38:1 Audivit autem Saphatias filius Mathan, et Gedelias filius Phassur, et Juchal filius Selemiae, et Phassur filius Melchiae, sermones quos Jeremias loquebatur ad omnem populum, dicens :
*H Now Saphatias the son of Mathan, and Gedelias the son of Phassur, and Juchal the son of Selemias, and Phassur the son of Melchias heard the words that Jeremias spoke to all the people, saying:
Ver. 1. And Phassur, the violent priest. C. xx. 1. — People, who might come to the entry of the prison.
A.M. 3415, A.C. 589.
38:2 Haec dicit Dominus : Quicumque manserit in civitate hac, morietur gladio, et fame, et peste : qui autem profugerit ad Chaldaeos, vivet, et erit anima ejus sospes et vivens.
*H Thus saith the Lord: Whosoever shall remain in this city, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: but he that shall go forth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and his life shall be safe, and he shall live.
Ver. 2. Safe. Heb. "a booty." C. xxi. 9. — Sept. "like a thing found." C. — The Heb. idiom implies that he shall most surely live. Voluntary offerings prevent eternal misery. W.
38:3 Haec dicit Dominus : Tradendo tradetur civitas haec in manu exercitus regis Babylonis, et capiet eam.
Thus saith the Lord: This city shall surely be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.
38:4 Et dixerunt principes regi : Rogamus ut occidatur homo iste : de industria enim dissolvit manus virorum bellantium qui remanserunt in civitate hac, et manus universi populi, loquens ad eos juxta verba haec : siquidem homo iste non quaerit pacem populo huic, sed malum.
And the princes said to the king. We beseech thee that this man may be put to death: for on purpose he weakeneth the hands of the men of war, that remain in this city, and the hands of the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man seeketh not peace to this people, but evil.
38:5 Et dixit rex Sedecias : Ecce ipse in manibus vestris est : nec enim fas est regem vobis quidquam negare.
*H And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your hands: for it is not lawful for the king to deny you any thing.
Ver. 5. Lawful. This is a compliment, or Sedecias complains indirectly that they had only left him the name of king. He grieved at the treatment of the prophet. C.
38:6 Tulerunt ergo Jeremiam, et projecerunt eum in lacum Melchiae filii Amelech, qui erat in vestibulo carceris : et submiserunt Jeremiam funibus in lacum, in quo non erat aqua, sed lutum : descendit itaque Jeremias in coenum.
*H Then they took Jeremias and cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: and they let down Jeremias by ropes into the dungeon, wherein there was no water, but mire. And Jeremias sunk into the mire.
Ver. 6. Mire, up to the neck; so that he would soon have been smothered. Jos. Ant. x. 10.
38:7 Audivit autem Abdemelech Aethiops, vir eunuchus, qui erat in domo regis, quod misissent Jeremiam in lacum. Porro rex sedebat in porta Benjamin :
*H Now Abdemelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch that was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremias in the dungeon: but the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.
Ver. 7. Eunuch. Officer over 30. v. 10. H. — He was afterwards rewarded. C. xxxix. 15. C. — God moves some to pity the distressed, till he recompense their patience. W.
38:8 et egressus est Abdemelech de domo regis, et locutus est ad regem, dicens :
And Abdemelech went out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying:
38:9 Domine mi rex, male fecerunt viri isti omnia quaecumque perpetrarunt contra Jeremiam prophetam, mittentes eum in lacum, ut moriatur ibi fame : non sunt enim panes ultra in civitate.
*H My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done against Jeremias the prophet, casting him into the dungeon to die there with hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.
Ver. 9. City. It was useless, therefore, to add the torment of the dungeon, since he must soon have perished. C.
38:10 Praecepit itaque rex Abdemelech Aethiopi, dicens : Tolle tecum hinc triginta viros, et leva Jeremiam prophetam de lacu, antequam moriatur.
Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take from hence thirty men with thee, and draw up Jeremias the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
38:11 Assumptis ergo Abdemelech secum viris, ingressus est domum regis, quae erat sub cellario, et tulit inde veteres pannos, et antiqua quae computruerant, et submisit ea ad Jeremiam in lacum per funiculos.
So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king's house that was under the storehouse: and he took from thence old rags, and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to Jeremias into the dungeon.
38:12 Dixitque Abdemelech Aethiops ad Jeremiam : Pone veteres pannos, et haec scissa et putrida, sub cubito manuum tuarum, et super funes. Fecit ergo Jeremias sic,
*H And Abdemelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremias: Put these old rags and these rent and rotten things under thy arms, and upon the cords: and Jeremias did so.
Ver. 12. Arms. He was probably naked. Sanctius.
38:13 et extraxerunt Jeremiam funibus, et eduxerunt eum de lacu : mansit autem Jeremias in vestibulo carceris.
And they drew up Jeremias with the cords, and brought him forth out of the dungeon. And Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.
38:14 Et misit rex Sedecias, et tulit ad se Jeremiam prophetam ad ostium tertium quod erat in domo Domini : et dixit rex ad Jeremiam : Interrogo ego te sermonem, ne abscondas a me aliquid.
*H And king Sedecias sent, and took Jeremias the prophet to him to the third gate, that was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremias: I will ask thee a thing, hide nothing from me.
