Jeremiah 38 27

Jeremiah 38:27 kjv

Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

Jeremiah 38:27 nkjv

Then all the princes came to Jeremiah and asked him. And he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they stopped speaking with him, for the conversation had not been heard.

Jeremiah 38:27 niv

All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king.

Jeremiah 38:27 esv

Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they stopped speaking with him, for the conversation had not been overheard.

Jeremiah 38:27 nlt

Sure enough, it wasn't long before the king's officials came to Jeremiah and asked him why the king had called for him. But Jeremiah followed the king's instructions, and they left without finding out the truth. No one had overheard the conversation between Jeremiah and the king.

Jeremiah 38 verses

Jeremiah 38 27 meaning

Jeremiah 38:27 describes the immediate aftermath of King Zedekiah's secret meeting with Jeremiah. After the clandestine conversation, the royal officials (princes) approached Jeremiah, demanding to know the substance of his discussion with the king. Jeremiah responded exactly as Zedekiah had instructed him, relaying only a partial truth—that he had petitioned the king not to be returned to the house of Jonathan the scribe. Satisfied or silenced by this answer, the princes ceased their questioning, accepting the king's command relayed through Jeremiah, and thus inadvertently protecting both the king's secrets and Jeremiah's safety from their wrath.

Jeremiah 38 27 Context

Jeremiah 38:27 is nestled within a dramatic narrative of intense political intrigue and prophetic conviction during the final siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. The chapter begins with Jeremiah's dire prophecies concerning the city's fall, which led to the powerful princes throwing him into a muddy cistern to die. He was miraculously rescued by Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch. Subsequently, King Zedekiah, who was a weak and vacillating ruler torn between Jeremiah's warnings from God and the nationalistic, anti-Babylonian fervor of his princes, summoned Jeremiah for a secret consultation (verses 14-26). During this meeting, Jeremiah advised surrender to save the city and its people, but Zedekiah feared being handed over to the Babylonians or his own princes. Consequently, Zedekiah asked Jeremiah to conceal the true depth of their conversation from the princes, instructing him to only say that he had asked the king not to be returned to his previous prison. Jeremiah 38:27 thus details Jeremiah's fulfillment of the king's specific, deceptive instruction to diffuse immediate political tension and ensure his own temporary safety.

Jeremiah 38 27 Word analysis

• וַיָּבֹאוּ (Wayyavou): "Then all the princes came." The immediate, confrontational nature of their arrival underscores their suspicion and aggressive demeanor towards Jeremiah. This word, with the prefixed vav (ו), signifies sequential action, indicating this event directly followed the king's command.
• כָל־הַשָּׂרִים (khol-hassarin): "all the princes." The Hebrew word sarim (שָּׂרִים) denotes high-ranking officials, chiefs, or rulers. This phrase highlights their collective authority and hostile intent; these were the very individuals who had cast Jeremiah into the cistern (Jer 38:4-6) and whose fear gripped King Zedekiah (Jer 38:19).
• אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ (el-yirmeyahu): "to Jeremiah." Directly confronting the prophet, demonstrating their interest in his recent private conversation with the king.
• וַיִּשְׁאֲלֻ֑הוּ (vayyish'aluhu): "and asked him." This verb indicates direct interrogation. The princes wanted specific information, likely seeking to expose any advice Jeremiah gave that countered their own pro-resistance stance or to confirm their suspicion that Jeremiah was an enemy collaborator.
• כְּכָל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖ה הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ (kikhol-haddevarim ha'elleh asher-tzivvah hammelekh): "according to all these words that the king had commanded." This significant phrase confirms Jeremiah's obedience to King Zedekiah's precise instructions from the preceding verses (Jer 38:25-26). The phrase tzivah hammelekh ("the king commanded") emphasizes the direct order, framing Jeremiah's response not as a spontaneous lie, but an act of compliance under royal decree, aimed at safeguarding the king and himself from the volatile princes. This wasn't a prophetic utterance from God but a human exchange in a dangerous political landscape.
• וַֽיִּדְּמוּ֙ מִמֶּֽנּוּ (vayyiddemu mimmennu): "and they said no more to Jeremiah" or "they kept silent from him." The Hebrew verb damam (דמם) can mean "to be silent," "to be still," or "to be dumbfounded." In this context, it implies that the princes accepted Jeremiah's pre-arranged response. Whether truly satisfied, hesitant to press the king's directive, or simply outmaneuvered, their questioning ceased. This silence signals a temporary de-escalation of the immediate threat against Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 38 27 Bonus section

• Jeremiah's ethical position in this verse has been a subject of scholarly discussion. The general consensus is that while the statement to the princes was not a full disclosure, it was not a direct lie from God. Jeremiah was acting under duress and specific instruction from the king concerning a private, political conversation, not a divine prophecy. His primary responsibility as a prophet was to deliver God's word, which he had done faithfully to Zedekiah.
• King Zedekiah's consistent pattern of fearing his princes and popular opinion more than the Lord ultimately contributed to his downfall and the destruction of Jerusalem. This verse, with Zedekiah's instructions for secrecy, is another example of his failure to stand firm in God's will.
• The incident highlights the dangers faced by prophets who speak uncomfortable truths to power. Jeremiah often found himself between the rock of divine command and the hard place of human opposition. His life demonstrates both profound courage and the need for wisdom in self-preservation where possible.
• This exchange prevented an immediate confrontation that could have led to Jeremiah's re-imprisonment or death, thus allowing him to continue his ministry later. It shows divine protection working through human discretion.

Jeremiah 38 27 Commentary

Jeremiah 38:27 provides a stark illustration of Jeremiah's personal discernment in a morally complex situation. Having received a direct command from his sovereign, King Zedekiah, to obscure the truth of their secret discussion from hostile officials, Jeremiah acted in obedience to that royal directive. This act of "strategic ambiguity" or "partial truth" should not be seen as a compromise of Jeremiah's prophetic integrity regarding God's declared word. Jeremiah had faithfully delivered the word of the Lord to Zedekiah—calling for surrender. His response to the princes, however, was a diplomatic act within a volatile political environment, serving to protect both the king's weakness (Zedekiah feared his princes more than he feared God or the Babylonians) and Jeremiah's own life, given the princes' demonstrated murderous intent (Jer 38:4-6). It was a moment where the prophet navigated the practical realities of survival while his core prophetic message remained unchanged. The princes' subsequent silence underscores the effectiveness of this maneuver, even if built on concealment. Jeremiah's conduct here offers insight into wisdom and prudence, not abandoning truth, but delivering it according to context and specific command, while refraining from unnecessary self-incrimination in situations not directly requiring prophetic proclamation.