Jeremiah 38 · Verse 26

Jeremiah 38:26

Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.
Jeremiah 38:26, King James Version

Jeremiah 38:26 in other translations

BSBthen tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”
WEBthen you shall tell them, ‘I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.’”
ASVthen thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.
YLTthen thou hast said unto them, I am causing my supplication to fall before the king, not to cause me to return to the house of Jonathan, to die there.'
DARBYthen thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
BBEThen you are to say to them, I made my request to the king, that he would not send me back to my death in Jonathan's house.
WebsterThen thou shalt say to them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.

What does Jeremiah 38:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
26. presented--literally, "made my supplication to fall"; implying supplication with humble prostration (see on Jr 36:7). Jonathan's house--(Jr 37:15), different from Malchiah's dungeon (Jr 38:6). This statement was true, though not the whole truth; the princes had no right to the information; no sanction is given by Scripture here to Jeremiah's representation of this being the cause of his having come to the king. Fear drove him to it. Compare Ge 20:2, 12; on the other hand, 1Sa 16:2, 5. left off speaking with--Hebrew, "were silent from him," that is, withdrawing from him they left him quiet (1Sa 7:8, Margin).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 I presented my supplication - This was telling the truth, and nothing but the truth, but not the whole truth. The king did not wish him to defile his conscience, nor did he propose any thing that was not consistent with the truth.

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 38:26 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.

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ve.'a.mar.Taand you will sayH559
אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם'a.lei.Hemto themH413
מַפִּיל\־ma.pil-[was] making fallH5307
אֲנִ֥י'a.NiIH589
תְחִנָּתִ֖יte.chi.na.Tisupplication myH8467
לִפְנֵ֣יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
לְבִלְתִּ֧יle.vil.Tito notH1115
הֲשִׁיבֵ֛נִיha.shi.Ve.nito send back meH7725
בֵּ֥יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
יְהוֹנָתָ֖ןye.ho.na.TanJonathanH3083
לָמ֥וּתla.Mutto dieH4191
שָֽׁם\׃\ \פShamthereH8033

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 38:26

  • Jeremiah 37:20

    Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

  • Jeremiah 37:15

    Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

  • Jeremiah 42:2

    And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the Lord thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

  • Esther 4:8

    Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
37:15,20; 42:2; Es 4:8

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

Context

  • Jeremiah 38:25

    But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

  • Jeremiah 38:26

    Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.

  • Jeremiah 38:27

    Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

Read all of Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah 38:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Les dirás: Supliqué al rey que no me hiciese tornar á casa de Jonathán porque no me muriese allí.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		tu leur diras: J’ai présenté ma requête devant le roi, qu’on ne me fasse pas retourner dans la maison de Jonathan pour y mourir. –
German
Elberfelder 1871		so sollst du ihnen sagen: Ich legte mein Flehen vor dem König nieder, daß er mich nicht in das Haus Jonathans zurückbrächte, um daselbst zu sterben. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		dices ad eos: Prostravi ego preces meas coram rege, ne me reduci juberet in domum Jonathan, et ibi morerer.