Jeremiah 38:18

Jeremiah 38:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
• New International Version (NIV)But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But if you do not surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans; they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.’ ”

Context of Jeremiah 38:18

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. But if you don’t surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians. They will burn it down, and you will not escape from them.” 19King Zedekiah answered Jeremiah, “I’m afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Babylonians. The Babylonians may hand me over to them, and they will torture me.” 20Jeremiah said, “You will not be handed over to them. Obey the Lord by doing what I’m telling you. Then everything will go well for you, and you will live.

Jeremiah 38:18 word by word

וְאִ֣ם לֹֽא־תֵצֵ֗א אֶל־שָׂרֵי֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל וְנִתְּנָ֞ה הָעִ֤יר הַזֹּאת֙ בְּיַ֣ד הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים וּשְׂרָפ֖וּהָ בָּאֵ֑שׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹֽא־תִמָּלֵ֥ט מִיָּדָֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But if thou wilt not go forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: surrenderH3318
• to the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Babylon’sבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
• princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• then shall this cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• be givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• into the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• of the Chaldeansכַּשְׂדִּיםkaώdîy kaώdîymâh · ChaldeaH3778
• and they shall burnשָׂרַףώâraph · to burnH8313
• it with fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• and thou shalt not escape outמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422

Cross-references for Jeremiah 38:18

• 2 Kings 24:12King Jehoiakin of Judah, his mother, officials, generals, and eunuchs surrendered to the king of Babylon. In the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon captured Jehoiakin.
• 2 Kings 25:27On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the imprisonment of King Jehoiakin of Judah, King Evil Merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, freed King Jehoiakin of Judah from prison.
• Jeremiah 38:3“This is what the Lord says: This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, and it will capture the city.”
• Jeremiah 24:8“But this is what the Lord says about the bad figs that are so bad that they can’t be eaten. The Lord says, ‘Like these bad figs, I will abandon King Zedekiah of Judah, his princes, the remaining few in Jerusalem who stayed behind in this land, and those who are living in Egypt.
• Jeremiah 32:3When King Zedekiah of Judah locked up Jeremiah, Zedekiah asked him, “Why are you prophesying? You are saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: I’m going to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.
• Jeremiah 34:2“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, ‘The Lord says: I’m going to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.
• Jeremiah 39:3Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came in and sat in Middle Gate: Nergal (the quartermaster), Samgar Nebo (the chief officer), Nergal (the quartermaster and the chief fortuneteller), and all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon.
• Jeremiah 52:7The enemy broke through the city walls, and all Judah’s soldiers fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden. While the Babylonians were attacking the city from all sides, they took the road to the plain ⌞of Jericho⌟.
• 2 Kings 25:4The enemy broke through the city walls that night. All Judah’s soldiers left on the road of the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden. While the Babylonians were attacking the city from all sides, the king took the road to the plain ⌞of Jericho⌟.
• Ezekiel 12:13I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my net. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, but he will not see it. And that’s where he’ll die.
• Ezekiel 17:20I will spread my net over you to catch you in my trap. I will take you to Babylon and judge you there for rebelling against me.
• Ezekiel 21:25“You dishonest and wicked prince of Israel, the time for your final punishment has come.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 38:18

• 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. 17-18Jeremiah explained the Lord's command. Zedekiah could save the city by surrendering, or he could see it destroyed by the invaders.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-28All this was subsequent to his imprisonment in Jonathan's house, and his release on his interview with Zedekiah. The latter occurred before the return of the Chaldeans to the siege; the similar events in this chapter occurred after it. 1. Jucal--Jehucal (Jr 37:3). Pashur--(Jr 21:1; compare Jr 21:9 with Jr 38:2). The deputation in Jr 21:1, to whom Jeremiah gave this reply, if not identical with the hearers of Jeremiah (Jr 38:1), must have been sent just…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 38:18

• Babylon
• Prisoners
• Zedekiah

In the dictionaries

• Foreknowledge of God
• Jeremiah (2)
• 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