Jeremiah 38:2

Jeremiah 38:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.
• New International Version (NIV)“This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Thus says the Lord: He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Thus says the Lord: ‘He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes over to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be as a prize to him, and he shall live.’

Context of Jeremiah 38:2

1Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal (also called Jehucal) the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying, “So says the Lord, ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by virulent disease (pestilence), but he who goes out to the Chaldeans [of Babylon] will live and have his [own] life as a reward and stay alive.’ 3Thus says the Lord, ‘This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will take it.’ ” 4Therefore the princes (court officials) said to the king, “Please [we implore you] let this man [Jeremiah] be put to death; for [speaking] in this way he discourages and weakens [the will of] the soldiers who remain in this city and he discourages and weakens [the will of] all the people by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but rather their harm.”

Jeremiah 38:2 word by word

כֹּה֮ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֒ הַיֹּשֵׁב֙ בָּעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את יָמ֕וּת בַּחֶ֖רֶב בָּרָעָ֣ב וּבַדָּ֑בֶר וְהַיֹּצֵ֤א אֶל־הַכַּשְׂדִּים֙ וְחָיָ֔ה וְהָיְתָה־לּ֥וֹ נַפְשׁ֛וֹ לְשָׁלָ֖ל וָחָֽי׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• He that remainethיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in this cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• shall dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• by the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• by the famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
• and by the pestilenceדֶּ֫בֶרdeber · pestilenceH1698
• but he that goeth forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• to the Chaldeansכַּשְׂדִּיםkaώdîy kaώdîymâh · ChaldeaH3778
• shall liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• for he shall have his lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• for a preyשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
• and shall liveחָיַיchâyay · to liveH2425

Cross-references for Jeremiah 38:2

• Jeremiah 38:17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you will go out and surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live and this city will not be burned with fire; and you and your household will live.
• Jeremiah 21:8“And to this people you (Jeremiah) shall also say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
• Jeremiah 24:8‘And as for the bad figs, which are so rotten that they cannot be eaten,’ surely thus says the Lord, ‘so I will abandon Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and those who live in the land of Egypt.
• Jeremiah 27:13Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by famine and by virulent disease, as the Lord has spoken to any nation which will not serve the king of Babylon?
• Jeremiah 29:18I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with virulent disease; and I will make them a terror (warning) to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a horror, a hissing, and a disgrace among all the nations to which I have driven them,
• Jeremiah 34:17“Therefore says the Lord, ‘You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed liberty to your brother and your countryman. Behold (listen very carefully), I am proclaiming liberty to you—[liberty to be put] to the sword, [liberty] to [be ravaged by] the virulent disease, and [liberty] to [be decimated by] famine,’ says the Lord; ‘and I will make you a horror and a warning to all the kingdoms of the earth.
• Jeremiah 42:17So all the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there [temporarily] will die by the sword, by famine and by virulent disease; none of them will remain or survive the disaster that I am going to bring on them.” ’ ”
• Jeremiah 44:13For I will punish all the inhabitants of the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with virulent disease;
• Ezekiel 5:12One third of you will die of virulent disease or be consumed by famine among you; one third will fall by the sword around you; and one third I will scatter to all the winds, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.
• Ezekiel 6:11“Thus says the Lord God, ‘Strike with your fist, stamp with your foot and say, “Alas, because of all the evil atrocities of the house of Israel, which will fall by sword, by famine, and by virulent disease!
• Ezekiel 7:15The sword is outside and virulent disease and famine are within. He who is in the field will die by the sword, and famine and disease will devour those in the city.
• Ezekiel 14:21For thus says the Lord God, “How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem—sword, famine, predatory beasts, and virulent disease—to cut off man and animal from it!
• Matthew 24:7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
• Revelation 6:4And another, a fiery red horse [of bloodshed], came out; and its rider was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword [of war and violent death] was given to him.
• Jeremiah 21:9He who remains in this city [of Jerusalem] will die by the sword and by famine and by virulent disease. But he who goes outside and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and his life will be like a prize of war to him.
• Jeremiah 39:18For I will certainly rescue you; and you will not fall by the sword, but you will have your [own] life as a reward of battle, because you have placed your trust in Me,” says the Lord.’ ”

Commentaries on Jeremiah 38:2

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-13Jeremiah could talk to people while in the prison courtyard. He shared the Lord's judgments, which angered some government officials. Zedekiah showed cowardice by allowing these men to put Jeremiah in a muddy cistern. However, the king showed courage when he let a palace servant rescue Jeremiah and bring him back to the palace prison.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. life ... a prey--He shall escape with his life; though losing all else in a shipwreck, he shall carry off his life as his gain, saved by his going over to the Chaldeans. (See on Jr 21:9).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 38:2

• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Persecution

In the dictionaries

• Pashur
• Shephatiah
• Jeremiah (2)
• Judah, Kingdom of
• Pashhur, Pashur
• Zedekiah (2)
• Zedekiah

Commentaries on Jeremiah 38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings