New Living Translation
Jeremiah 38:16
16So King Zedekiah secretly promised him, “As surely as the Lord our Creator lives, I will not kill you or hand you over to the men who want you dead.”
Jeremiah 38:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
- New International Version (NIV)But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, "As the Lord lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So 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.”
Context of Jeremiah 38:16
14One day King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him brought to the third entrance of the Lord’s Temple. “I want to ask you something,” the king said. “And don’t try to hide the truth.” 15Jeremiah said, “If I tell you the truth, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you won’t listen to me anyway.” So King Zedekiah secretly promised him, “As surely as the Lord our Creator lives, I will not kill you or hand you over to the men who want you dead.” 17Then 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. 18But if you refuse to surrender, you will not escape! This city will be handed over to the Babylonians, and they will burn it to the ground.’”
Read all of Jeremiah 38Jeremiah 38:16 word by word
וַיִּשָּׁבַ֞ע הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֛הוּ אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר חַי־יְהוָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר֩ עָשָׂה־לָ֨נוּ אֶת־הַנֶּ֤פֶשׁ הַזֹּאת֙ אִם־אֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְאִם־אֶתֶּנְךָ֗ בְּיַד֙ הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר מְבַקְשִׁ֖ים אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- So Zedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּtsidqîyâh tsidqîyâhû · ZedekiahH6667
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- swareשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
- secretlyסֵ֫תֶרsêther sithrâh · secrecyH5643
- unto Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הוּyirmeyâh yirmeyâhû · JeremiahH3414
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- livethחַיchay · aliveH2416
- that madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- us this soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- I will not put thee to deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- neither will I giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- thee into the handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- of these menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- that seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
Cross-references for Jeremiah 38:16
- Jeremiah 37:17Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, “Do you have any messages from the Lord?” “Yes, I do!” said Jeremiah. “You will be defeated by the king of Babylon.”
- John 3:2After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
- Numbers 16:22But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. “O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?”
- Numbers 27:16“O Lord, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
- Isaiah 57:16For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made.
- Zechariah 12:1This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the Lord: “This message is from the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit.
- Hebrews 12:9Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
- Jeremiah 38:1Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people. He had been saying,
- Jeremiah 34:20I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 38:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul - He is the living God, and he is the Author of that life which each of us possesses; and as sure as he lives, and we live by him, I will not put thee to death, nor give thee into the hands of those men who seek thy life. A very solemn oath; and the first instance on record of the profane custom of swearing by the soul.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16That made us this soul - This very unusual addition to the formula of an oath 1 Samuel 20:3 was intended to strengthen it. By acknowledging that his soul was God‘s workmanship Zedekiah also implied his belief in God‘s power over it.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. 1616. Lord ... made us this soul--(Is 57:16). Implying, "may my life (soul) be forfeited if I deceive thee" [Calvin].Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 38:16
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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