Jeremiah 38:7-13 · Bible study
Jeremiah 38:7-13 Commentary: Courage of an Ethiopian Eunuch
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
When Jeremiah was left to die, an Ethiopian eunuch risked his life to rescue him. A study in courage, providence, and God’s unexpected deliverers.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God rescues His prophet through an outsider, showing that deliverance can come from the least expected source and that courage and compassion transcend ethnic and social boundaries.
- Key words: Ebed-Melech (“servant of the king”), Cushite (Ethiopian), eunuch (court official), “bor” (cistern/dungeon), “rags of torn and worn-out garments,” cords.
- Main debate: The number “thirty” men in v. 10 may be a scribal error for “three” (some Hebrew manuscripts and versions), though both readings point to a rescue party large enough to overcome opposition.
- Theological theme: God’s sovereign freedom to choose unlikely instruments (a foreign eunuch) and His care for His suffering servants, prefiguring the inclusion of the Gentiles in the gospel.
- Best use: A model for speaking truth to power, a call to practical mercy, and an encouragement that God sees and acts, even when human leaders fail.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
7Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,
8Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,
9“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”
10So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
11Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.
12Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,
13and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
WEB World English Bible 2000
7Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king was then sitting in Benjamin’s gate),
8Ebedmelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,
9“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. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.”
10Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.”
11So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
12Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.” Jeremiah did so.
13So they lifted Jeremiah up with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
KJV King James Version 1769
7Now when Ebed–melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
8Ebed–melech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying,
9My 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.
10Then the king commanded Ebed–melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
11So Ebed–melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
12And Ebed–melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
13So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
7Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin),
8Ebed-melech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying,
9My 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 in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.
10Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
11So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
12And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these rags and worn-out garments under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
13So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
7And Ebed-Melech the Cushite, a eunuch who is in the king's house, heareth that they have put Jeremiah into the pit; and the king is sitting at the gate of Benjamin,
8and Ebed-Melech goeth forth from the king's house, and speaketh unto the king, saying,
9`My lord, O king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the pit, and he dieth in his place because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.'
10And the king commandeth Ebed-Melech the Cushite, saying, `Take with thee from this thirty men, and thou hast brought up Jeremiah the prophet from the pit, before he dieth.'
11And Ebed-Melech taketh the men with him, and entereth the house of the king, unto the place of the treasury, and taketh thence worn-out clouts, and worn-out rags, and sendeth them unto Jeremiah unto the pit by cords.
12And Ebed-Melech the Cushite saith unto Jeremiah, `Put, I pray thee, the worn-out clouts and rags under thine arm-holes, at the place of the cords,' and Jeremiah doth so,
13and they draw out Jeremiah with cords, and bring him up out of the pit, and Jeremiah dwelleth in the court of the prison.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
7And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon — now the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin,
8— and Ebed-melech went forth out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying,
9My lord, O king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he will die by reason of the famine in the place where he is; for there is no more bread in the city.
10And the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
11And Ebed-melech took the men under his order, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old shreds and worn-out clothes, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
12And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put, I pray, [these] old shreds and rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
13And they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and brought him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
7Now Abdemelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch that was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon: but the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.
8And Abdemelech went out of the king's house, and spoke to the king, saying:
9My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done against Jeremiah the prophet, casting him into the dungeon to die there with hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.
10Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take from hence thirty men with thee, and draw up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
11So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king's house that was under the storehouse: and he took from thence old rags, and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to Jeremiah into the dungeon.
12And Abdemelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah: Put these old rags and these rent and rotten things under thy arms, and upon the cords: and Jeremiah did so.
13And they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and brought him forth out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained in the entry of the prison.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 38:7
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 that this rescue comes as a divine reversal: while Jewish leaders and the weak King Zedekiah abandon Jeremiah to die in a cistern, an outsider steps in. Calvin marvels that God rescued His prophet “in a wonderful manner through the aid of… an alien.” Jamieson-Fausset-Brown see a foreshadowing of Gentile salvation: an Ethiopian stranger saves the prophet whom his own countrymen tried to destroy. Gill praises Ebed-Melech’s boldness in publicly accusing the princes. Clarke adds that he must have been “a humane and noble spirited man.” All note the practical care: he collects rags from the king’s storeroom to cushion the ropes (vv. 11, 12). The king’s order for thirty men (or possibly three, per a textual variant) suggests expected resistance. The passage ends with Jeremiah still confined, not fully free, underscoring that deliverance often comes in steps. The shared consensus is that God works through the least likely person to achieve His purposes.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: An Ethiopian eunuch courageously intervenes to save Jeremiah from death, and God uses this act to preserve His prophet, demonstrating that deliverance can come from the most unexpected sources.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Ebed-Melech’s identity | He was a Cushite (Ethiopian) and a eunuch/official in the king’s household. His name likely means ‘servant of the king’ and had become a proper name. | Some interpreters (e.g., Jewish tradition via Jarchi) suggested ‘Ethiopian’ might refer to Zedekiah himself due to his dark complexion, but most modern scholars accept a literal Cushite origin. |
| Number of men | The king sent a group of men to rescue Jeremiah, indicating possible resistance from the princes. | The Hebrew reads ‘thirty’ (shloshim), but some manuscripts and commentators (e.g., Cambridge Bible, Barnes) argue for ‘three’ (shalosh), noting that thirty seems large for a rescue inside the palace grounds. |
| Jeremiah’s condition | Jeremiah was near death from starvation, exposure, and the mire of the cistern. | Ebed-Melech’s statement ‘there is no more bread in the city’ may be hyperbolic (Cambridge); others take it as factual. The famine was severe but not absolute, as the king still had some provisions. |
| King Zedekiah’s motivation | The king was weak and inconsistent: he initially gave Jeremiah over to the princes (v. 5), then later authorized rescue. | Was he moved by pity, political calculation, or fear? Some see genuine sympathy (Matthew Henry, Gill); others see him as merely responding to a convenient excuse to act (Calvin). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 38 falls during the final Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, around 589, 587 BC. Famine had tightened its grip; the bread supply was so short that even prisoners starved. Into this crisis steps Ebed-Melech, a Cushite (Ethiopian) and a eunuch in the royal household. Cushites were a distinct ethnic group from the upper Nile region, often employed in Near Eastern courts as trusted officials. Eunuchs served in the palace and could hold considerable influence, though they were excluded from Israel’s assembly (Deuteronomy 23:1).
The city gate, where King Zedekiah sat, was the traditional place of legal judgment and public business (Deuteronomy 21:19; Job 29:7). Clarke explains that the king was there “to give audience, and to administer justice.” Jeremiah had been thrown into the cistern of Malchijah, a “bor,” an underground water reservoir now empty except for mire. Such a place meant slow death by starvation, exposure, or suffocation.
Ebed-Melech’s name means “servant of the king,” but the Hebrew lacks the article, suggesting it had become a proper name. His boldness is striking: he goes “out of the king’s house” to the gate and speaks publicly against the princes. The number “thirty men” likely reflects a real expectation of resistance from Jeremiah’s enemies (Barnes). The “treasury” storeroom (or “under the treasury,” /tachat ha’otsar/) supplied old rags, cloths that had become worn or moth-eaten (Cambridge Bible calls it “a sort of lumber-room”). These were not fine fabrics but discarded materials, yet they became instruments of mercy.
The passage shows that God’s deliverance can come through the most unexpected channels: a foreigner, a eunuch, a man of low status. That this outsider risked his standing, perhaps his life, to plead for a despised prophet testifies to a courage rooted in compassion.
Textual Notes
No significant textual variants affect the meaning of this passage, but the number of men in verse 10 deserves note. The Masoretic Text reads shloshim anashim (“thirty men”). However, some Hebrew manuscripts, along with the Syriac and a few Greek versions, read shaloshah anashim (“three men”). The Cambridge Bible and Barnes consider “three” more likely under the circumstances, since a rescue inside the king’s compound may not have required a large force. The Hebrew for verse 9, “he is like to die,” is literally “he is dead” (the Hebrew perfect meth), a vivid exaggeration underscoring Jeremiah’s desperate condition.
Reception History
This story has been read across Christian traditions as an example of God’s unexpected deliverance through an outsider. Early church writers noted that an Ethiopian, like the eunuch baptized by Philip (Acts 8:26, 39), becomes an agent of salvation, foreshadowing the inclusion of Gentiles. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown echo this, calling Ebed-Melech a proof that God intended to call the nations. Reformed commentators such as Calvin emphasize God’s sovereign care in raising up rescuers even when human leaders fail. In later Christian interpretation, Ebed-Melech is honored as a model of courage and practical faith; some Eastern traditions regard him as a saint. The passage continues to inspire readers to speak up for the powerless and to trust that God can use anyone, regardless of ethnicity, status, or background, to accomplish His purposes.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The One Who Heard and Acted, Ebed-Melech hears about Jeremiah in the cistern and does not delay. He leaves the palace to intervene (v. 8). Practical faith responds immediately.
- The One Who Spoke Boldly, He confronts the king with a direct accusation: “these men have done evil” (v. 9). He names the injustice, putting his own safety at risk.
- The One Who Cared Practically, He brings rags to ease the ropes, showing that real love attends to small, physical details (vv. 11, 12).
Five-point outline
- Desperate Need, Jeremiah sinks in the mire, without food, facing death (v. 6, context). The crisis is severe.
- Unexpected Advocate, Ebed-Melech, a foreign eunuch, hears and goes to the king. No one else speaks up.
- King’s Command, Zedekiah orders a rescue with thirty men, a sign of potential opposition (v. 10). Yet the king himself had earlier surrendered Jeremiah to the princes.
- Careful Provision, Ebed-Melech gathers rags and worn-out garments, then instructs Jeremiah to place them under the ropes to protect his armpits (vv. 11, 12). Mercy thinks ahead.
- Limited Deliverance, Jeremiah is lifted out but remains “in the court of the guard” (v. 13). Rescue is real but not yet complete. God often delivers step by step.
Illustration hooks
- A neighbor from a different background steps in to help when family members are in conflict, an outsider brings clarity.
- An employee uses company discards (scrap materials) to help someone in need, showing creativity and care.
- A student speaks up to a teacher about a bullied classmate while others stay silent, a single voice changes the outcome.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would God use a foreign eunuch instead of someone from His own people? What does that say about how God sees status and ethnicity?
- When I see someone being treated unjustly, what keeps me from speaking up, and what gave Ebed-Melech courage?
- If God’s deliverance often comes through “small” acts (rags, cords, a conversation), how can I stay attentive to those everyday opportunities?
Leading a Discussion
This story turns expectations upside down. The prophet God sent to Judah is rescued not by Israel’s leaders but by an African eunuch. As you work through these questions, notice how God’s ways often run counter to human power structures.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about Jeremiah’s situation from the surrounding context (vv. 4, 6)? Why was it life-threatening?
- Ebed-Melech is identified as an Ethiopian (Cushite) and a eunuch. What would these labels have meant in ancient Judah? Why does the text emphasize them?
- Look at verse 9. Ebed-Melech does not just ask for help, he says the princes “have done evil.” What does this tell you about his character and his view of justice?
- The king provides thirty men (or three, depending on the manuscript). What does the size of the rescue party reveal about the risk Ebed-Melech took?
- Why do you think Ebed-Melech bothers with rags (vv. 11, 12)? What does this detail add to the story?
- Jeremiah is saved but not set free, he remains in the court of the guard. How does this shape our expectations about how God rescues people?
- Where in your own life have you seen God work through unexpected people, maybe someone you would have overlooked? How can you be an “Ebed-Melech” for someone else this week?
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)
| Deuteronomy 21:19 | then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place. |
| II Kings 24:15 | He carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, with the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officers, and the chief men of the land. He carried them into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. |
| Job 29:7 | when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street. |
| Job 29:17 | I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth. |
| Psalms 68:31 | Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God. |
| Jeremiah 13:23 | Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil. |
| Jeremiah 29:2 | (after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem), |
| Jeremiah 34:19 | the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf. |
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
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that Ebed-melech did not take fine robes but worn-out, moth-eaten garments from the king's storage. He used these to pad the ropes under Jeremiah's armpits so the prophet would not be injured when hauled up from the cistern.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the name Ebed-melech means "king's slave," and that eunuchs took their names from the king while princes bore names compounded with God's title. The large number of thirty men sent suggests Zedekiah expected resistance, though some manuscripts read "three."
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights the striking contrast between the Jewish leaders who refused to help Jeremiah and the Ethiopian Ebedmelech, a foreigner, who risked his life to plead for the prophet publicly. He sees this as God's deliberate choice to shame those who boasted of being Abraham's children yet lacked the courage to do right.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Ebed-melech's report that there
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the compassion of Ebed-Melech, the Ethiopian eunuch, who not only secured the king's permission but also took care to pad the ropes with old rags to prevent Jeremiah's armpits from being cut. This small act of mercy shows practical kindness toward the suffering prophet.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that Ebedmelech is a proper name, not a title, and that he was likely a eunuch and a Jewish convert. His distinctive emphasis falls on the man's extraordinary courage: he publicly confronted King Zedekiah about the princes' injustice to Jeremiah, showing more piety and humanity than the native-born Israelites.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB reads Ebed-melech's rescue of Jeremiah as a deliberate foreshadowing: a Gentile Ethiopian saves the prophet from the Jews who wanted him dead, just as Gentiles later believed in Christ after the Jews rejected Him. He also notes that God uses lowly means like torn cloth and rope, showing He can accomplish His purposes through the humblest instruments.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees Jeremiah's ordeal in the pit as the climax of Jerusalem's prophetic persecution, with the true antitype being Christ's own suffering, not John the Baptist's. He also highlights that a foreign Ethiopian eunuch, not any Israelite, shows compassion and rescues the prophet.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry contrasts the princes' murderous hatred with the kindness shown by Ebed-melech, a foreigner and a eunuch. He notes that when God's own people turned against Jeremiah, God raised up help from an unlikely source, proving that no one is beyond the reach of His care.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the king sent thirty men with Ebed-melech not merely to assist in the rescue but to guard against any opposition. This large escort suggests the king anticipated resistance, whether from the princes or others who wanted Jeremiah dead.