Jeremiah 38:16

But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — King Zedekiah speaks secretly to Jeremiah immediately after Jeremiah warns that his truth will cost him his life. Zedekiah makes a private oath to protect Jeremiah from the officials seeking him.

The words — וַ/יִּשָּׁבַ֞ע (va/i.yi.sha.Va') translates as "he swore," and בַּ/סֵּ֣תֶר (ba./Se.ter) means "in secrecy." These terms mark the oath's binding nature and its hidden delivery.

The thread — This private exchange echoes Jeremiah 37:17, where Zedekiah summons Jeremiah to his palace for confidential counsel. It directly responds to the threat named in Jeremiah 38:1, where specific officials are actively hunting the prophet.

Why it lands — It demands recognition that a ruler's secret promise does not equal public courage. The text forces the reader to weigh private reassurance against the cost of acting on it.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּשָּׁבַ֞עva/i.yi.sha.Va'and/ he swore הַמֶּ֧לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king צִדְקִיָּ֛הוּtzid.ki.Ya.huZedekiah אֶֽל־'el-to יִרְמְיָ֖הוּyir.me.Ya.huJeremiah בַּסֵּ֣תֶרba./Se.terin <the>/ secrecy לֵאמֹ֑רle./Mor<to>/ saying חַי־chai-[by] [the] life יְהוָ֞הYah.wehof Yahweh אֲשֶׁר֩'a.Sherwho עָשָׂה־'a.sah-he has madeלָ֨נוּLa./nufor <the>/ usאֶת־'et-<obj.>הַנֶּ֤פֶשׁha./Ne.feshthe/ life הַזֹּאת֙ha./zoT<the>/ this אִם־'im-if אֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ'a.mi.Te./khaI will put to death/ you וְאִם־ve./'im-and/ if אֶתֶּנְךָ֗'e.ten./KhaI will give/ you בְּיַד֙be./Yadin/ [the] hand of הָאֲנָשִׁ֣יםha./'a.na.Shimthe/ men הָאֵ֔לֶּהha./'E.leh<the>/ these אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwho מְבַקְשִׁ֖יםme.vak.Shim[are] seeking אֶת־'et-<obj.>נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ סnaf.She./khalife/ your

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 37:17 Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
Jeremiah 38:1 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:
Isaiah 57:16 For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me—the breath of life I have made.
Zechariah 12:1 This is the burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, who forms the spirit of man within him:
John 3:2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”
Numbers 16:22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”
Numbers 27:16 “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation
Jeremiah 34:20 I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Isaiah 42:5 This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it:

People named

JeremiahZedekiah