Jeremiah 38:1

“Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, etc.] Of these two persons we nowhere else read. Some think that Pashur, whose son Gedaliah was, is the same as is mentioned (<242001>Jeremiah 20:1-18); which is not likely, since he was a priest, and this son a prince: and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah; these had been sent by the king to Jeremiah, to inquire of the Lord, and to pray for him and his people, (<242101>Jeremiah 21:1 37:3); all four were princes, prime ministers of state, of great power and authority, and to whom the king could deny nothing, or withstand, (<243804>Jeremiah 38:4,5); these heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken to all…”

“JEREMIAH PREDICTS THE CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM, FOR WHICH HE IS CAST INTO A DUNGEON, BUT IS TRANSFERRED TO THE PRISON COURT ON THE INTERCESSION OF EBED-MELECH, AND HAS A SECRET INTERVIEW WITH ZEDEKIAH. (Jer. 38:1-28) Jucal--Jehucal (Jer 37:3). Pashur-- (Jer 21:1; compare Jer 21:9 with Jer 38:2). The deputation in Jer 21:1, to whom Jeremiah gave this reply, if not identical with the hearers of Jeremiah (Jer 38:1), must have been sent just before the latter "heard" him speaking the same words. Zephaniah is not mentioned here as in Jer 21:1, but is so in Jer 37:3. Jucal is mentioned here and in the previous deputation (Jer 37:3), but not in Jer 21:1. Shephatiah and Gedaliah here do not occur either…”

“Had spoken - Spake; or, was speaking. return to 'Top of Page'”

“38:1-13 Jeremiah was free to talk to people while he was in the prison courtyard. He repeated the Lord’s decrees of judgment, but this stirred fierce anger among some of the government officials. Zedekiah showed his cowardice by letting these men put Jeremiah in a muddy cistern; the king also had a courageous moment when he permitted a palace servant to rescue Jeremiah and return him to the palace prison. 38:1 The Gedaliah mentioned here had a different father than the Gedaliah in 40:6. • The first Pashhur might have been the man in 20:1. The second Pashhur had a different father.”

“Shephatiah: Ezr 2:3; Neh 7:9 Jucal: Jer 37:4, Jehucal Pashur: Jer 21:1-10, Melchiah, Ch1 9:12, Malchijah, Neh 11:12 heard: Act 4:1, Act 4:2, Act 4:6-10, Act 5:28 Jeremiah 38:2”

“In this chapter two events are mentioned which took place in the last period of the siege of Jerusalem, shortly before the capture of the city by the Chaldeans. According to Jer 38:4, the number of fighting men had now very much decreased; and according to Jer 38:19, the number of deserters to the Chaldeans had become large. Moreover, according to Jer 38:9, famine had already begun to prevail; this hastened the fall of the city. Jer 38:1-4 Jeremiah is cast into a miry pit, but drawn out again by Ebedmelech the Cushite. Jer 38:1-6. Being confined in the court of the guard attached to the royal palace, Jeremiah had opportunities of conversing with the soldiers stationed there and the people of…”