Bible Commentaries

Pashur. See note on Jeremiah 20:1.

goeth forth. Some codices add "and falleth".

life = soul.

welfare = peace.

dungeon. See note on Jeremiah 37:16.

Hammelech = the king. See note on Jeremiah 36:26.

prison = house of detention.

sunk in the mire. To be preferred to the moral sinking of Zedekiah in Jeremiah 38:22.

Ebed-meleoh the Ethiopian. See Jeremiah 39:16; and compare Acts 8:27-38.

Ebed-melech. Some codices add "the Ethiopian".

thirty. The king knew the danger. No need to suppose that "thirty" is a copyist's error for "three"!

old cast = cast-off clothes.

clouts = patches. Ang. -Sax. clut = a patch.

armholes = armpits.

remained. See note on Jeremiah 37:18.

Then, &c. This is the last picture of Zedekiah, and the house of Judah.

wilt thou not . . . me? = thou wilt not. This second clause is not a question in the Hebrew text.

As the LORD liveth = By the life of Jehovah.

soul. Hebrew. nephesh (App-13): i.e. May He Who gave us both our life, take mine away if I take thine, or give thee, &c.

the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 35:17.

the God of hosts. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, omit "God", and read "Jehovah Z baioth, God of Israel".

afraid = apprehensive.

princes. Showing that Nebuchadnezzar himself was not there. Compare Jeremiah 39:1.

set thee on = persuaded thee. See note on Jeremiah 20:7.

sunk in the mire. The moral sinking of Zedekiah far worse than Jeremiah's physical sinking.

children = sons.

thou shalt cause this city to be burned. Hebrew thou wilt burn. Note the idiom by which the act is put for the declaration that it should be done.

he told them, &c. In Holy Scripture we have an inspired record of what was said and done by others, but it does not follow that all that was so said and done was inspired.

commanded. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, add "him".

abode. See the note on Jeremiah 37:16. further date: viz. "in the tenth day of the month".