Jeremiah 38:13 kjv
So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
Jeremiah 38:13 nkjv
So they pulled Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
Jeremiah 38:13 niv
and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Jeremiah 38:13 esv
Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
Jeremiah 38:13 nlt
they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard ? the palace prison ? where he remained.
Jeremiah 38 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 38:13 | "So they drew Jeremiah up with ropes..." | Main Verse |
| Ps 40:2 | "...from the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock..." | Deliverance from distress |
| Ps 116:3 | "The snares of death encompassed me..." | Danger and rescue |
| Ps 130:1 | "Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!" | Crying out from distress |
| Lam 3:54 | "Water flowed over my head; I said, 'I am cut off!'" | Extreme suffering and helplessness |
| Jonah 2:3 | "You cast me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas..." | Similar imagery of being in depths |
| Matt 14:30 | "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out..." | Fear and sinking in water |
| Acts 27:42 | "...the soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent anyone from swimming out and escaping." | Desperate measures during crisis |
| Josh 3:15 | "and as the feet of the priests who bore the ark were brought to the brink of the Jordan..." | Jordan's waters representing obstacle |
| Gen 7:17 | "The flood thus came from the heavens, and the waters increased and lifted the ark..." | Waters as overwhelming force |
| Exod 14:21 | "Then Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind..." | Red Sea crossing, waters parted |
| 2 Sam 22:5 | "The cords of death ensnared me; the torrents of destruction barraged me." | Spiritual warfare imagery of cords |
| Ps 18:4 | "The pangs of death and the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me." | Similar to 2 Sam 22:5 |
| Jer 37:21 | "King Zedekiah himself commanded, and Jeremiah was put into the dungeon of the king's guard..." | Prior verse showing imprisonment |
| Jer 38:14 | "Then Zedekiah the king sent, and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him..." | Following verse of further interaction |
| Jer 38:17 | "And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you..." | Jeremiah's message to Zedekiah |
| Jer 39:16 | "Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel..." | God's promise to Ebed-melech |
| Zeph 1:13 | "...they will pour it out like dust, for they too will be judged." | Divine judgment, emptying contents |
| Ezek 4:3 | "Then take an iron griddle or a pan of iron, and set it between you and the city..." | Symbolic actions of siege |
| Ezek 24:12 | "She has made herself very weary with her adulteries. Yet her greasy filth remains in her." | Sin leading to destruction |
Jeremiah 38 verses
Jeremiah 38 13 Meaning
This verse signifies drawing water with a rope, implying a meticulous and perhaps difficult or even inappropriate method of securing a drink. It points to the extreme hardship and dire straits the people were in, being forced to resort to such means. This action reveals a breakdown in the normal provision of water and highlights the desperation caused by the siege and God's judgment.
Jeremiah 38 13 Context
Jeremiah 38 takes place during the final siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. The city is starving, and many have lost hope. Jeremiah has been imprisoned due to his prophecies that encourage surrender, which are seen as treasonous by the princes of Judah. In this chapter, after being held in a cistern (or well) of mud, an Ethiopian eunuch named Ebed-melech intervenes, with the king's permission, to rescue Jeremiah from this near-death situation. Verse 13 describes the act of pulling Jeremiah out of the cistern. This incident highlights Jeremiah's continued suffering for delivering God's message and the slight hope offered by Ebed-melech's compassion, operating even amidst dire circumstances.
Jeremiah 38 13 Word Analysis
- "So" - This conjunction indicates the immediate action following previous events, linking the rescue to Ebed-melech's initiative.
- "they" - Refers to the servants of Ebed-melech who carried out the physical task of rescue.
- "drew" - Implies pulling with effort, upward. The Hebrew word for this action, machah (מָשַׁכְתָּ), can mean to draw, pull, or drag.
- "Jeremiah" - The prophet who was suffering in the cistern.
- "up" - Indicates the direction of movement, from a lower position to a higher one.
- "with" - Shows the means or instrument used in the action.
- "ropes" - The tool employed for pulling Jeremiah out of the mire. The Hebrew word, chebel (חָבָל), refers to a rope, cord, or bond, often made from twisted fibers.
- "from" - Indicates the origin or place of removal.
- "the" - Definite article.
- "cistern" - The place where Jeremiah was imprisoned, described as being made of mud or mire. The Hebrew word bor (בּוֹר) can mean well or cistern, a receptacle for water. In this context, it's described as muddy, implying a pit designed to hold water but now filled with mud, possibly a place of imprisonment rather than literal water storage at this time.
- "of" - Shows possession or characteristic.
- "mud" - Describes the substance in the cistern, indicating the unpleasant and inescapable nature of Jeremiah's confinement. The Hebrew term etshel (עָצֶלֶת) or similar related terms can denote sloth or inactivity, but in some contexts associated with mud/mire could imply a stuck or mired condition. Scholars note this term refers to mire or muck.
Group Analysis:
- "drew Jeremiah up with ropes" - This phrase vividly paints a picture of difficult and precarious rescue. The use of "ropes" underscores the depth of the cistern and the effort required to extract Jeremiah, symbolizing spiritual or physical deliverance from a place of deep distress and confinement. The reliance on a physical tool to pull him out highlights human agency in the act of rescue, under God's ultimate plan.
- "from the cistern of mud" - This phrase emphasizes the dire condition of Jeremiah's imprisonment. A cistern is meant to hold water, essential for life, but here it's described as being of "mud" or "mire." This imagery represents hopelessness, being stuck, and the immediate threat of death by suffocation or being consumed by the muck, a stark contrast to the life-giving purpose of a well.
Jeremiah 38 13 Bonus Section
The act of using ropes to draw someone out from a pit or cistern has symbolic weight in scripture, often representing rescue from grave danger, sin, or the clutches of death. The detail that it was Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian (likely a Cushite), performing this act is significant. It shows that salvation and aid can come from unexpected quarters, even from Gentiles or those outside the direct covenant community of Israel, illustrating God's wider purposes. The cistern itself, often a symbol of confinement or death (Psalm 40:2, Jonah 2:3), emphasizes the seriousness of Jeremiah's plight.
Jeremiah 38 13 Commentary
This verse depicts the physical extraction of Jeremiah from a debilitating confinement. It's a moment of hope amidst despair, orchestrated by divine providence through the compassionate act of Ebed-melech. The imagery of drawing with ropes from mud speaks to deliverance from deep troubles, where natural means are insufficient and external help, however arduous, is essential. It highlights God's care for His prophet, even when surrounded by opposition and imminent death, and that God can move even those in positions of authority, albeit with specific permission (as indicated in previous verses), to act on His behalf.