New King James Version
Jeremiah 38:17
17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you surely surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live; this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.
Jeremiah 38:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
- New International Version (NIV)Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the Babylonian officers, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned down.
Context of Jeremiah 38:17
15Jeremiah 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.” 16So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, “As the Lord lives, who made our very souls, I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.” Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you surely surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live; this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. 18But 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.’ ” 19And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they abuse me.”
Read all of Jeremiah 38Jeremiah 38:17 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ אֶל־צִדְקִיָּ֡הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אִם־יָצֹ֨א תֵצֵ֜א אֶל־שָׂרֵ֤י מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ וְחָיְתָ֣ה נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ וְהָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את לֹ֥א תִשָּׂרֵ֖ף בָּאֵ֑שׁ וְחָיִ֖תָה אַתָּ֥ה וּבֵיתֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הוּyirmeyâh yirmeyâhû · JeremiahH3414
- unto Zedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּtsidqîyâh tsidqîyâhû · ZedekiahH6667
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- the Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- If thou wilt assuredlyיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: surrenderH3318
- unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Babylon’sבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- then thy soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- shall liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
- and this cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- shall not be burnedשָׂרַףώâraph · to burnH8313
- with fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- and thine houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
Cross-references for Jeremiah 38:17
- Psalms 80:7Restore us, O God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
- Amos 5:27Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus,” Says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.
- 1 Chronicles 17:24So let it be established, that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You.
- Ezra 9:4Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice.
- Jeremiah 38:2“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.’
- Jeremiah 7:6if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt,
- Jeremiah 21:8“Now you shall say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
- Jeremiah 27:12I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live!
- Jeremiah 39:3Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
- Job 23:13“But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 38:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Wilt assuredly go - On the king's obedience to the advice of the prophet the safety of the city depended. Unto the king of Babylon's princes - The generals of the army then returning to the siege from the defeat of the Egyptians; for Nebuchadnezzar himself was then at Riblah, in Syria, Jeremiah 39:5, Jeremiah 39:6.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. 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. 1717. princes--(Jr 39:3). He does not say "to the king himself," for he was at Riblah, in Hamath (Jr 39:5; 2Ki 25:6). "If thou go forth" (namely, to surrender; 2Ki 24:12; Is 36:16), God foreknows future conditional contingencies, and ordains not only the end, but also the means to the end.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 38:17
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries