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Jeremiah 38:23

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Jeremiah 38:23 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
Jeremiah 38:23 — American Standard Version

Context — Jeremiah 38

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
20But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of Jehovah, in that which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.
21But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that Jehovah hath showed me:
22behold, 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 familiar friends have set thee on, and have prevailed over thee: [now that] thy feet are sunk in the mire, they are turned away back.
23And they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
24Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.
25But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king; hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:
26then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan`s house, to die there.
← Jeremiah 38:22Jeremiah 38:24 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans, etc.] Not the citizens of Jerusalem; but, as Kimchi observes, the Chaldeans that should enter the city shall bring them out to the Chaldeans without: or it may be rendered impersonally, “they shall be brought out”: not only the ladies at court, that waited on him and his queen, as before; but all his wives and concubines, and his children, or his sons rather; for at the taking of the city no mention is made of daughters, only of sons, who were slain before his eyes, (<243906>Jeremiah 39:6); and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon; not by him personally, for he…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“children-- (Jer 39:6; Jer 41:10). "wives . . . children . . . thou"; an ascending climax.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“So - And. In addition to the ridicule there shall be the miseries of the capture. Thou shalt cause this city to be burned - literally, as margin. It shall be thy own act as completely as if done with thine own hand. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“they shall: Jer 38:18, Jer 39:6, Jer 41:10, Jer 52:8-13; Kg2 25:7; Ch2 36:20, Ch2 36:21 shalt cause: etc. Heb. shalt burn, etc. Jer 27:12, Jer 27:13; Eze 14:9, Eze 43:3 Jeremiah 38:25”
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Related study paths

Read Jeremiah 38 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification