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.

JEREMIAH 38:19KJV
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Jeremiah 38:19 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 38:19 mean?

Jeremiah 38:19 shows King Zedekiah telling Jeremiah that he is afraid of the Jews who have already surrendered to the Chaldeans, fearing that if he surrenders too, they will hand him over to the enemy and mock him. Zedekiah’s fear is not just about the Chaldeans, but also about how his own people might treat him if he is captured.

In this verse, King Zedekiah is speaking privately to the prophet Jeremiah during a time when Jerusalem is under siege by the Chaldeans (Babylonians). Zedekiah is considering Jeremiah’s advice to surrender but hesitates because he worries about being betrayed and humiliated by fellow Jews who have already defected. The verse highlights Zedekiah’s personal fears and the complicated loyalties during the city’s final days.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 38:19

  • The word for "afraid" (גּוּר, gur) often carries the sense of being deeply unsettled or anxious, not just general fear. Zedekiah’s worry is intense and personal.
  • "Fallen" (נָפַל, naphal) here refers to those who have gone over or defected to the Chaldeans, showing that some Jews have already switched sides, making Zedekiah’s situation more precarious.
  • "Deliver" (נָתַן, natan) means to hand over or give up, emphasizing Zedekiah’s fear of being actively betrayed by his own people.
  • "Mock" (תָּלַל, talal) can mean to abuse, ridicule, or treat with contempt, suggesting Zedekiah is afraid not just of physical harm but of being publicly shamed.

Why Jeremiah 38:19 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Zedekiah’s hesitation to follow Jeremiah’s advice is rooted in fear of betrayal and humiliation, not just military defeat.
  • It reveals the fractured state of Jerusalem, with some Jews already siding with the Chaldeans, making trust and loyalty uncertain even among countrymen.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme in Jeremiah of leaders struggling with fear and indecision, which ultimately shapes the fate of the city.

Where else these words appear

“afraid” Hebrew H1672 · used in 7 verses

  • 1 Samuel 9:5 And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us.
  • Psalms 38:18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
  • Jeremiah 17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

“mock” Hebrew H5953 · used in 18 verses

  • Exodus 10:2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
  • Judges 20:45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
  • Isaiah 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

“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.

“Jews” Hebrew H3064 · used in 70 verses

  • 2 Kings 16:6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
  • Esther 6:10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
  • Esther 9:19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.