Jeremiah 38:6
New International Version
So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

New Living Translation
So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.

English Standard Version
So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Berean Standard Bible
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

King James Bible
Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

New King James Version
So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.

New American Standard Bible
So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

NASB 1995
Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

NASB 1977
Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mire, and Jeremiah sank into the mire.

Amplified Bible
So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down [into the cistern] with ropes. Now there was no water in the cistern but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Christian Standard Bible
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the guard’s courtyard, lowering Jeremiah with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the guard’s courtyard, lowering Jeremiah with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

American Standard Version
Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

Contemporary English Version
Then they took me back to the courtyard of the palace guards and let me down with ropes into the well that belonged to Malchiah, the king's son. There was no water in the well, but I sank down in the mud.

English Revised Version
Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son. It was in the courtyard of the prison. They used ropes to lower Jeremiah into the cistern. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Good News Translation
So they took me and let me down by ropes into Prince Malchiah's well, which was in the palace courtyard. There was no water in the well, only mud, and I sank down in it.

International Standard Version
So they threw Jeremiah into a cistern that belonged to the king's son Malchijah and was located in the courtyard of the guard. When they let Jeremiah down with ropes, because there was no water in the cistern—only mud—Jeremiah sank into the mud.

Majority Standard Bible
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

NET Bible
So the officials took Jeremiah and put him in the cistern of Malkijah, one of the royal princes, that was in the courtyard of the guardhouse. There was no water in the cistern, only mud. So when they lowered Jeremiah into the cistern with ropes he sank in the mud.

New Heart English Bible
Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malkiah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then they took Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

World English Bible
Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they take Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah son of the king, that [is] in the court of the prison, and they send Jeremiah down with cords; and there is no water in the pit, but mire, and Jeremiah sinks in the mire.

Young's Literal Translation
And they take Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah son of the king, that is in the court of the prison, and they send down Jeremiah with cords; and in the pit there is no water, but mire, and Jeremiah sinketh in the mire.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will take Jeremiah and send him to the pit of Malchiah son of the king which was in the enclosure of the prison: and they will cast Jeremiah with cords, and in the pit no water but mud: and Jeremiah will sink in the mud.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then they took Jeremias and cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: and they let down Jeremias by ropes into the dungeon, wherein there was no water, but mire. And Jeremias sunk into the mire.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, they took Jeremiah and cast him into the pit of Malchiah, the son of Amelech, which was at the entrance to the prison. And they lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the pit, in which there was no water, but only mud. And so Jeremiah descended into the mire.

New American Bible
And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, in the court of the guard, letting him down by rope. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

New Revised Standard Version
So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. Now there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the well of Malchiah the son of the king, which was in the court of the prison; and they let down Jeremiah with ropes. And there was no water in the well, but only mire; so Jeremiah sank in the mire.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they brought Jeremiah and they threw him into the well of Malkiah, son of the King, in the court of the house of prisoners, and they let Jeremiah down by ropes into the well, and there was no water in the well, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard; and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the pit there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the king's son, which was in the court of the prison; and they let him down into the pit: and there was no water in the pit, but mire: and he was in the mire.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jeremiah Cast Into the Cistern
5“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.” 6So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

Cross References
Genesis 37:24
and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.

Lamentations 3:53
They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.

Psalm 40:2
He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.

Psalm 69:14-15
Rescue me from the mire and do not let me sink; deliver me from my foes and out of the deep waters. / Do not let the floods engulf me or the depths swallow me up; let not the Pit close its mouth over me.

Psalm 88:6
You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.

Psalm 130:1
A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!

Daniel 6:16-17
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” / A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that nothing concerning Daniel could be changed.

Zechariah 9:11
As for you, because of the blood of My covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.

Acts 16:24
On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Matthew 21:33-39
Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey. / When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit. / But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ...

Mark 12:1-8
Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey. / At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. / But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. ...

Luke 20:9-15
Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time. / At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. / So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed. ...

John 15:18-20
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. / If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. / Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.

Acts 7:58
They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 22:22-24
The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!” / As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, / the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.


Treasury of Scripture

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

took.

Jeremiah 37:21
Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

Psalm 109:5
And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

Luke 3:19,20
But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, …

into.

Jeremiah 37:16
When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

Lamentations 3:55
I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.

Acts 16:24
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Hammelech.

Jeremiah 36:26
But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.

and they.

Jeremiah 38:11,12
So Ebedmelech 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…

And in.

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.

Jeremiah 37:20
Therefore 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 38:22
And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

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Cast Cistern Cords Court Dungeon Guard Hammelech Jeremiah King's Malchiah Malchijah Mire Mud Pit Prison Sank Water
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Cast Cistern Cords Court Dungeon Guard Hammelech Jeremiah King's Malchiah Malchijah Mire Mud Pit Prison Sank Water
Jeremiah 38
1. Jeremiah, by a false suggestion, is put into the dungeon of Malchiah.
7. Ebed-Melech, by suit, gets him some enlargement.
14. Upon secret conference, he counsels the king by yielding to save his life.
24. By the king's instructions he conceals the conference from the princes.














