So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.

JEREMIAH 38:16KJV
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Jeremiah 38:16 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 38:16 mean?

Jeremiah 38:16 shows King Zedekiah secretly swearing an oath to the prophet Jeremiah, promising by the living LORD who created their souls that he will not put Jeremiah to death or hand him over to the men who want to kill him. This verse highlights a private assurance of safety given by the king to Jeremiah during a dangerous and tense time.

In this scene, King Zedekiah is speaking directly to Jeremiah, who has been imprisoned for delivering unpopular messages from God. The king’s oath is made in secret, suggesting he fears the political consequences of openly protecting Jeremiah. The verse emphasizes the seriousness of Zedekiah’s promise by invoking the LORD as the living Creator, showing the weight and solemnity of his words.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 38:16

  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, used here to stress the seriousness of the oath. Swearing by the LORD was the strongest way to guarantee truthfulness and commitment.
  • "sware" (שָׁבַע, shava): This verb means to take an oath, often with a sacred or binding sense. Zedekiah’s use of this word shows he is making a solemn, binding promise.
  • "secretly" (בַּסֵּתֶר, baseter): This word means "in secret" or "privately," highlighting that Zedekiah’s promise is not public. This detail shows the king’s fear of his officials and the political pressure he faces.
  • "soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh): This word can mean "life" or "person." By mentioning the LORD who "made us this soul," Zedekiah is acknowledging God as the Creator and giver of life, making his oath even more serious.

Why Jeremiah 38:16 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Zedekiah’s promise to Jeremiah was not made openly, but in secret, revealing the king’s fear of his own officials and the unstable political situation.
  • The use of a strong oath by the living LORD who created their souls emphasizes the gravity of Zedekiah’s words and the seriousness with which he wants Jeremiah to trust him.
  • This promise sets up the following events, showing the tension between Jeremiah’s safety and the hostility of those who oppose his message, and it highlights the personal risk Jeremiah faced in delivering God’s word.

Where else these words appear

“secretly” Hebrew H5643 · used in 36 verses

  • Deuteronomy 13:6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
  • Job 24:15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.
  • Psalms 139:15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

“Zedekiah” Hebrew H6667 · used in 62 verses

  • 1 Kings 22:11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
  • Jeremiah 27:12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
  • Jeremiah 38:5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.

“Jeremiah” Hebrew H3414 · used in 133 verses

  • 2 Kings 23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
  • Jeremiah 28:15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
  • Jeremiah 38:7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;