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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Complete Jewish Bible

Jeremiah 38:10

Then the king ordered ‘Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and bring Yirmeyahu the prophet up out of the cistern before he dies."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Criminals;   Ebed-Melech;   Ethiopia;   Eunuch;   Intercession;   Jeremiah;   Minister, Christian;   Prisoners;   Zedekiah;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ebed-Melech;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ethiopia;   Zedekiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Persecution;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ebed-Melech;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Black People and Biblical Perspectives;   Cushite;   Prison, Prisoners;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Pashhur;   Zedekiah,;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Dungeon;   Ebedmelech ;   Ethiopians ;   Eunuch;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Ebed-melech;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ethiopia;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ethio'pian,;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ebed-Melech;   Pashhur;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ebed-Melech;   Pashur;   Well;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So the king commanded Ebed-melech, the Cushite, “Take from here thirty men under your authority and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies.”
Hebrew Names Version
Then the king commanded `Eved-Melekh the Kushite, saying, Take from hence thirty men with you, and take up Yirmeyahu the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
King James Version
Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
English Standard Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
New American Standard Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring Jeremiah the prophet up from the cistern before he dies."
New Century Version
Then King Zedekiah commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, "Take thirty men from the palace and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the well before he dies."
Amplified Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
World English Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the King commaunded Ebed-melech the blacke More, saying, Take from hence thirtie men with thee, and take Ieremiah the Prophet out of the dungeon before he dye.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take in your hand thirty men from here and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies."
Berean Standard Bible
So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, "Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
Contemporary English Version
Zedekiah answered, "Take thirty of my soldiers and pull Jeremiah out before he dies."
Darby Translation
And the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then King Zedekiah gave a command to Ebed Melech, the Ethiopian. This was the command: "Ebed Melech, take three men from the palace with you, and go get Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies."
George Lamsa Translation
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with you, and go and draw up Jeremiah out of the well before he dies.
Good News Translation
Then the king ordered Ebedmelech to take with him three men and to pull me out of the well before I died.
Lexham English Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, saying, "Take with you these thirty men and pull Jeremiah the prophet up from the pit before he dies."
Literal Translation
And the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take in your hand thirty men from here and bring up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit before he dies.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The the kynge commauded Abdemelech the Morian, and sayde: Take from hece xxx. men whom thou wilt, & drawe vp Ieremy the prophet out of the dongeon, before he dye.
American Standard Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
Bible in Basic English
Then the king gave orders to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take with you three men from here and get Jeremiah out of the water-hole before death overtakes him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying: 'Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit, before he die.'
King James Version (1611)
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirtie men with thee, and take vp Ieremiah the Prophet out of the dungeon before he die.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then the kyng commaunded Abedmelech the Morian, and sayde, Take from hence thirtie men whom thou wylt, and drawe vp Ieremie the prophete out of the dungeon before he dye.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Hear the words of the Lord, ye nations, and proclaim them to the islands afar off; say, He that scattered Israel will also gather him, and keep him as one that feeds his flock.
English Revised Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the kyng comaundide to Abdemelech Ethiopien, and seide, Take with thee thretti men fro hennus, and reise thou Jeremye, the profete, fro the lake, bifor that he die.
Update Bible Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dieth.
New English Translation
Then the king gave Ebed Melech the Ethiopian the following order: "Take thirty men with you from here and go pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies."
New King James Version
Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take from here thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies."
New Living Translation
So the king told Ebed-melech, "Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies."
New Life Bible
Then the king told Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "I am giving you the power to take thirty men with you, and bring Jeremiah the man of God up from the well before he dies."
New Revised Standard
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "Take three men with you from here, and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian saying, - Take with thee from hence thirty men, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he die.
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
Then the king commanded E'bed-mel'ech, the Ethiopian, "Take three men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
Young's Literal Translation
And the king commandeth Ebed-Melech the Cushite, saying, `Take with thee from this thirty men, and thou hast brought up Jeremiah the prophet from the pit, before he dieth.'
THE MESSAGE
So the king ordered Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, "Get three men and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies."

