Jeremiah 38:6

Jeremiah 38:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
• New International Version (NIV)So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.

Context of Jeremiah 38:6

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.” 5Then King Zedekiah [fearing the princes] said, “Listen, he is in your hand; for the king is in no position to do anything against you.” So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down [into the cistern] with ropes. Now there was no water in the cistern but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. 7Now Ebed-melech the Ethiopian (Cushite), one of the eunuchs who was in the king’s palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern, and while the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin, 8Ebed-melech went out of the king’s palace and spoke to the king, saying,

Jeremiah 38:6 word by word

וַיִּקְח֣וּ אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ וַיַּשְׁלִ֨כוּ אֹת֜וֹ אֶל־הַבּ֣וֹר׀ מַלְכִּיָּ֣הוּ בֶן־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר֙ בַּחֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָ֔ה וַיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בַּחֲבָלִ֑ים וּבַבּ֤וֹר אֵֽין־מַ֙יִם֙ כִּ֣י אִם־טִ֔יט וַיִּטְבַּ֥ע יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בַּטִּֽיט׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• they Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הוּyirmeyâh yirmeyâhû · JeremiahH3414
• and castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• him into the dungeonבּוֹרbôr · pitH953
• of Malchiahמַלְכִּיָּהוּmalkîyâh malkiyâhû · MalchiahH4441
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Hammelechהַמֶּלֶךְmelek · `the king`H4428
• in the courtחָצֵרchâtsêr · courtH2691
• of the prisonמַטָּרָהmaţţârâ' maţţârâh · guardhouseH4307
• and they let downשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• with cordsחֶ֫בֶלchebel chêbel · cordH2256
• no waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• but mireטִיטţîyţ · mudH2916
• sunkטָבַעţâba‛ · to sinkH2883

Cross-references for Jeremiah 38:6

• Jeremiah 37:21Then King Zedekiah commanded, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guardhouse, and a [round] loaf of bread from the bakers’ street was given to him daily, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained [imprisoned] in the court of the guardhouse.
• Psalms 109:5They have repaid me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
• Luke 3:19But when Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch was repeatedly reprimanded [and convicted by John’s disapproval] for having Herodias, his brother’s wife [as his own], and for all the wicked things that Herod had done,
• Jeremiah 37:16When Jeremiah had come into the vaulted cell in the dungeon and had remained there many days,
• Lamentations 3:55I called on Your name, O Lord, Out of the lowest pit.
• Acts 16:24He, having received such a [strict] command, threw them into the inner prison (dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks [in an agonizing position].
• 2 Corinthians 4:8We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair;
• Hebrews 10:36For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised.
• Jeremiah 36:26And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.
• Jeremiah 38:11So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the palace of the king to a place under the storeroom and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah.
• Jeremiah 38:26then you are to say to them, ‘I was presenting my [humble] petition and plea to the king so that he would not send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.’ ”
• Jeremiah 37:20Therefore now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my petition come before you and be acceptable and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may not die there.”
• Jeremiah 38:22‘Then behold, all the women who are left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon and those women will say [to you, King Zedekiah], “Your close friends Have prevailed against your better judgment and have overpowered and deceived you; While your feet were sunk in the mire [of trouble], They turned back.”
• Genesis 37:24then they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
• Psalms 40:2He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.
• Psalms 69:2I have sunk in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, where a flood overwhelms me.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 38:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6So Jeremiah sunk in the mire - Their obvious design was, that he might be stifled in that place.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6The dungeon - The cistern. Every house in Jerusalem was supplied with a subterranean cistern, so well constructed that the city never suffered in a siege from want of water. So large were they that when dry they seem to have been used for prisons Zechariah 9:11. Hammelech - See Jeremiah 36:26 note. The prison - The guard. They threw Jeremiah into the nearest cistern, intending that he should die of starvation. Some have thought that Psalm 69 was composed…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6In front of everyone in the palace courtyard, they threw Jeremiah into an empty cistern. A thick layer of mud at the bottom slowly covered his body.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. dungeon--literally, the "cistern." It was not a subterranean prison as that in Jonathan's house (Jr 37:15), but a pit or cistern, which had been full of water, but was emptied of it during the siege, so that only "mire" remained. Such empty cisterns were often used as prisons (Zec 9:11); the depth forbade hope of escape. Hammelech--(Jr 36:26). His son followed in the father's steps, a ready tool for evil. sunk in the mire--Jeremiah herein was a type of…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 38:6

• Dungeon
• Hammelech
• Imprisonment
• Jeremiah
• Persecution
• Prisoners
• Rulers
• Zedekiah

In the dictionaries

• Jeremiah
• Cistern
• Dungeon
• Pashur
• Hammelech
• Jeremiah (2)
• Joash (1)
• Malchijah
• Pashhur, Pashur
• Pit

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