תשרף: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- באש: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 21:9 (verbal): Same warning language that the city will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon and burned with fire—an earlier oracle addressed to Judah's king.
- Jeremiah 34:2 (thematic): Similar declaration that the city will be handed over to the king of Babylon and that the people will be delivered into his hand—repeating the threat of capture and deportation.
- Jeremiah 39:8-10 (structural): Narrative fulfillment of the prophecy: Nebuzaradan carries out deportations and the city is burned, showing the outcome foretold in 38:23.
- 2 Kings 25:7-9 (structural): Historical account of Zedekiah's capture (sons killed before him, Zedekiah bound and taken to Babylon) and the burning of the city—concrete fulfillment of the threats in Jeremiah 38:23.
- 2 Chronicles 36:17-21 (thematic): Royal historiographical summary of Jerusalem's destruction and the exile to Babylon—echoes the themes of deportation and the city's burning in Jeremiah 38:23.
Alternative generated candidates
- “And all your wives and your children will be taken to the Chaldeans; you will not escape from their hand—for you shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire.”
- "And all your wives and your children will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and you will not escape their hand; for you shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire."
Jer.38.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- צדקיהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בדברים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- האלה: DEM,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- תמות: VERB,qal,yiqtol,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 38:17-18 (verbal): Immediate context: Zedekiah questions Jeremiah about his fate and Jeremiah replies that he will be handed to the king of Babylon—same exchange and theme of the king asking about Jeremiah’s destiny.
- Jeremiah 39:5-7 (structural): Narrative fulfillment of the king‑and‑prophet scene: describes Zedekiah’s capture, the killing of his sons before him, and Zedekiah being blinded—outcome alluded to in the earlier exchange.
- 2 Kings 25:7 (structural): Parallel account in Kings of Zedekiah’s defeat: his sons are slain and he is put out of his sight (blinded), corroborating the fate discussed in Jeremiah’s exchange with the king.
- Jeremiah 26:8-11 (thematic): Earlier instance where officials and priests press for Jeremiah’s death for prophesying; parallels the threat to Jeremiah’s life and the rulers’ hostile reaction evident in the Jerusalem court scenes.
Alternative generated candidates
- Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know these words; do not die.”
- Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no one know of these words, and you shall not die."
Jer.38.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכי: CONJ
- ישמעו: VERB,qal,imf,3,mp
- השרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- כי: CONJ
- דברתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- אתך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- ובאו: VERB,qal,imp,2,mp
- אליך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- ואמרו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אליך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- הגידה: VERB,piel,imp,2,m,sg
- נא: PART
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- מה: PRON,int
- דברת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- תכחד: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- ממנו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- נמיתך: VERB,hif,impf,3,m,sg
- ומה: CONJ+PRON,int
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אליך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- 1 Kings 22:8-28 (thematic): Court confrontation of a prophet (Micaiah) before the king and officials, including questioning, ridicule, and imprisonment for an unwelcome word — parallels officials pressing for and reacting to the prophet’s private message to the king.
- Jeremiah 26:20-23 (thematic): The case of Urijah son of Shemaiah, another prophet who spoke against Jerusalem and was pursued/removed by officials — parallels the persecution and official suppression of prophetic speech.
- Jeremiah 20:1-2 (thematic): Pashur the priest arrests and humiliates Jeremiah for his prophecies (placing him in stocks) — another instance of officials punishing Jeremiah for words directed at the king/people.
- 1 Kings 21:8-14 (thematic): Officials arrange false testimony to bring Naboth before the rulers so he can be executed — parallels the use of court procedure and officials to silence or eliminate an opponent at the king’s behest.
- Acts 4:18-20 (thematic): The Jewish authorities forbid the apostles from speaking in Jesus’ name, while the apostles refuse to comply — a New Testament parallel of authorities trying to silence prophetic/courageous testimony to the ruler/people.
Alternative generated candidates
- “But if the princes hear that I spoke with you and come to you and say, ‘Tell us now what you said to the king; do not conceal it from us, and we will not put you to death—what did the king say to you?’”
- "But if the princes hear that I have spoken to you and come to you and say, 'Declare to us now what you told the king; do not conceal it from us, and we will not put you to death'—what will you say to them?"
Jer.38.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואמרת: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- מפיל: VERB,piel,ptc,3,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- תחנתי: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לפני: PREP
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לבלתי: PART,neg
- השיבני: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,sg
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהונתן: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- למות: VERB,qal,inf
- שם: ADV
Parallels
- Jeremiah 38:7-13 (structural): Same narrative episode: Ebed‑melech intercedes with King Zedekiah and rescues Jeremiah from the cistern (pit), providing the immediate context for the plea referenced in 38:26.
