My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

JEREMIAH 38:9KJV
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Jeremiah 38:9 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 38:9 mean?

Jeremiah 38:9 records a plea to the king, pointing out that certain men have treated Jeremiah the prophet wickedly by throwing him into a dungeon, where he is now close to dying from hunger because there is no more bread left in the city. The verse highlights the urgency and seriousness of Jeremiah’s situation, as well as the injustice done to him.

In this verse, Ebed-melech, a servant in the royal palace, is speaking directly to King Zedekiah. He is alerting the king to the danger Jeremiah faces after being cast into a cistern by other officials, emphasizing that Jeremiah’s life is at risk due to starvation. The city of Jerusalem is under siege, which explains why there is no more bread available.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 38:9

  • "lord" (אֲדֹנִי, ʾadoniy): This word shows respect and submission as Ebed-melech addresses the king, highlighting the seriousness of his appeal.
  • "evil" (רָעַע, raʿaʿ): This word means to act wickedly or do harm, making clear that what was done to Jeremiah was not just unkind but morally wrong.
  • "dungeon" (בּוֹר, bor): This word often refers to a pit or cistern, not a typical prison cell, which means Jeremiah was left in a place with no food or comfort, intensifying the danger he faced.
  • "hunger" (רָעָב, raʿav): This word specifically refers to famine or severe lack of food, underlining that Jeremiah’s life is threatened not just by imprisonment but by starvation.

Why Jeremiah 38:9 matters

  • This verse shows that not everyone in Jerusalem agreed with how Jeremiah was treated; Ebed-melech’s intervention reveals there were still voices of conscience in the royal court.
  • The verse clarifies that Jeremiah’s suffering was not accidental but the result of deliberate evil actions by certain officials, which adds weight to Ebed-melech’s plea.
  • Jeremiah 38:9 connects to the larger story of Jerusalem’s siege, showing the desperate conditions in the city and the risks faced by those who remained faithful to God’s message.

Where else these words appear

“place” Hebrew H8478 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
  • Exodus 32:19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
  • Job 30:14 They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.

“dungeon” Hebrew H953 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 37:20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
  • 1 Chronicles 11:18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,
  • Jeremiah 6:7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.

“evil” Hebrew H7489 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 19:7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
  • 2 Kings 21:11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:
  • Isaiah 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

“hunger” Hebrew H7458 · used in 88 verses

  • Genesis 12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
  • 2 Kings 25:3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
  • Jeremiah 29:18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: