Jeremiah 38:26-28 · Bible study
Jeremiah 38:26-28 Commentary: Truth Told, Secrets Kept
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah gives a partial answer to the princes. Was he right? Explore the ethical tension and God's faithfulness in this passage.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jeremiah avoids disclosing his full conversation with the king by giving a true but partial account, protecting the king’s secret and his own life.
- Key words: supplication (teḥinnah), presented/making fall (mapil), officials (śarim), words (devarim), kept silent (yaḥarishu).
- Main debate: Was Jeremiah’s partial truth a justified omission or a sinful evasion?
- Theological theme: Human fear and divine sovereignty intertwine; God’s purposes move forward even through flawed obedience.
- Best use: Ethical and historical study of truth-telling under pressure; case study in pastoral wisdom and weakness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
26then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”
27When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.
28And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
WEB World English Bible 2000
26then 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.’”
27Then all the princes came to Jeremiah, and asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they stopped speaking with him, for the matter was not perceived.
28So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.
KJV King James Version 1769
26Then 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.
27Then 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.
28So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
26then 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.
27Then 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.
28So Jeremiah abode in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken. And it came to pass when Jerusalem was taken
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
26then 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.'
27And all the heads come in unto Jeremiah, and ask him, and he declareth to them according to all these words that the king commanded, and they keep silent from him, for the matter was not heard;
28and Jeremiah dwelleth in the court of the prison till the day that Jerusalem hath been captured, and he was there when Jerusalem was captured.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
26then 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.
27— And all the princes came to Jeremiah, and asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. And they withdrew quietly from him; for the matter was not reported.
28And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
26Thou shalt say to them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, to die there.
27So all the princes came to Jeremiah, and asked him: and he spoke to them according to all the words that the king had commanded him: and they left him: for nothing had been heard.
28But Jeremiah remained in the entry of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and it came to pass that Jerusalem was taken.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 38:26
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the basic facts: Jeremiah’s answer to the princes was literally true but incomplete. He said he had asked the king not to be sent back to Jonathan’s house, which he had indeed done (Jer 37:20). He did not mention the king’s secret conference or the prophet’s warning to surrender. As Adam Clarke puts it, Jeremiah told “the truth, and nothing but the truth, but not the whole truth.” The princes, satisfied that the matter was not overheard or reported, left him alone.
Where scholars differ is on the moral evaluation. Some, like Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, argue that Jeremiah was not obliged to reveal the full conversation, especially given the king’s command and the princes’ hostile intent. Calvin is more critical, saying the evasion “cannot be wholly excused,” though he acknowledges Jeremiah acted under extreme fear. The passage thus sits at a crossroads of ethics: when, if ever, is it right to speak a partial truth to protect a confidence or save a life?
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Justified omission: Jeremiah’s statement was true, the king commanded it, and the princes had no right to the full information (Gill, Clarke, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown).
- Sinful evasion: Jeremiah concealed the real subject of the conversation, driven by fear rather than faith; Calvin calls it an act that 'cannot be wholly excused.'
What is clear: Jeremiah spoke a true but incomplete answer to the princes, and the text reports this without explicit divine approval or condemnation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics of partial truth | Jeremiah’s statement was literally true but did not reveal the full conversation. | Protestant commentators like Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown see it as acceptable prudence, since the princes had no right to the information. Calvin and others view it as an evasion that cannot be wholly excused. |
| Textual division of verse 28 | The Hebrew text includes the words 'and he was there when Jerusalem was taken' at the end of the verse. | Many scholars and translations (e.g., KJV, ASV) keep it as part of chapter 38; others, following Kimchi and the Targum, treat it as the opening of chapter 39. No major doctrine hinges on this. |
| King Zedekiah’s role | Zedekiah feared his princes and wanted the conference kept secret to avoid reproach or danger. | Some see him as a pathetic figure trying to protect the prophet; others as a weak ruler who compromised the truth for political cover. The text itself neither commends nor condemns him. |
| Jeremiah’s motive | The prophet acted partly from fear, partly from obedience to the king’s command. | Was his primary motive self-preservation (Calvin) or faithful discretion (Clarke, Gill)? The text does not disclose his inner reasoning, so both remain possible. |
Historical & Cultural Context
These verses close a tense, multi-layered sequence in Jeremiah 38. King Zedekiah had secretly summoned the prophet for counsel. Jeremiah plainly told him that only surrender to Babylon would save his life and the city (Jer 38:17-18). The king, terrified of his own officials and of the Jewish defectors already with Babylon, vacillated. He swore Jeremiah to secrecy, then prepared a cover story: if the princes asked, Jeremiah was to say he had only petitioned for his life not to be returned to the house of Jonathan the scribe, the prison where he had been beaten and held (Jer 37:15).