Contextual Overview

1 But Sh'fatyah the son of Mattan, G'dalyahu the son of Pash'chur, Yukhal the son of Shelemyahu and Pash'chur the son of Malkiyah heard these words which Yirmeyahu had said to all the people, 2 "Here is what Adonai says: whoever remains in this city will die by sword, famine and plague; but whoever leaves and surrenders to the Kasdim will stay alive; his own life will be his only ‘spoils of war,' but he will stay alive. 3 Adonai says that this city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Bavel, and he will capture it." 4 The leaders said to the king, "Please let this man be put to death; because by speaking such words to the soldiers left in this city and to all the people, he is demoralizing them. This man is seeking not to benefit this people, but to harm them." 5 Tzidkiyahu the king said, "All right, he is in your hands; for the king can't prevent you from doing as you please." 6 Then they took Yirmeyahu and threw him into the cistern of Malkiyahu the king's son, which was in the guards' quarters; they let down Yirmeyahu into it with ropes. In the pit there was no water, but there was mud; and Yirmeyahu sank into the mud. 7 ‘Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian, an officer in the king's house, heard that they had put Yirmeyahu in the cistern. When the king was sitting at the gate leading toward Binyamin, 8 ‘Eved-Melekh left the palace and said to the king, 9 "My lord, king! What these men have done to Yirmeyahu the prophet is evil. They have thrown him into the cistern; and he is likely to die there where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more food in the city." 10 Then the king ordered ‘Eved-Melekh the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and bring Yirmeyahu the prophet up out of the cistern before he dies."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the king: Esther 5:2, Esther 8:7, Psalms 75:10, Proverbs 21:1

with thee: Heb. in thine hand

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 37:13 - Hananiah Jeremiah 37:16 - into the dungeon

Cross-References

Genesis 46:12
The sons of Y'hudah: ‘Er, Onan, Shelah, Peretz and Zerach; but ‘Er and Onan died in the land of Kena‘an. The sons of Peretz were Hetzron and Hamul.
Numbers 11:1
But the people began complaining about their hardships to Adonai . When Adonai heard it, his anger flared up, so that fire from Adonai broke out against them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.
Numbers 22:34
Bil‘am said to the angel of Adonai , "I have sinned. I didn't know that you were standing on the road to block me. Now, therefore, if what I am doing displeases you, I will go back."
Numbers 26:19
The sons of Y'hudah: First ‘Er and Onan, but ‘Er and Onan died in the land of Kena‘an.
2 Samuel 11:27
When the mourning was over, David sent and took her home to his palace, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But Adonai saw what David had done as evil.
1 Chronicles 21:7
God was displeased with this and therefore punished Isra'el.
Proverbs 14:32
The wicked are brought down by their wrongdoing, but the righteous can be confident even at death.
Proverbs 24:18
For Adonai might see it, and it would displease him; he might withdraw his anger from your foe.
Jeremiah 44:4
I had sent you all my servants the prophets, sent them frequently, with the message, "Don't do this horrible thing which I hate!"
Haggai 1:13
Hagai the messenger of Adonai conveyed this message of Adonai to the people: "‘I am with you,' says Adonai ."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian,.... Being affected with the case of the prophet; and repenting of the leave he had given the princes to do with him as they pleased, gave orders as follows:

saying, take from hence thirty men with thee; from the place where the king was, the gate of Benjamin; where very probably at this time was a garrison of soldiers, thirty of which were ordered to be taken; or these were to be taken out of the king's bodyguard, he had here with him. Josephus w calls them thirty of the king's servants, such as were about the king's person, or belonged to his household; and so the Syriac version of Jeremiah 38:11 says that Ebedmelech took with him men of the king's household; but why thirty of them, when three or four might be thought sufficient to take up a single man out of a dungeon? Abarbinel thinks the dungeon was very deep, and Jeremiah, ah old man, could not be got out but with great labour and difficulty. Jarchi and Kimchi say, the men were so weakened with the famine, that so many were necessary to draw out one man; but the true reason seems rather to be, that should the princes, whom the king might suspect, or any other, attempt to hinder this order being put in execution, there might be a sufficient force to assist in it, and repel those that might oppose it:

and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he die; the king speaks honourably of Jeremiah, giving him his title as a prophet, and expresses great concern for him; and orders them to hasten the taking him up, lest he should die before, which he suggests would give him great concern.

w Antiqu. l. 10. c. 7. sect. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thirty men - So large a number suggests that Zedekiah expected some resistance. (Some read “three” men.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 38:10. Take from hence thirty men — The king was determined that he should be rescued by force, if the princes opposed.


 
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