Jeremiah 38 10

Jeremiah 38:10 kjv

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

Jeremiah 38:10 nkjv

Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take from here thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies."

Jeremiah 38:10 niv

Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, "Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

Jeremiah 38:10 esv

Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

Jeremiah 38:10 nlt

So the king told Ebed-melech, "Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies."

Jeremiah 38 verses

Jeremiah 38 10 Meaning

Jeremiah 38:10 records an act of mercy by Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch in King Zedekiah's court, who, instructed by Jeremiah, secretly rescues the prophet from a cistern. Ebed-Melech's decisive action is prompted by Jeremiah's plea and the prophet's impending death. The verse highlights the importance of obedience to God's word and the courage required to act righteously even in the face of opposition or perceived danger.

Jeremiah 38 10 Context

This verse occurs within Jeremiah chapter 38, which details Jeremiah's imprisonment and subsequent rescue. Jeremiah had been accused of weakening the soldiers and people by his prophecies of the city's fall and had been thrown into a miry cistern to die. King Zedekiah, though he allowed Jeremiah to be imprisoned, harbored some personal respect for the prophet and was also concerned about the implications of the prophet's death. Hearing of Jeremiah's dire situation from Ebed-Melech, Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah, not to free him entirely, but to get counsel from him privately, revealing a tension between Zedekiah's political pressures and his own uneasy conscience.

Jeremiah 38 10 Word Analysis

• And (וְ, wə): A conjunction, often beginning a new clause or sentence, linking this action to the previous discussion.
• the king (הַמֶּלֶךְ, ha-melekh): Refers to King Zedekiah of Judah. The definite article 'the' indicates a specific, known king in context.
• commanded (צִוָּה, tsiv·vâ): A strong verb meaning to order, appoint, charge, or direct. It implies royal authority.
• Ebed-melech (עֶבֶד-מֶלֶךְ, Eḇeḏ-meleḵ): Means "servant of the king." A proper name of an Ethiopian (Cushite) eunuch holding a position of authority in Zedekiah's palace. His non-Israelite origin and his act of kindness highlight God's universal care and the potential for individuals from any background to show compassion and righteousness.
• the Ethiopian (הַכּוּשִׁי, ha-Kū·šî): The gentilic adjective describing Ebed-Melech's origin as from Cush (Ethiopia). This detail emphasizes his foreignness within the Judahite court.
• out of the prison (מִן־הַבּוֹר, min-ha·ḇōr): "From the cistern" or "pit." This refers to the slimy, muddy pit Jeremiah had been thrown into. The preposition 'min' indicates the source of the removal.
• even (עוֹד, ‘ôḏ): Here translated as "even," or "while," it functions to emphasize that the action happened at a time when other actions were also occurring or when conditions were particular. In this specific instance, it might imply "while others were present" or "while he was still in the cistern."
• the dungeon (הַבּוֹר, ha-ḇōr): A repeated term for the cistern or pit, underscoring the depth and despair of Jeremiah's situation.
• but (וְ, wə): A conjunction, but here used adversatively or to transition to a different element of the sentence.
• Jeremiah (יִרְמְיָהוּ, Yir·mî·yā·hū): The prophet whose ordeal is recounted.
• was there (וְשָׁם, wə-šām): Indicates Jeremiah's location at that particular place.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian": This phrase establishes royal authority acting upon a specific individual identified by his ethnicity and position. The command is directed from the top of the hierarchy downwards, with a foreigner being the recipient of this particular instruction.
• "out of the prison, out of the dungeon": The repetition of "out of the prison, out of the dungeon" (מִן־הַבּוֹר, מִן־הַבּוֹר, min-ha·ḇōr, min-ha·ḇōr) strongly emphasizes the perilous state of Jeremiah. It's not just being "imprisoned" but being placed in a depth, a cistern of mud, implying a life-threatening situation from which removal is explicitly ordered. This repetition highlights the extreme danger and the relief that the king's command provided.

Jeremiah 38 10 Bonus Section

The rescue of Jeremiah by Ebed-Melech foreshadows the greater rescue to come through Christ, who is Himself a suffering servant cast into the "pit" of death and hell but is ultimately delivered and exalted by God. Ebed-Melech’s actions are cited in rabbinic literature as an example of performing a mitzvah (commandment) under duress. This instance highlights the prophet's persistence and the surprising support he receives from an outsider to his nation. The kindness shown by Ebed-Melech earned him a divine promise of deliverance from the Babylonian invaders, as recorded later in Jeremiah 39:15-18, emphasizing that righteous acts, even when seemingly small or dangerous, do not go unnoticed by God.

Jeremiah 38 10 Commentary

Zedekiah's action in this verse, commanding Ebed-Melech to retrieve Jeremiah, demonstrates a complex interplay of fear, expediency, and perhaps a flicker of conscience. While he had previously acquiesced to the princes' demands to imprison Jeremiah, the prophet's subsequent plea for his life (implied by the context of the chapter) prompts this direct royal intervention. The king’s words, "Is this thing done by your authority?" earlier in the chapter reveal his initial doubt and possible concern over his own complicity or the princes' actions.

Ebed-Melech, a eunuch and an Ethiopian, stands out as a courageous figure. His willingness to act swiftly, using the humanitarian resources (old rags and torn cloths for padding) available to him, shows both compassion and practical wisdom. His loyalty is not just to the king but, by extension, to justice and perhaps to the divine word that Jeremiah represents. He asks Jeremiah for a word from the Lord, indicating his own reverence or at least curiosity towards God's communication through the prophet, even in this moment of rescue. This act positions Ebed-Melech as a counterpoint to the cowardly princes who sought Jeremiah's death. His actions underscore the biblical theme that faith and courage can be found in unexpected places and individuals. The king, ultimately, acts not out of deep conviction, but out of a desire to avoid divine judgment and to perhaps retain the prophet's counsel without directly confronting his own authorities.