Jeremiah 38 22

Jeremiah 38:22 kjv

And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

Jeremiah 38:22 nkjv

'Now behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah's house shall be surrendered to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say: "Your close friends have set upon you And prevailed against you; Your feet have sunk in the mire, And they have turned away again."

Jeremiah 38:22 niv

All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you: "?'They misled you and overcame you? those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.'

Jeremiah 38:22 esv

Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and were saying, "'Your trusted friends have deceived you and prevailed against you; now that your feet are sunk in the mud, they turn away from you.'

Jeremiah 38:22 nlt

All the women left in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the Babylonian army. Then the women will taunt you, saying, 'What fine friends you have!
They have betrayed and misled you.
When your feet sank in the mud,
they left you to your fate!'

Jeremiah 38 verses

Jeremiah 38 22 meaning

This verse is a direct prophecy from Jeremiah to King Zedekiah, vividly foretelling the humiliation of his royal wives and their bitter accusation against his counselors. It describes how these women, once residing in the palace, will be brought out to the Babylonian officials, thus publicly shaming the king. Their lament exposes the king's false friends – his trusted advisors – who deceived him into his current desperate predicament, metaphorically having his feet "stuck in the mud," only to abandon him in his utter helplessness. It underscores the profound consequences of Zedekiah's refusal to heed divine counsel and his misplaced trust in those who offered him poor advice.

Jeremiah 38 22 Context

Jeremiah 38:22 is a pivotal part of Jeremiah's final, desperate attempt to persuade King Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonians. The king is in a dire situation: the city is under siege, and his officials are openly hostile towards Jeremiah for his messages of surrender. Zedekiah secretly consults Jeremiah, but fears his own Judean princes and populace more than he fears God's judgment or desires to follow God's clear instruction. This particular verse delivers a highly personal and humiliating prophecy about the king's wives being exposed to the enemy and their accusing words, highlighting the ultimate failure of Zedekiah's policy of resistance and his misplaced trust. Historically, Jerusalem was facing its final downfall under King Zedekiah during the Babylonian siege, fulfilling earlier prophecies of judgment against Judah for its persistent idolatry and disobedience.

Jeremiah 38 22 Word analysis

• And all your women (וְכֹל נָשֶׁיךָ֙ - vĕkōl nāsheyka):

  • women (נָשֶׁיךָ֙ - nāsheyka): Refers specifically to Zedekiah's wives and possibly concubines, an integral part of a king's household and status. Their public display and capture signify ultimate dishonor for the king and the total collapse of his power and protection. This represents a complete reversal of their privileged life within the royal 'palaces.'

• who are left in your palaces (הַנִּשְׁאָר֥וֹת בְּבֵית הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ - han.nish'ārōth bĕbêth hammêlek):

  • left (הַנִּשְׁאָר֥וֹת - han.nish'ārōth): Implies that many may have already suffered, and these are the remaining ones. It heightens the sense of a complete defeat.
  • palaces (בְבֵית הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ - bĕbêth hammêlek, lit. 'king's house'): Denotes the royal residence, a place of safety, luxury, and privacy. Being 'brought out' from here emphasizes the violation and exposure of their former protected status. This highlights the vulnerability of the entire royal structure.

• will be brought out (מֻוְצָא֕וֹת - mûtsa'ōth):

  • Passive voice underscores their helplessness; they are objects, not agents, of this action. It implies a forced, ignominious parade, stripped of dignity and control.

• to the officials of the king of Babylon (אֶל־שָׂרֵ֥י מֶֽלֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל - ’el-śārê melek Bāvel):

  • officials (שָׂרֵ֥י - śārê): Represents the authority and power of the conquerors. The specific mention means the Judean women are subject to their gaze and control, an act of conquest and ownership. This emphasizes the irreversible transfer of power.
  • king of Babylon (מֶֽלֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל - melek Bāvel): Clearly identifies the conquering power, emphasizing that resistance is futile.

• and those women themselves will say (וְהֵ֙נָּה֙ אֹֽמְר֤וֹת - vĕhênnāh ’ōmĕrôth):

  • those women themselves (וְהֵ֙נָּה֙ - vĕhênnāh): The Hebrew emphasizes 'they themselves,' suggesting their voice carries a specific, personal sting. It is not Jeremiah reporting this but the very people Zedekiah has supposedly protected who turn against him. Their words are not mere prophecy but a direct, shaming indictment from within his closest circle.

