So Zedekiah the king swore secretly unto Jeremiah,.... The king not only gave the prophet his word, but also annexed to it his oath, that his life should be in no danger, either from him or his princes; this oath was made secretly, both for the honour of the king, he swearing to a subject, and that it might not be known by the princes, and for fear of them:saying, [as] the Lord liveth, that made us this soul; or "these souls", as the Targum: here a superfluous word, ta, is used; which, as the Jews observe, is one of the eight words which are written, but not read: he swears by the living God, by whom only men should swear, whenever it is necessary; this is the proper form of an oath; the appeal is to be made to the eternal God, that knows all things, the Father of spirits, the Maker of souls, and giver of the lives of all men, and who can take them away when he pleases.
Bible Commentary
Jeremiah 38:16
Jeremiah 38:16
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible · John Gill (1697–1771) · Public Domain
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Jeremiah 38 — OverviewJeremiah 38 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleIn this chapter, just as in the former, we have Jeremiah greatly
debased under the frowns of the princes, and yet greatly honoured by
the favour of the king. They used him as a criminal; he used him as a…Jeremiah 38 — OverviewJeremiah 38 · Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeJeremiah 38:1, Jeremiah, by a false suggestion, is put into the dungeon of Malchiah; Jeremiah 38:7, Edeb-melech, by suit, gets him some enlargement; Jeremiah 38:14, Upon secret conference, he counsels the king by…Jeremiah 38 — OverviewJeremiah 38 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThis chapter is taken up in giving an account of Jeremiah's being cast into a dungeon; his deliverance from it; and private conversation with King Zedekiah. The occasion of the prophet's being cast into a dungeon was…Jeremiah 38:1-28Jeremiah 38:1-28 · The Pulpit CommentaryCONTINUATION.
EXPOSITION
The object of the princes being frustrated (for in the "court of the guard" Jeremiah had perfect freedom and opportunity of speech), the princes resolve upon a more effectual means of stopping…Jeremiah 38:14-28Jeremiah 38:14-28 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleIn the foregoing chapter we had the king in close conference with
Jeremiah, and here again, though (v. 5) he had given him up into the
hands of his enemies; such a struggle there was in the breast of this…Jeremiah 38:16Jeremiah 38:16 · The Pulpit CommentaryThat made us this soul. A very unusual formula (comp. Isaiah 57:16).