- Psalm 40:2 (verbal): Uses the image of being pulled out of a pit/miry clay ('He drew me out of the pit of destruction'), paralleling the motif of rescue from a death‑threatening cistern in Jeremiah 38.
- Genesis 37:24, 26–28 (thematic): Joseph is thrown into a pit by his brothers and later delivered from mortal danger; thematically parallels the motif of a person abandoned to a pit/ditch and the danger of death there.
- 2 Kings 25:27–30 (thematic): Jehoiachin is released from long captivity and brought into the king’s presence; thematically related as an example of royal intervention leading to release from confinement.
- Daniel 6:20–23 (thematic): Daniel’s deliverance from the lion’s den after royal action and/or divine protection parallels the rescue from a fatal confinement and the role of authority in securing release.
Alternative generated candidates
- “Then you shall say to them, ‘I pleaded with the king that he would not send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.’”
- "You shall tell them, 'I pleaded with the king that he would not send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.'"
Jer.38.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- השרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אל: NEG
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישאלו: VERB,qal,imf,3,m,pl
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- ויגד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- ככל: PREP
- הדברים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- האלה: DEM,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- צוה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויחרשו: VERB,qal,impf/wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- ממנו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- נשמע: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 26:7-11 (thematic): Priests and leaders accuse Jeremiah for prophesying and seek to punish him—illustrates the same pattern of officials rejecting and trying to silence Jeremiah's message.
- Jeremiah 38:4 (structural): Within the same narrative: the princes demand that Jeremiah be put to death and reject his counsel—directly connected to the officials' refusal to heed him in 38:27.
- 1 Kings 22:24-28 (thematic): Micaiah is mocked, beaten, and imprisoned after delivering an unwelcome prophecy to the king—parallel of a prophet speaking truth and being mistreated or ignored by royal officials.
- Ezekiel 3:7-9 (allusion): God warns Ezekiel that the house of Israel is stubborn and will not listen; parallels Jeremiah's experience of speaking truth to a resistant leadership that will not heed him.
Alternative generated candidates
- All the princes came to Jeremiah and questioned him; he told them all the words just as the king had commanded, and they held their peace, for the matter had not been reported.
- Then all the princes came to Jeremiah and questioned him; and he told them according to all the words that the king had commanded. And they were angry with him, but the king paid no heed to them.
Jer.38.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ירמיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בחצר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- המטרה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- עד: PREP
- יום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נלכדה: VERB,niphal,perf,3,f,sg
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- כאשר: CONJ
- נלכדה: VERB,niphal,perf,3,f,sg
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 38:13 (verbal): Immediately after Ebed‑melech rescues Jeremiah from the cistern he is placed "in the court of the guard"—the same location and phrasing as v.28, marking a repeated/state setting within the chapter.
- Jeremiah 32:2 (verbal): During the Babylonian siege the prophet is described as "confined in the court of the guard" while the word of the Lord comes to him; same locus of confinement during the siege.
- Jeremiah 37:21 (verbal): Earlier in the narrative the princes have Jeremiah cast into the "court of the guard," showing a recurring motif of his imprisonment in that courtyard.
- Jeremiah 39:14 (thematic): After Jerusalem's fall the captain of the guard (Nebuzaradan) deals with Jeremiah—he is taken into custody and ultimately spared—connecting v.28's timing (“until Jerusalem was taken”) with what happens to Jeremiah once the city falls.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured—so it was when Jerusalem was taken.
- Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured; and Jeremiah was there when Jerusalem was captured.
Then the king sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him to the third entrance of the house of the LORD. The king said to Jeremiah, “I ask you — please speak to me; hide nothing from me.”
Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not put me to death? And if I counsel you, you will not listen to me.” But Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, “As the LORD lives, who made our life — I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared; you shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire. You and your house shall live. But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be handed over to the Chaldeans, who will burn it with fire, and you will not escape from their hand.”
Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans; lest they hand me over to the Chaldeans and mistreat me.”
Jeremiah said, “They will not hand you over. Hear now the word of the LORD that I speak to you, and it will go well with you, and your life will be spared.”
“And if you will not go out,” said he, “know this: this is the thing that the LORD has shown me.”
“Behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; they will say, ‘Your trusted companions have betrayed you; your counselors have prevailed against you; your feet are sunk in the mire; they have turned back.’”
“And all your wives and your children will be given to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape their hand; you will be taken by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.”
Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know of these words, and you shall not die.”
“But if the princes hear that I have spoken with you and come to you and say, ‘Tell us now what you said to the king; do not hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also, what did the king say to you?’”
“Then you shall say to them, ‘I pleaded before the king that he not hand me over to Jonathan’s house to die there.’” So all the princes came to Jeremiah and questioned him, and he told them according to all the words that the king had commanded him. They held their peace concerning him, for the matter had not been disclosed.
Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured; and he was there when Jerusalem fell.