Ver. 14. Third, or officers of the guard's gate, leading from the palace to the temple. 4 K. xi. 19. C. — Heb. hashelishi; (H.) the third denotes also an officer of the army.
38:15 Dixit autem Jeremias ad Sedeciam : Si annuntiavero tibi, numquid non interficies me ? et si consilium dedero tibi, non me audies.
Then Jeremias said to Sedecias: If I shall declare it to thee, wilt thou not put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken to me.
38:16 Juravit ergo rex Sedecias Jeremiae clam, dicens : Vivit Dominus, qui fecit nobis animam hanc, si occidero te, et si tradidero te in manus virorum istorum qui quaerunt animam tuam.
Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremias, in private, saying: As the Lord liveth, that, made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I deliver thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life.
38:17 Et dixit Jeremias ad Sedeciam : Haec dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israel : Si profectus exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, vivet anima tua, et civitas haec non succendetur igni : et salvus eris tu, et domus tua.
*H And Jeremias said to Sedecias: Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: If thou wilt take a resolution and go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire: and thou shalt be safe, and thy house.
Ver. 17. King. He was at Reblatha. Though an usurper, he had claims upon Sedecias, whom he had appointed ruler, on his swearing to be faithful and to pay tribute. The prophet's advice was just. C. — Even conditional prophecies are certain, and the king would have been treated differently if he had complied. But on his refusal, great misery ensued. W.
38:18 Si autem non exieris ad principes regis Babylonis, tradetur civitas haec in manus Chaldaeorum, et succendent eam igni : et tu non effugies de manu eorum.
But if thou wilt not go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
38:19 Et dixit rex Sedecias ad Jeremiam : Sollicitus sum propter Judaeos qui transfugerunt ad Chaldaeos, ne forte tradar in manus eorum, et illudant mihi.
*H And king Sedecias said to Jeremias: I am afraid because of the Jews that are fled over to the Chaldeans: lest I should be delivered into their hands, and they should abuse me.
Ver. 19. Jews. Traitors, whom Sedecias had perhaps treated ill. C.
38:20 Respondit autem Jeremias : Non te tradent. Audi, quaeso, vocem Domini, quam ego loquor ad te, et bene tibi erit, et vivet anima tua.
But Jeremias answered: They shall not deliver thee: hearken, I beseech thee, to the word of the Lord, which I speak to the, and it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.
38:21 Quod si nolueris egredi, iste est sermo quem ostendit mihi Dominus :
But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the Lord hath shewn me:
38:22 ecce omnes mulieres quae remanserunt in domo regis Juda educentur ad principes regis Babylonis, et ipsae dicent : Seduxerunt te, et praevaluerunt adversum te, viri pacifici tui : demerserunt in coeno et in lubrico pedes tuos, et recesserunt a te.
*H Behold all the women that are left in the house of the king of Juda, shall be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon: and they shall say: Thy men of peace have deceived thee, and have prevailed against thee, they have plunged thy feet in the mire, and in a slippery place and they have departed from thee.
Ver. 22. Say. At parting, bewailing thy blindness, which has entailed misery upon all. H. — Of peace. That is, thy false friends, promising thee peace and happiness, and by their evil counsels involving thee in misery. Ch. — Mire. He alludes to his own treatment, (C.) which he had received from these false counsellors or princes. v. 4. H.
38:23 Et omnes uxores tuae et filii tui educentur ad Chaldaeos : et non effugies manus eorum, sed in manu regis Babylonis capieris, et civitatem hanc comburet igni.
And all thy wives, and thy children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire.
38:24 Dixit ergo Sedecias ad Jeremiam : Nullus sciat verba haec, et non morieris.
Then Sedecias said to Jeremias: Let no man know these words, and thou shalt not die.
38:25 Si autem audierint principes quia locutus sum tecum, et venerint ad te, et dixerint tibi : Indica nobis quid locutus sis cum rege : ne celes nos, et non te interficiemus : et quid locutus est tecum rex :
But if the princes shall hear that I have spoken with thee, and shall come to thee, and say to thee: Tell us what thou hast said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not kill thee: and also what the king said to thee:
38:26 dices ad eos : Prostravi ego preces meas coram rege, ne me reduci juberet in domum Jonathan, et ibi morerer.
*H Thou shalt say to them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, to die there.
Ver. 26. There. This he had actually done. C. xxxvii. 19. He perhaps renewed the petition, at this interview, to satisfy the king. H. — We may conceal the truth, but must never speak what is false. C. — "In a matter, says Puffendorf, which I am not obliged to declare to another, if I cannot with safety conceal the whole, I may fairly discover no more than a part." Who can require a privy counsellor to reveal the king's secret? Yet Paine accuses the prophet of duplicity! Watson.
38:27 Venerunt ergo omnes principes ad Jeremiam, et interrogaverunt eum, et locutus est eis juxta omnia verba quae praeceperat ei rex : et cessaverunt ab eo : nihil enim fuerat auditum.
So all the princes came to Jeremias, and asked him: and he spoke to them according to all the words that the king had commanded him: and they left him: for nothing had been heard.
38:28 Mansit vero Jeremias in vestibulo carceris usque ad diem quo capta est Jerusalem : et factum est ut caperetur Jerusalem.
But Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and it came to pass that Jerusalem was taken.