Jeremiah 38:22

“And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house, etc.] That were left in the royal palace when Jehoiakim and Jeconiah were carried captives; or which were left of the famine and pestilence in, Zedekiah’s house; or would be left there when he should flee and make his escape; meaning his concubines, or maids of honour, and court ladies; [shall be] brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes: who shall use them as they think fit, and dispose of them at pleasure: and those [women] shall say, thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: or, “the men of thy peace”f723; the false prophets, and the princes that hearkened to them, and promised and flattered…”

“women--The very evil which Zedekiah wished to escape by disobeying the command to go forth shall befall him in its worst form thereby. Not merely the Jewish deserters shall "mock" him (Jer 38:19), but the very "women" of his own palace and harem, to gratify their new lords, will taunt him. A noble king in sooth, to suffer thyself to be so imposed on! Thy friends--Hebrew, "men of thy peace" (see Jer 20:10; Psa 41:9, Margin). The king's ministers and the false prophets who misled him. sunk in . . . mire--proverbial for, Thou art involved by "thy friends'" counsels in inextricable difficulties. The phrase perhaps alludes to Jer 38:6; a just retribution for the treatment of Jeremiah, who…”

“All the women that are left - Belonging to the harems of former kings (compare 1 Kings 2:22), attendants, and slaves. Thy friends ... - This satirical song (compare Obadiah 1:7) should be translated as a distich: Thy friends have urged thee on and prevailed upon thee: Thy feet are stuck in the mire; they have turned back. Thy friends - literally “men of thy peace,” thy acquaintance Jeremiah 20:10. They urge Zedekiah on to a hopeless struggle with the Chaldaeans, and when he gets into difficulties leave him in the lurch. return to 'Top of Page'”

“The women - Thou that art afraid of the insultings of men, shalt fall under the insultings of the women. Thy friends - For this thou mayest thank thy priests, and false prophets. And they - Have forsaken thee, every one shifting for himself. Next: Jeremiah Chapter 39”

“all: Jer 41:10, Jer 43:6; Lam 5:11 and those: Mr. Harmer would render, "and here (hennah or reading hinneh behold), the women (wont to sing on public occasions) shall say," etc.; observing "that these bitter speeches much better suit the lips of women belonging to the conquering nation, singing before a captive prince, than of his own wives and concubines." This he illustrates by the following extract from Della Valle: When he was at Lar, in Persia, the king of Ormuz was brought thither in triumph; and "this poor unfortunate king entered Lar, with his people, in the morning, music playing, and girls and women singing and dancing before him, according to the custom of Persia, and the people…”