God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 38:15
15Jeremiah answered Zedekiah, “If I answer you, you’ll kill me. If I give you advice, you won’t listen to me.”
Jeremiah 38:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?
- New International Version (NIV)Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”
Context of Jeremiah 38:15
13They used the ropes to pull Jeremiah up and lift him out of the cistern. Then Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the prison. 14King Zedekiah sent for the prophet Jeremiah and brought him to the third entrance in the Lord’s temple. “I’m going to ask you a question,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Don’t hide anything from me.” Jeremiah answered Zedekiah, “If I answer you, you’ll kill me. If I give you advice, you won’t listen to me.” 16So King Zedekiah secretly swore an oath to Jeremiah, “The Lord gave us life. As the Lord lives, I will not kill you or hand you over to these men who want to kill you.” 17Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, you will live, and this city will not be burned. You and your household will live.
Read all of Jeremiah 38Jeremiah 38:15 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־צִדְקִיָּ֔הוּ כִּ֚י אַגִּ֣יד לְךָ֔ הֲל֖וֹא הָמֵ֣ת תְּמִיתֵ֑נִי וְכִי֙ אִיעָ֣צְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תִשְׁמַ֖ע אֵלָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הוּyirmeyâh yirmeyâhû · JeremiahH3414
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Zedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּtsidqîyâh tsidqîyâhû · ZedekiahH6667
- If I declareנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- unto thee, wilt thou not surelyמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- and if I give thee counselיָעַץyâ‛ats · to adviseH3289
- wilt thou not hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
Cross-references for Jeremiah 38:15
Commentaries on Jeremiah 38:15
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Wilt thou not hearken ! - Rather, Thou wilt not hearken.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-28Verses 14-28 Jeremiah was not forward to repeat the warnings, which seemed only to endanger his own life, and to add to the king's guilt, but asked whether he feared to do the will of God. The less men fear God, the more they fear men; often they dare not act according to their own judgments and consciences.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-16Zedekiah desperately wanted a miracle to save his kingdom from the Babylonian armies. He arranged a secret meeting with Jeremiah.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. wilt thou not hearken unto me--Zedekiah does not answer this last query; the former one he replies to in Jr 38:16. Rather translate, "Thou wilt not hearken to me." Jeremiah judges so from the past conduct of the king. Compare Jr 38:17 with Jr 38:19.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 38:15
In the dictionaries
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
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