The princes (sarim) were ruling officials, not just advisers; they had already shown they could act against Jeremiah with impunity (Jer 38:4-6). When they learned of the king’s private audience, they came to Jeremiah in a group. He answered exactly as the king had instructed. The princes could not verify the conversation because no one else had overheard it, the Hebrew nishma‘ (“heard”) can mean “understood” or “perceived,” and here likely means the true subject of the talk was not known. They left, and Jeremiah remained confined to the court of the guard (a prison courtyard) until the Babylonians broke through the walls.
The historical setting, a doomed city under siege, a weak king, hostile nobles, and a faithful prophet caught in the middle, gives this episode its raw edge. Jeremiah was not free; he was a prisoner being interrogated by men who had already thrown him into a muddy cistern. The king’s command gave him a way to survive, but it also put him in an ethical bind.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note a minor textual issue at the end of verse 28. The phrase “and he was there when Jerusalem was taken” (WEB) appears in the Hebrew. Barnes and Keil & Delitzsch observe that some manuscripts and early translations (including the Targum) connect this clause to the beginning of Jeremiah 39, forming the opening “And it happened when Jerusalem was taken.” Gill mentions that Kimchi reads it as introducing the next chapter. The accentuation in the Masoretic Text supports keeping it with chapter 38, which the English versions generally follow. No significant variant affects the meaning of the passage itself.
Reception History
This passage has long served as a test case in Christian ethics. The early church, focused on martyrdom and witness, typically read it as an example of wisdom in persecution, Jeremiah survived to continue his ministry. Reformation commentators, especially Calvin, drew a harder line: they saw the partial truth as a weakness to learn from, not a model to follow. Geneva Bible notes treat the episode matter-of-factly, without moralising. Later Wesleyan interpreters like Adam Clarke balanced the critique by noting that Jeremiah was not bound to reveal what would only cause harm. Across traditions, the passage has been used in pastoral training to discuss the tension between transparency and prudence, especially when a confidence must be kept or a life protected.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Pressure to Conceal. King Zedekiah, afraid and indecisive, commands Jeremiah to limit what he says. Fear drives the cover-up, not malice, but self-preservation (vv. 25-26).
- The Partial Truth. Jeremiah tells the princes exactly what the king instructed: a true statement that is not the whole story. He does not lie, but he does not disclose the full content of his prophetic counsel.
- The Sovereign Outcome. Despite the human scheming, Zedekiah’s cowardice, Jeremiah’s evasion, God’s purpose holds. The city falls, Jeremiah is later released, and the word of the Lord stands (v. 28).
Five-point outline
- Secrecy as survival: why the king insisted on a limited story.
- A test of integrity: speaking truth without betraying trust.
- The limits of obedience: Jeremiah followed the king’s command but did not fabricate.
- Silence as protection: the princes stopped questioning because the matter had not “been heard.”
- Waiting in the guard court: Jeremiah’s confinement continues, but the end is near.
Illustration hooks
- Being asked by a coworker for confidential details about a private meeting with your boss. You can give an honest but limited answer without betraying trust.
- A parent is called to the principal’s office after their child was involved in a fight. The parent does not disclose everything the child said at home, but answers truthfully about what they witnessed.
