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.
Original Language Analysis
מַפִּיל
unto them I presented
H5307
מַפִּיל
unto them I presented
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
3 of 13
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
לִפְנֵ֣י
before
H6440
לִפְנֵ֣י
before
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
6 of 13
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
לְבִלְתִּ֧י
H1115
לְבִלְתִּ֧י
Strong's:
H1115
Word #:
8 of 13
properly, a failure of, i.e., (used only as a negative particle, usually with a prepositional prefix) not, except, without, unless, besides, because n
הֲשִׁיבֵ֛נִי
that he would not cause me to return
H7725
הֲשִׁיבֵ֛נִי
that he would not cause me to return
Strong's:
H7725
Word #:
9 of 13
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
בֵּ֥ית
house
H1004
בֵּ֥ית
house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
10 of 13
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
Cross References
Jeremiah 37:20Therefore 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 37:15Wherefore 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.
Historical Context
Jonathan's house (37:15) had been converted into a prison with dungeon cells. Jeremiah had been confined there in harsh conditions after his arrest for allegedly deserting to the Babylonians. His request to avoid returning there (37:20) was a genuine plea that Zedekiah had granted by keeping him in the court of the guard (37:21).
Questions for Reflection
- How should we evaluate Jeremiah's participation in Zedekiah's cover story—compliance with authority or compromise with deception?
- What tensions exist between truthfulness and protection of confidential conversations, especially when lives are at stake?
- Does Jeremiah's cooperation with this half-truth diminish his prophetic integrity, or demonstrate wisdom in a dangerous situation?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
I presented my supplication before the king—Zedekiah instructed Jeremiah to tell a half-truth: yes, Jeremiah had made a request (supplication, techinnah, תְּחִנָּה), though this was not the meeting's main substance. The verb naphal (נָפַל, "to fall/present") with techinnah describes formal petition protocol.
That he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there—Jeremiah had indeed requested not to be returned to Jonathan's house (37:20), where dungeon conditions nearly killed him. This reference was technically true but deliberately misleading—a lie of omission. Remarkably, Jeremiah obeyed Zedekiah's instruction to conceal their conversation, though it meant participating in deception. This raises difficult questions about the prophet's compliance with the king's cover story, though Jeremiah's primary loyalty to truth is demonstrated throughout his book.