Jeremiah Chapter 38 Summary - Key Points & Themes

Read Jeremiah Chapter 38 Summary

Officials demand Jeremiah's death for weakening soldiers by prophesying surrender. Zedekiah gives him over; they lower Jeremiah into a cistern of mud. Ebed-melech the Ethiopian rescues him with ropes and rags. Zedekiah secretly consults Jeremiah again; Jeremiah urges surrender to save his life and the city, warning of terrible consequences otherwise. The king fears the Jews who deserted.

Original

Characters in This Chapter

Jeremiah

The weeping prophet who faithfully proclaimed judgment and hope

Baruch

Jeremiah's secretary who wrote down his prophecies

Benjamin

Youngest Son of Jacob

Judah

Son of Jacob, Ancestor of David and Christ

Jonathan

Faithful Friend of David

Places in This Chapter

Jerusalem

City Jeremiah loved and warned, which fell to Babylon

Babylon

Empire that conquered Judah as God's instrument of judgment

Position in Book

Call and Early MinistryChapters 1-6

Conflict and PersecutionChapters 7-29

Hope and RestorationChapters 30-33

Fall of JerusalemChapters 34-45

Events before and after Jerusalem's fall, Jeremiah's suffering.

Oracles Against NationsChapters 46-51

Historical AppendixChapters 52

Bible Bites

The Longest Book by Word Count

While Psalms has more chapters, Jeremiah is actually the longest book in the Bible by total word count. The weeping prophet's 52 chapters contain approximately 33,000 words in Hebrew, chronicling Judah's final days before exile.

Jeremiah