Jeremiah 38:4

“Therefore the princes said unto the king, etc.] The four princes mentioned in (<243801>Jeremiah 38:1), having heard what Jeremiah said to the people, laid the case before the king, and addressed him upon it in the following manner: we beseech thee, let this man be put to death; or, “let this man now be put to death,” as the Targum. They speak very disrespectfully of the prophet, him “this man”; and with great authority to the and not in a submissive supplicating way, as we render it; the king, being in distress, was in their hands; he stood in fear of them, and could do nothing against their will and pleasure; and they urge that he might die instantly; they were for taking away his life at…”

“Had Jeremiah not had a divine commission, he might justly have been accused of treason; but having one, which made the result of the siege certain, he acted humanely as interpreter of God's will under the theocracy, in advising surrender (compare Jer 26:11).”

“For thus ... - Because he makes the men of war dispirited. No doubt this was true. Jeremiah, however, did not speak as a private person, but as the representative of the government; the temporal ruler in a theocracy being responsible directly to God. return to 'Top of Page'”

“38:4 The officials apparently believed that the morale of the men resisting the Babylonian army outside the walls of the city would be harmed if Jeremiah continued to prophesy, so they put him on trial for treason.”

“the princes: Jer 26:11, Jer 26:21-23, Jer 36:12-16; Ch2 24:21; Eze 22:27; Mic 3:1-3; Zep 3:1-3 thus: Exo 5:4; Kg1 18:17, Kg1 18:18, Kg1 21:20; Ezr 4:12; Neh 6:9; Amo 7:10; Luk 23:2; Joh 11:46-50; Act 16:20, Act 17:6, Act 24:5, Act 28:22 welfare: Heb. peace, Jer 29:7 Jeremiah 38:5”