Jeremiah 38:24

Jer 38:24 Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

Ver. 24. Let no man know of these words,] Muliebriter deprecatur rex incredulus fidelem. Thus he who feareth not God, feareth his own servants and counsellors.

And thou shalt not die.] The crafty king would seem to be solicitous of the prophet’s safety, but mainly intendeth his own.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jer 38:24-27. Then said Zedekiah, Let no man know of these words, &c. — Keep what has passed between us secret, and I will keep my promise to thee of preserving thy life. These words sufficiently show that Zedekiah stood in fear of his courtiers. This is the righteous judgment of God, that those who will not sanctify the Lord of hosts in their hearts, and make him their fear, shall fear men, whom to fear is to be in a state of ignoble and miserable bondage. But if the princes hear, &c. — It was hardly possible that Zedekiah should have this private discourse with Jeremiah, but some or other of his courtiers should come to the knowledge of it. But here we see in what a state of miserable subjection this poor prince was to them, in that he could discourse to nobody, but they must come and inquire what he had said. Thou shalt say, I presented my supplication, &c. — Jeremiah had been formerly kept prisoner in Jonathan’s house, Jer 37:15. But the last time he was imprisoned was in the dungeon of Hammelech, Jer 38:6 of this chapter: a place which, perhaps, might at this time be put to some other use. Then came all the princes to Jeremiah — As the king suspected, so it came to pass: his private discourse with the prophet transpired, and all the princes then at court came and inquired of Jeremiah what was the substance of it. And he told them according to all that the king had commanded — He told them part of the truth, but not all, concealing from them the advice which he had given to the king, with relation to the questions he had proposed to him. For a man is not bound in all cases to discover the whole truth, particularly to those who have no right to the knowledge of it, which, in this case, these princes had not. So the matter was not perceived — The princes never got to know what was the principal subject of the king’s conference with the prophet.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

38:24-28 When Zedekiah’s fear of his officials surfaced again, he demanded that Jeremiah keep secret what he had told the king. • The officials might have suspected that Zedekiah was about to surrender to the enemy. Jeremiah obeyed the king’s order to keep quiet, and he spent the final days of the siege in the palace prison under the king’s protection.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Let no man know--If thou wilt not tell this to the people, I will engage thy safety.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Here is seen the miserable condition of the king. Had he no faith in the answer of Jeremiah, he would not have thus feared. But he acknowledged that what he had heard from the mouth of the Prophet was true. In the meanwhile he delayed and extended time as far as he could, and chose rather to spend his life in trembling than to be immediately freed from all care and anxiety. This was by no means to act like a king; for had he any courage, he would not have waited to the last hour. We indeed know that men of courage boldly meet death, when they see no hope of honor remaining. Zedekiah had lost his authority; he held indeed the title of a king, but he was without power; for he was compelled servilely to obey his counselors; and now he feared his own shadow, and yet protracted time, as I have said, as much as he could; and on this account he requested the Prophet, that this conversation might remain as buried.

By saying, thou shalt not die, he did not threaten the Prophet, but intimated that silence would not be less a benefit to Jeremiah than to himself: “Thou wilt rouse the fury of all against thyself, if thou speakest of this interview, for no one can bear to hear anything of the ruin of the city: if then thou consultest thine own benefit, say not a word of this, and let it not come to the people nor to my counselors.” Under the color of an advice then he said to Jeremiah, “See lest thou die He therefore did not speak threateningly.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

24. Let no man know] Zedekiah’s feebleness is again conspicuous in this and the two following verses. Although the saving of the prophet from conditions likely to prove fatal is not directly mentioned in the narrative as preserved to us, it is far from unlikely that it was one subject of the conversation. Thus the prophet may well have held himself justified in limiting his statement to the princes in accordance with Zedekiah’s desire, especially when we remember that moral standards at that age were not altogether identical with our own.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then said Zedekiah to Jeremiah,.... Not a word signifying his approbation of the counsel given him, or that he intended to take it; his silence showed the reverse:

let no man know of these words: that had passed between them; of the conference and conversation they had had together, at least not the particulars of it; the thing itself was known, as appears by what follows, that the king and prophet had been discoursing together; but what they talked of, he desires might be concealed, pretending the prophet's good, though it was his own honour and safety he sought:

and thou shall not die; as he had promised he should not, and had sworn to it; but suggests by this, that if he disclosed the conversation, he should took upon himself free from his word and oath; so that this carried something menacing in it: or it may be rendered "that thou die not" (c); intimating, that if the princes should come to the knowledge of what he had said, of the advice he had given, they would surely put him to death; and therefore, for his own safety, he desires the whole may be kept a secret.