• ‘Your friends have misled you and overpowered you (הִסִּית֙וּךָ֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י שְׁלֹמֶ֔ךָ וַיֻּכְל֥וּ לָךְ֙ - hissîtûkhā ’ansḥê shĕlōmekhā vayyuklû lākh):

  • friends (אַנְשֵׁ֣י שְׁלֹמֶ֔ךָ - ’ansḥê shĕlōmekhā, lit. 'men of your peace/well-being'): Refers to Zedekiah's confidantes, counselors, and allies whom he trusted. This is a bitter irony, as those who were supposed to ensure his 'peace' are now seen as his betrayers.
  • misled you (הִסִּית֙וּךָ֙ - hissîtûkhā): Means they incited, seduced, or enticed him to follow a destructive path (e.g., to resist Babylon, against Jeremiah's advice). They did not act honorably.
  • overpowered you (וַיֻּכְל֥וּ לָךְ֙ - vayyuklû lākh): Implies they gained control or mastery over him, perhaps by fear or influence. Zedekiah, despite being king, allowed himself to be swayed by their counsel, thus becoming weak.

• now that your feet are stuck in the mud, they have turned away.' (טָבְּע֣וּ בַטִּ֗יט רַגְלֶ֙יךָ֙ נָסֹ֥גוּ אָחֽוֹר - tābevû vat.ṭîṭ raḡleykhā nāsōḡû ’āḥôr):

  • feet are stuck in the mud (טָבְּע֣וּ בַטִּ֗יט רַגְלֶ֙יךָ֙ - tābevû vat.ṭîṭ raḡleykhā, lit. 'your feet have sunk in the mire'): A powerful metaphor for being in an inescapable, desperate, and helpless situation, where all movement is impeded. It graphically portrays his complete inability to act or escape, paralyzed by his poor decisions and his false advisors' machinations. This mirrors the previous verse (Jer 38:21) where Jeremiah had literally been left to die in a muddy cistern.
  • they have turned away (נָסֹ֥גוּ אָחֽוֹר - nāsōḡû ’āḥôr, lit. 'retreated backward'): The ultimate act of betrayal. Once Zedekiah is utterly trapped, those who advised him now abandon him, deserting him in his hour of greatest need.

Words-group analysis

• "And all your women...will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon": This phrase paints a picture of complete subjugation and public disgrace. For a king, his wives and concubines were a symbol of his virility, power, and the continuity of his dynasty. Their public exposure to enemy officials meant the ultimate degradation and effacing of his royal authority. It was a common tactic in ancient Near Eastern warfare to shame a conquered king by parading his family.
• "Your friends have misled you and overpowered you; now that your feet are stuck in the mud, they have turned away": This sequence is a bitter summary of Zedekiah's failed leadership. It outlines deception, manipulation, irreversible calamity, and final abandonment. The "friends" who "misled" him likely refer to the anti-Babylonian faction at court, who, contrary to Jeremiah's divine message, pushed for resistance, ultimately leading Zedekiah into an impossible trap, symbolizing the consequences of relying on human political maneuvering over divine guidance.

Jeremiah 38 22 Bonus section

This prophecy, delivered privately by Jeremiah to Zedekiah, contained a powerful element of psychological warfare meant to pierce the king's resolve and persuade him to surrender. By foretelling the precise words his own wives would utter, Jeremiah taps into deep cultural understandings of honor, shame, and trust within the royal court. The fact that the wives themselves voice the accusation makes it incredibly poignant and adds weight to the king's culpability; it suggests even his closest, most vulnerable dependents would see through the façade of his advisors and recognize the true nature of their betrayal. The imagery of "feet stuck in the mud" not only paints a picture of physical helplessness but also serves as a direct, ironic parallel to Jeremiah's own recent suffering in a muddy cistern (Jer 38:6), suggesting that the king's fate is directly connected to how he treated God's messenger and chose his own advisors.

Jeremiah 38 22 Commentary

Jeremiah 38:22 offers a profoundly intimate and humiliating prophecy to King Zedekiah, exposing the dire consequences of his weakness and misjudgment. It's a stark portrayal of Zedekiah's inability to choose wisdom (Jeremiah's counsel from God) over fear and worldly advice (his treacherous 'friends'). The women's public exposure to Babylonian officials is not merely a detail; it's a profound attack on royal honor, dignity, and lineage, as women's status was inextricably linked to the protection and reputation of the male head. Their lament, echoing betrayal by trusted confidantes, transforms this humiliation into an explicit accusation, affirming that Zedekiah's self-imposed dilemma (his "feet stuck in the mud") was orchestrated by those he trusted, only to be abandoned when his plight was sealed. This passage vividly demonstrates the divine principle that rejecting God's clear word through His prophet leads not only to physical ruin but also to internal collapse, betrayal, and deep personal shame.