Bible Strands
Jeremiah 38:22
All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jeremiah delivers this prophecy to King Zedekiah through the officials, warning him of the consequences of refusing to surrender to Babylon. The prophecy describes the humiliation awaiting the royal household when Jerusalem falls.
The words — The Hebrew phrase כָּל־הַנָּשִׁים (kol-hannashim) translates to "all the women," emphasizing the totality of those left in the king’s house. The verb נִשְׁאֲרוּ (nish'aru) means "they are left" or "remain," highlighting their stranded state after the city's collapse.
The thread — This theme of captured royal women and public humiliation echoes in Jeremiah 43:6 and the lamentations of Lamentations 1:2 and 5:11. These passages consistently portray the systematic removal and suffering of Judah’s women after the fall of Jerusalem.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that political alliances and trusted counsel fail when divine judgment executes. It confronts readers with the reality that relying on human protection rather than obedience to God leads to public shame and abandonment.
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
King James Version
And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 43:6 the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters, and everyone whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had allowed to remain with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as well as Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.
- Lamentations 1:2 She weeps aloud in the night, with tears upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.
- Lamentations 5:11 Women have been ravished in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah.
- Psalms 41:9 Even my close friend whom I trusted, the one who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
- Psalms 69:2 I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have drifted into deep waters, where the flood engulfs me.
- Psalms 69:14 Rescue me from the mire and do not let me sink; deliver me from my foes and out of the deep waters.
- Isaiah 42:17 But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
- Jeremiah 6:12 Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 20:10 For I have heard the whispering of many: “Terror is on every side! Report him; let us report him!” All my trusted friends watch for my fall: “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we may prevail against him and take our vengeance upon him.”
- Jeremiah 38:4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”