Question 1

What is the main choice God gives King Zedekiah in this passage?

Accepted Answer

God, speaking through Jeremiah, puts a clear choice in front of King Zedekiah. If Zedekiah will “go forth” to the princes of the king of Babylon, meaning surrender to them, then he and his family will live and Jerusalem will not be burned. If he refuses and stays in stubborn resistance, the city will be handed over to the Chaldeans, they will burn it with fire, his wives and children will be taken, and he himself will not escape. His decision will affect both his own life and his people’s future.

Question 2

Why is Zedekiah afraid of the Jews who went over to the Chaldeans?

Accepted Answer

Zedekiah says he is afraid of the Jews who have already gone over to the Chaldeans because he thinks they might hand him over and mock him. He is more worried about shame, ridicule, and what people will do to him than about what God has said. This fear of human opinion keeps him from simply trusting and obeying the word of the Lord given through Jeremiah, even though obedience is the only path that offers him life and mercy in this situation.

Question 3

What does it mean that Zedekiah would cause the city to be burned with fire?

Accepted Answer

Jeremiah tells Zedekiah that if he will not surrender, he will “cause this city to be burned with fire.” This does not mean Zedekiah will personally set it on fire, but that his refusal to obey God’s command will bring that result. As king, his choice to resist the Babylonians instead of submitting to God’s plan will lead to Jerusalem’s destruction. His unbelief and fear become the human reason the city falls in flames and his family suffers captivity and shame.

Question 4

Why do the women in the king’s house speak of Zedekiah’s friends betraying him?

Accepted Answer

Jeremiah says that the women left in the king of Judah’s house will be brought to the Babylonian princes and will say, “Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee; thy feet are sunk in the mire.” This shows that those Zedekiah trusted, his close advisers and prophets who promised safety, actually misled him. Their false comfort left him stuck like a man in deep mud, unable to move. The women’s words picture how trusting human counsel against God’s word leaves a person disgraced and trapped.

Question 5

What does this passage teach about fearing people versus fearing God?

Accepted Answer

The passage shows a strong contrast between fearing people and fearing God. Zedekiah hears a clear word from God that surrender will save his life, yet he hesitates because he fears mockery and harm from other Jews. Jeremiah urges him to “obey the voice of the Lord” and promises it will go well with him. The story shows how fear of people can drown out God’s mercy and warning, while real wisdom is to trust what God says, even when it looks hard and others might laugh or oppose us.

Question 6

Why does Zedekiah ask Jeremiah to keep their conversation secret?

Accepted Answer

After hearing Jeremiah’s message, Zedekiah tells him, “Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.” He fears what his princes will think if they learn he considered surrender. He even gives Jeremiah a prepared answer to tell them, focused only on his request not to be sent back to Jonathan’s house to die. This secrecy shows Zedekiah is more worried about political fallout and his image than about openly following what God has said, and it highlights his inner weakness as a leader.

Question 7

Why does Jeremiah agree to give a partial answer to the princes?

Accepted Answer

When the princes come and ask Jeremiah what he had said to the king, Jeremiah answers them “according to all these words that the king had commanded.” He tells them about asking not to be sent back to Jonathan’s house. This was true, but it did not reveal the full message from God. This shows Jeremiah’s human weakness and the pressure he was under in a dangerous situation. Yet he does not deny God’s word or change the message itself; the warning and promise to Zedekiah still stand as spoken.

Question 8

What does Jeremiah’s stay in the court of the prison tell us about God’s word?

Accepted Answer

The passage ends by saying Jeremiah stayed in the court of the prison until the day Jerusalem was taken, and he was there when it happened. This shows that God’s word did not fail. Jeremiah had said the city would fall if Zedekiah refused to obey, and that is exactly what happened. Even though Jeremiah was confined and seemed weak, the message given through him was firm. God’s judgment and mercy unfold just as he says, no matter how people respond or how they try to hide from it.

Question 9

How can this story of Jeremiah and Zedekiah speak to believers today?

Accepted Answer

This story speaks to anyone who feels pulled between God’s clear word and the fear of what people might say or do. Zedekiah had a real offer of mercy, but he let fear, pride, and bad counsel guide him. Today, believers can see how serious it is to listen to God first, even when obedience is costly or embarrassing. It encourages us to trust that God’s path, though hard, leads to real life, and to be careful about voices that promise comfort while turning us away from what God has said.

Jeremiah 38:17

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

Jeremiah Cast into the Cistern

Interview with Zedekiah

Cross References

Jeremiah 38:17

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

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Jeremiah Cast into the Cistern

Interview with Zedekiah

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