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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Why does Zedekiah ask Jeremiah to keep their conversation secret?

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Jer.38.17

Jeremiah 38:17

KJV GOD

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:

Interview with Zedekiah

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:

But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the Lord hath shewed me:

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.

So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

¶ Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.

Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.