Jeremiah 38:4
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.
Study Note
Study Note
The princes' accusation — that Jeremiah 'seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt' — is the recurring charge against prophets who announce judgment: that faithfulness to God's word is treasonous in a crisis. The social dynamic mirrors the persecution of Isaiah (Isaiah 30:10) and anticipates the treatment of Jesus, who was likewise charged with undermining national solidarity. Jeremiah's imprisonment in the cistern (verses 6–13) becomes a paradigm for prophetic suffering in the face of institutional power, and his rescue by the Ethiopian Ebed-melech provides the narrative with one of Scripture's more striking cross-cultural acts of compassion.
Other Translations
Then the princes said unto the king, Let this man, we pray thee, be put to death; forasmuch as 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.
And the heads say unto the king, `Let, we pray thee, this man be put to death, because that he is making feeble the hands of the men of war, who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking unto them according to these words, for this man is not seeking for the peace of this people, but for its evil.'
Then the rulers said to the king, Let this man be put to death, because he is putting fear into the hearts of the men of war who are still in the town, and into the hearts of the people, by saying such things to them: this man is not working for the well-being of the people, but for their damage.
Cross References
And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? …
And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the …
And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because …
And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of …
Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, …
For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. …
Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy …
And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought …
And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the …