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Jeremiah 38:9

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“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 9

In this chapter, just as in the former, we have Jeremiah greatly debased under the frowns of the princes, and yet greatly honoured by the favour of the king. They used him as a criminal; he used him as a privy-counsellor. Here, I. Jeremiah for his faithfulness is put into the dungeon by the princes (Jer 38:1-6). II. At the intercession of Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, by special order from the king, he is taken up out of the dungeon and confined only to the court of the prison (Jer 38:7-13). III. He has a private conference with the king upon the present conjuncture of affairs (Jer 38:14-22). IV. Care is taken to keep that conference private (Jer 38:24-28).

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 9

אָדוֹן (ʼâdôwn, H113) — sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine) מֶלֶךְ (melek, H4428) — a king אֱנוֹשׁ (ʼĕnôwsh, H582) — a man in general (singly or collectively) רָעַע (râʻaʻ, H7489) — properly, to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces); figuratively, to make (or be) good… עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, H6213) — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application יִרְמְיָה (Yirmᵉyâh, H3414) — Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine Israelites נָבִיא (nâbîyʼ, H5030) — a prophet or (generally) inspired man שָׁלַךְ (shâlak, H7993) — to throw out, down or away (literally or figuratively) בּוֹר (bôwr, H953) — a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or a prison) מוּת (mûwth, H4191) — to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill פָּנִים (pânîym, H6440) — the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and… רָעָב (râʻâb, H7458) — hunger (more or less extensive) תַּחַת (tachath, H8478) — the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix… לֶחֶם (lechem, H3899) — food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Job 31:34rank 2

because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—

Jeremiah 52:6rank 2

By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.

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