(c) "ne moriaris", Gataker, Schmidt; "ut non moriaris", Piscator.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

These words sufficiently let us know that Zedekiah stood in awe of his courtiers, and we might probably think, that had it not been for them, he would have done better. This is the righteous judgment of God; those that will not sanctify the Lord of hosts, and make him their fear, shall fear men, whom to fear is much more base and ignoble.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

24. Let no man know — A king, and yet did not dare to have the particulars of this interview known!

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Trying to serve two masters.

Zedekiah was seeking to do this. He wanted to be on the prophet"s side, and yet not to break with the princes who were the prophet"s foes. We see the shifts to which he was driven, and we know the miserable outcome of his impossible attempt. We learn from it

I How DESPICABLE SUCH ATTEMPTS MAKE A MAN IN HIS OWN EYES. To thine own self be true, And it shall follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

But how far from this conscious rectitude he must be who seeks to serve two masters, who acts as Zedekiah did!

II HOW OTHER MEN DESPISE THEM.

III HOW GOD CONDEMNS THEM. How do the instances of Balaam, Pilate, Judas, and others shine out as warning beacons!

IV HOW USELESS, AFTER ALL, SUCH ATTEMPTS ARE. No more miserable fate could have befallen a man than that which came upon King Zedekiah. And in the highest matter of all, what are they who say, "Lord, Lord," but do not the things the Lord commands what are they but would be servers of two masters? And to them the Lord will say, "I never knew you; depart," etc.

V HOW MUCH FULL DECISION FOR GOD IS NEEDED. This alone will keep us from such sad endeavour; but this will. Therefore seek grace from God to make and abide by this choice; and bring yourselves under the blessed attraction of Christ; so shall you be drawn to him more and more, and made to abide in him. C.

Vers. 24-28. The unkingly position of a king.

I THE PROFESSION OF A KINGLY ATTRIBUTE. The king holds the power of life and death. He can pardon without giving a reason. And Zedekiah maintains the name of this kingly right, even upon the very heels of Jeremiah"s awful words. Such is the power of long accepted habit and privilege. Did he really think that if Jeremiah published the conversation he had power to put him to death? Or did he think that such a suggestion would move the prophet in the least? Possibly he did; or more likely he was talking at random; or it may be that in these last decaying days of dignity he asserted, by a kind of instinct, all that was left him to assert. We know well that he had no real power over Jeremiah, for the Lord who had hidden his prophet before could hide him again. (Jer_36:26) Pilate followed in the train of Zedekiah when he said to Jesus, "Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?". (Joh_19:10) This, then, is the first element in the unkingly position, that Zedekiah is professing what he cannot perform.

II HE IS AFRAID OF THE LEADING MEN IN THE STATE. He will not rise independent of them, neither will he consult them. Instead of fearing Jehovah and trembling at the thought of what he has just heard, his soul is filled with the fear of men who probably derived their places from his own appointment. He shrinks from being forced to tell any of them that he has had to contemplate as a possibility a voluntary surrender to the Chaldeans. Truly it was quite time for a new order of things to rise in Jerusalem, even if it meant the destruction of a city. A true king would not have feared that his interview with a prophet of God should be known anywhere. Kings among men, thee who are kings by nature and by the grandeur of their acts, fear no one but God. They act in the darkness just as if they were in the light; in private relations just as if they were in public. They never need to go begging and entreating people to conceal things.

III HE IS A SUPPLIANT TO ONE OF HIS SUBJECTS. In the same breath he tells Jeremiah he shall not die and begs Jeremiah to grant him a favour. All at once he sets before this prophet, so straightforward and unreserved, a nice question of casuistry. With the suggestion of burning Jerusalem before him, he is thinking first on the present inconvenience to himself and providing a nice quibble to escape from it. Yet even here is a sign of God"s bearing with him to the last. The request he makes, undignified as it is, is nevertheless one within the power of the prophet to grant. If Zedekiah feels it to be consistent with his regal dignity, Jeremiah feels it not inconsistent with his integrity. The impression we get from the whole conversation is that the torches of the Chaldeans did not come at all too soon. Y.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

From the king's weakness of character, and his dependence on his evil counsellors, neither could this interview have any result. Partly from want of firmness, but chiefly from fear of the reproaches of his princes, he did not venture to surrender himself and the city to the Chaldeans. Hence he did not wish that his interview with the prophet should be known, partly for the purpose of sparing himself reproaches from the princes, partly also, perhaps, not to expose the prophet to further persecutions on the part of the great men. Accordingly, he dismissed Jeremiah with this instruction: "Let no man know of these words, lest thou die." But if the princes should learn that the king had been speaking with him, and asked him, "Tell us, now, what thou hast said to the king, do not hide it from us, and we will not kill thee; and what did the king say to thee?" then he was to say to them, "I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan, to die there." As to the house of Jonathan, see on Jer 37:15. On מפּיל תּחנּתי cf. Jer 36:7; Jer 37:20.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Jonathan

See how you translated this man's name in Jeremiah 37:15.

translationWords

Zedekiah

word

king

plea

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.