New King James Version
Jeremiah 38:20
20But Jeremiah said, “They shall not deliver you. Please, obey the voice of the Lord which I speak to you. So it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live.
Jeremiah 38:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
- New International Version (NIV)“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Jeremiah said, "You shall not be given to them. Obey now the voice of the Lord in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Jeremiah replied, “You won’t be handed over to them if you choose to obey the Lord. Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you.
Context of Jeremiah 38:20
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.” But Jeremiah said, “They shall not deliver you. Please, obey the voice of the Lord which I speak to you. So it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live. 21But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the Lord has shown me: 22‘Now behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be surrendered to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say: “Your close friends have set upon you And prevailed against you; Your feet have sunk in the mire, And they have turned away again.”
Read all of Jeremiah 38Jeremiah 38:20 word by word
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ לֹ֣א יִתֵּ֑נוּ שְֽׁמַֽע־נָ֣א׀ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֗ה לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ דֹּבֵ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיִ֥יטַב לְךָ֖ וּתְחִ֥י נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הוּyirmeyâh yirmeyâhû · JeremiahH3414
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- They shall not deliverנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- Obeyשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
- I beseech thee, the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- which I speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto thee: so it shall be wellיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
- unto thee, and thy soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- shall liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
Cross-references for Jeremiah 38:20
- Jeremiah 26:13Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you.
- 2 Chronicles 20:20So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
- Daniel 4:27Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”
- Acts 26:29And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:11Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
- 2 Corinthians 6:1We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
- Philemon 1:8Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,
- James 1:22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
- Isaiah 55:3Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 38:20
- 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. 20-22Jeremiah told Zedekiah that things would be fine if he obeyed the Lord. If he did not, even his friends would leave him.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 38:20
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