Jeremiah 38:14-26

E. Interviewed by the King Jeremiah 38:14-26

TRANSLATION

(14) Zedekiah the king sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought unto him at the third entrance of the house of the LORD. And the king said unto Jeremiah, I am about to inquire about a matter; do not hide anything from me. (15) And Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen unto me! (16) And king Zedekiah swore unto Jeremiah in secret, saying, As the LORD lives who has made for us this soul, I will not put you to death or give you into the hands of the men who are seeking your life. (17) And Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, Thus says the LORD the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will only go forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then you shall live, and this city shall not be burned and you and your house shall live. (18) But if you do not go out unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hands of the Chaldeans; and they shall burn it and you shall not be able to escape out of their hand. (19) And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted unto the Chaldeans, lest they give me into their hand and they abuse me. (20) Jeremiah replied, They will not give you into their hand. Obey, I beg you, the voice of the LORD in what I am speaking unto you, that it may be well with you and you may live. (21) But if you refuse to go out this is the word which the LORD has shown me: (22) Then behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah shall be led forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon; and they shall say, Your good friends have deceived you and prevailed over you; while your feet have sunk into the mud, they have turned back from you. (23) And all of your wives and your children they shall lead out unto the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but by the hand of the king of Babylon You shall be seized, and this city you shall burn. (24) And Zedekiah said unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of this conversation in order that you may not die. (25) And if the princes hear that I have spoken with you and they come unto you and say, Declare now to us what you spoke unto the king and the king spoke to you; do not hide anything from US, and we will not put you to death; (26) then say unto them: I presented my petition before the king that he not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan to die there.

COMMENTS

Shortly after Jeremiah's rescue from the cistern King Zedekiah summoned him for another interview. The situation in Jerusalem had further deteriorated since the two men had faced each other before. Provisions in the city were exhausted. Chaldean battering rams continued to relentlessly pound the walls of Jerusalem in spite of all the defenders did to drive them off. It would only be a matter of weeks and a breach would be made in the walls and the enemy would come pouring through to completely overwhelm the faint and sickly inhabitants. Surely now in this desperation there would be hope from the Lord. Surely now that Zedekiah has permitted Jeremiah to be rescued from sure death the prophet would have some kind word. How completely the king misunderstands this messenger from God. Those who unflinchingly preach the word of God will always be a source of perplexity and bafflement to those who live by the rule of compromise and accommodation.

The prophet was taken to the third entrance of the Temple. Streane suggests that this was a chamber connected with a passage leading from the palace to the Tempie. It may be identical with that which is elsewhere called the king's entry (2 Kings 16:18). It must have been a somewhat secluded spot. There, probably in the darkness of night, Zedekiah urged Jeremiah to honestly answer his petitionnot to withhold anything (Jeremiah 38:14). The king was frantic; desperation was in his voice. He wanted to know the final issue of the siege.

Jeremiah knew the king really did not want to hear what he had to say. Somewhat sarcastically he said, If I tell you will you not put me to death? and if I give you counsel you will not hear me[330] (Jeremiah 38:15), The desperate king then swore that he would not harm Jeremiah nor permit the princes to do so (Jeremiah 38:16). The form of the oath is somewhat unique. As the Lord lives who made this soul. The Hebrew word nephesh here as usual in the Old Testament means life. Since God was the creator of life it was within His power to take it away, if the speaker should prove untrue to his word. Convinced that Zedekiah was sincere in his oath, Jeremiah delivered the word of the Lord to him. It is the same message which Jeremiah had presented to king and people on numerous occasions: liberty and life are yours if you surrender to the Chaldeans; defeat and death lay ahead if you continue to resist (Jeremiah 38:17-18).

[330] The last clause of Jeremiah 38:15 is not a question in the Hebrew but a simple declarative sentence. Jeremiah knew from his five past interviews with the king that his message would not be accepted.

Zedekiah had certainly pondered the alternative of surrender. This tortured little weakling now confided in Jeremiah the reason why he had elected to hold out in Jerusalem until the bitter end. I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand and they mock me (Jeremiah 38:19). Zedekiah feared that those Jews who earlier had deserted to the enemy would be especially severe with him because he had caused the city to endure the miseries of a siege. How contemptible! A man who feared the Jews in the camp of the enemy more than the God who time and again had demanded his allegiance. A man who put personal welfare about the welfare of his people.

Jeremiah immediately assured the king that his fears regarding the Jews on the outside would not be realized if he would but surrender. I beseech you, says the prophet, obey the voice of the Lord. If you will only surrender all will be well with you! (Jeremiah 38:20). On the other hand Jeremiah warned Zedekiah that if he resisted the Chaldeans to the bitter and inevitable end the very members of his own household would turn upon him in unsympathetic mockery. Jeremiah pictures the women of the haremthe wives and concubines and their attendantsmarching out of the city as captives of the Chaldeans chanting a proverbial taunt-song[331] aimed at Zedekiah.

[331] Essentially the same proverb appears in Obadiah 1:7.

Thy friends have set thee on

and have prevailed against thee; thy

feet are sunk in the mire

and they are turned away back (KJV)

This taunt-song pictures one naively being led by those he trusted out into a swampy bog, and when he has become mired in the muck they have gone back instead of helping him. The friends are of course Zedekiah's princes and counselors who had urged him on in the hopeless struggle and then are unable to suggest any course of action which would extricate the king from his difficulties. The phrase set thee on (KJV) perhaps is better rendered deceived as in the Revised Standard Version.

The fifth and final conference between Zedekiah and Jeremiah ends with a strong emotional appeal to the king. The prophet makes three final points. If Zedekiah continued to resist the Chaldeans (1) he would shortly see those he held most dearhis wives and childrenbeing led out as spoils of war to the enemy soldiers; (2) he himself would not escape from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar; and (3) the king through his obstinacy would have to bear the ultimate responsibility for the destruction of Jerusalem as though he himself had set the torch to the beloved city (Jeremiah 38:23). These are strong and daring words which Jeremiah spoke. He knew it was his last chance. Perhaps for the sake of his wives and children, for the sake of his own life, for the sake of the holy city and its thousands of inhabitants Zedekiah would heed at last the word of the Lord.