- A friend promises not to share a secret, but later others press for information. The friend gives a general, truthful response that protects the confidence.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did Jeremiah actually lie? Or was this permissible concealment?
- Why does the Bible not condemn Jeremiah here? Does silence mean approval?
- How do we decide when to speak fully and when to hold back, especially when under pressure?
Leading a Discussion
This passage pulls us into a difficult moment. Jeremiah is cornered: he must answer the princes, but the king has sworn him to secrecy. His response is true as far as it goes, but it leaves out the heart of the conversation. Was that wise? Was it sinful? Or was it a necessary protection? As a group, work through the story slowly, paying attention to who holds power and who is vulnerable.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 38:26-28 together. What exactly does Jeremiah say to the princes, and what does he leave out?
- Why did King Zedekiah give Jeremiah this specific instruction? What does it reveal about the king’s character?
- Look at Jeremiah 38:24-25. What is the king most afraid of? How does that fear shape the conversation?
- How do the princes react to Jeremiah’s answer? Why do they stop pressing him?
- Some readers see Jeremiah’s answer as a wise, truthful evasion. Others see it as a concession to fear. Where do you lean, and why?
- What clues does the wider context of Jeremiah give, does the prophet ever apologise for his answer, or does he continue to speak God’s word boldly afterward?
- How does this story help you think about truth-telling when you are caught between conflicting loyalties or under threat?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Esther 4:8 | He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people. |
| Jeremiah 37:15 | The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison. |
| Jeremiah 37:20 | Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.” |
| Jeremiah 42:2 | and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our supplication be presented before you, and pray for us to Yahweh your God, even for all this remnant, for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes see us, |
| I Samuel 10:15 | Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” |
| I Samuel 10:16 | Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys were found.” But concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he didn’t tell him. |
| I Samuel 16:2 | Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’ |
| I Samuel 16:5 | He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that Jeremiah told the king the truth but withheld the full truth. He was under no obligation to reveal details that might endanger the weak king or his own life. Jeremiah related only what was necessary, and that was enough.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes a textual variant in this phrase. Some editors change "And he was there when" to "and it came to pass when" and treat it as the opening of Jeremiah 39. This alters how the passage connects to the following narrative.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin does not excuse Jeremiah's evasive answer to the princes; he calls it a kind of falsehood, even if partly true. He uses this failure to teach that even God's servants can waver under extreme fear, reminding readers to pray for God's gift of courage and firmness.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible presents this as a structured negotiation between the king and the prophet. Jeremiah offers clear terms: surrender spares the city and the king's life, refusal means destruction. Zedekiah's concern about personal danger from defectors is met with a renewed, detailed warning, including the image of palace women led out in lamentation.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that the princes stopped questioning Jeremiah because they did not perceive the truth: Jeremiah had actually asked the king not to return him to Jonathan’s house to die, but his public answer followed the king’s command, concealing the real plea.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that King Zedekiah feared his princes more than God, showing he was a king in name only. He also observes that Jeremiah was not obligated to tell the whole truth because the king had forbidden it and God had not commanded him to reveal everything, so his partial report was justified.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Jeremiah's reply to the king was true as far as it went, but not the whole truth; fear moved him to offer only a partial account. Scripture records this human frailty without endorsing it, much as Abraham and Samuel acted under similar pressure. A textual note adds that the phrase about Jerusalem's fall belongs at the head of chapter 39.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights Zedekiah's paralyzing fear of his princes, which kept him from surrendering to the Chaldeans and drove him to stage a cover story for his meeting with Jeremiah. He instructed the prophet to claim he was pleading for his life, not discussing surrender. The princes accepted this, and Jeremiah was left in peace.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights Zedekiah's tragic inconsistency: he swears a solemn oath to protect Jeremiah and earnestly seeks God's word, yet he refuses to obey that word because he fears what defectors will say about him. The king's dread of mockery outweighs his trust in God's promise.