Jeremiah 38 · Verse 16

Jeremiah 38:16

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 38:16, King James Version

Jeremiah 38:16 in other translations

BSBBut King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”
WEBSo Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”
ASVSo Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As Jehovah 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.
YLTAnd the king Zedekiah sweareth unto Jeremiah in secret, saying, ‘Jehovah liveth, He who made for us this soul, I do not put thee to death, nor give thee unto the hand of these men who are seeking thy soul.'
DARBYAnd king Zedekiah swore secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As Jehovah 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.
BBESo King Zedekiah gave his oath to Jeremiah secretly, saying, By the living Lord, who gave us our life, I will not put you to death, or give you up to these men who are desiring to take your life.
WebsterSo Zedekiah the king swore secretly to 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.

What does Jeremiah 38:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. Lord ... made us this soul--(Is 57:16). Implying, "may my life (soul) be forfeited if I deceive thee" [Calvin].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul - He is the living God, and he is the Author of that life which each of us possesses; and as sure as he lives, and we live by him, I will not put thee to death, nor give thee into the hands of those men who seek thy life. A very solemn oath; and the first instance on record of the profane custom of swearing by the soul.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 38:14-28

Jeremiah was not forward to repeat the warnings, which seemed only to endanger his own life, and to add to the king's guilt, but asked whether he feared to do the will of God. The less men fear God, the more they fear men; often they dare not act according to their own judgments and consciences.

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 38:14-28 →

Jeremiah 38:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשָּׁבַ֞עvai.yi.sha.Va'and he sworeH7650
הַמֶּ֧לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
צִדְקִיָּ֛הוּtzid.ki.Ya.huZedekiahH6667
אֶֽל\־'el-toH413
יִרְמְיָ֖הוּyir.me.Ya.huJeremiahH3414
בַּסֵּ֣תֶרba.Se.terin <the> secrecyH5643
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
חַי\־chai-[by] [the] lifeH2416
יְהוָ֞הYah.wehof YahwehH3068
[ ][ ]
אֲשֶׁר֩'a.SherwhoH834
עָשָׂה\־'a.sah-he has madeH6213
לָ֨נוּLa.nufor <the> us
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַנֶּ֤פֶשׁha.Ne.feshthe lifeH5315
הַזֹּאת֙ha.zoT<the> thisH2063
אִם\־'im-ifH518
אֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ'a.mi.Te.khaI will put to death youH4191
וְאִם\־ve.'im-and ifH518
אֶתֶּנְךָ֗'e.ten.KhaI will give youH5414
בְּיַד֙be.Yadin [the] hand ofH3027
הָאֲנָשִׁ֣יםha.'a.na.Shimthe menH582
הָאֵ֔לֶּהha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhoH834
מְבַקְשִׁ֖יםme.vak.Shim[are] seekingH1245
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
נַפְשֶֽׁךָ\׃\ \סnaf.She.khalife yourH5315

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 38:16

  • Jeremiah 37:17

    Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.

  • Jeremiah 38:1-6

    Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. Thus saith the Lord, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it. Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. …

  • John 3:2

    The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

  • Isaiah 57:16

    For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

  • Zechariah 12:1

    The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

  • Numbers 16:22

    And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

  • Numbers 27:16

    Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

  • Jeremiah 34:20

    I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

  • Ecclesiastes 12:7

    Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

  • Hebrews 12:9

    Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

  • Isaiah 42:5

    Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sware.
37:17; Joh 3:2
that made.
Nu 16:22; 27:16; Ec 12:7; Isa 57:16; Zec 12:1; Heb 12:9
of these.
1-6; 34:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 38:15

    Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?

  • Jeremiah 38:16

    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 38:17

    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:

Read all of Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah 38:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y juró el rey Sedechîas en secreto á Jeremías, diciendo: Vive Jehová que nos hizo esta alma, que no te mataré, ni te entregaré en mano de estos varones que buscan tu alma.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le roi Sédécias jura secrètement à Jérémie, disant: L’ Éternel est vivant qui a fait notre âme: si je te fais mourir, et si je te livre en la main de ces hommes qui cherchent ta vie!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da schwur der König Zedekia dem Jeremia insgeheim und sprach: So wahr Jehova lebt, der uns diese Seele gemacht hat, wenn ich dich töten, oder wenn ich dich in die Hand dieser Männer geben werde, die nach deinem Leben trachten!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Juravit ergo rex Sedecias Jeremiæ clam, dicens: Vivit Dominus, qui fecit nobis animam hanc, si occidero te, et si tradidero te in manus virorum istorum qui quærunt animam tuam.