So they took Jeremiah
This phrase marks the beginning of a significant and distressing event in the life of the prophet Jeremiah. The Hebrew root for "took" (לָקַח, laqach) often implies a forceful or authoritative action. Jeremiah, a prophet of God, is being seized by those who oppose his message. This reflects the broader theme of persecution faced by prophets who speak God's truth, a theme that resonates throughout the Bible. It serves as a reminder of the cost of discipleship and the courage required to stand firm in one's faith.

and dropped him into the cistern
The act of dropping Jeremiah into a cistern is both literal and symbolic. Cisterns were typically used to store water, but this one is dry, indicating neglect or disuse. The Hebrew word for "cistern" (בּוֹר, bor) can also mean pit or dungeon, suggesting a place of confinement and despair. This imagery is powerful, as it represents the depths of human suffering and the feeling of being trapped or abandoned. Yet, it also foreshadows deliverance, as God often rescues His people from the depths.

of Malchiah, the king’s son
Malchiah, identified as the king's son, indicates the involvement of royal authority in Jeremiah's persecution. This highlights the political and social pressures against Jeremiah, as even those in positions of power are complicit in his suffering. It underscores the theme of corrupt leadership and the consequences of ignoring God's warnings. The mention of Malchiah serves as a reminder that earthly power is often misused, but divine justice ultimately prevails.

which was in the courtyard of the guard
The location of the cistern in the courtyard of the guard suggests a place of surveillance and control. It is a public area, yet Jeremiah's suffering is hidden from view, symbolizing how injustice can be overlooked or ignored by society. This setting emphasizes the isolation and vulnerability of Jeremiah, yet it also serves as a stage for God's intervention, as deliverance often comes from unexpected places.

They lowered Jeremiah with ropes
The use of ropes to lower Jeremiah into the cistern indicates a deliberate and calculated action. The Hebrew word for "ropes" (חֲבָלִים, chavalim) can also mean cords or bonds, symbolizing the constraints placed on Jeremiah. This act of lowering him into the cistern is a physical manifestation of the spiritual and emotional oppression he faces. Yet, ropes can also be instruments of rescue, hinting at the hope of eventual deliverance.

There was no water in the cistern, only mud
The absence of water in the cistern is significant, as water is often a symbol of life and sustenance in the Bible. The presence of only mud (טִיט, tit) suggests a state of desolation and hopelessness. Mud, being a mixture of earth and water, represents the mire of human sin and the struggles of life. Jeremiah's sinking into the mud is a vivid depiction of his plight, yet it also serves as a metaphor for the spiritual condition of Judah, mired in sin and in need of redemption.

and Jeremiah sank into the mud
This final phrase captures the depth of Jeremiah's predicament. The act of sinking conveys a sense of helplessness and despair. Yet, in the biblical narrative, sinking is often followed by divine intervention. Just as Peter was saved from sinking in the sea by Jesus, Jeremiah's eventual rescue from the mud foreshadows God's faithfulness to deliver His servants. This imagery encourages believers to trust in God's deliverance, even when circumstances seem dire.

(6) The dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech.--Literally, the pit, or cistern. The LXX. agrees with the marginal reading in describing him as "a son of the king." The same phrase is so translated in 1Kings 22:26; 2Chronicles 28:7, and would seem to have been an official or court title, applied to one of the royal house, as distinguished from. others. (See Note on Jerahmeel in Jeremiah 36:26.) We have no data for judging whether this Malchiah is identical with the lather of Pashur in Jeremiah 38:1; but it is not unlikely. In Lamentations 3:53-55 we have probably a reminiscence of these days of horrible suffering. The cistern had been partly dried up (possibly through the supply of water having been cut off during the protracted siege), but there remained a thick deposit, three or four feet deep, of black foetid mud,, and there, it is obvious from Jeremiah 38:9 of this chapter, his enemies meant to leave him to die of hunger. They probably shrank from the odium of a public execution, or thought, with the strange superstition of the Eastern mind, that in this way they could escape the guilt of shedding the prophet's blood. The death by starva-tion might easily be represented, even to themselves, as a death by disease. . . . Verse 6. - The dungeon; more literally, the cistern. "Every house in Jerusalem was supplied with a subterranean cistern, so well constructed that we never read of the city suffering in a siege from want of water" (Dr. Payne Smith). A grotto bearing the name of Jeremiah has been shown at Jerusalem since the fifteenth century. Under its floor are vast cisterns, the deepest of which professes to be the prison into which the prophet was thrown. The objection is that the sacred narrative proves that the prison was in the city, whereas "the present grotto was not included within the walls until the time of Herod Agrippa" (Thomson, 'The Land and the Book,' 1881, p. 555). The son of Hammelech; rather, a royal prince (as Jeremiah 36:26).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So they took
וַיִּקְח֣וּ (way·yiq·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3947: To take

Jeremiah
יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ (yir·mə·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3414: Jeremiah -- 'Yah loosens', the name of a number of Israelites

and dropped
וַיַּשְׁלִ֨כוּ (way·yaš·li·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away

him into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the cistern
הַבּ֣וֹר ׀ (hab·bō·wr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 953: A pit, cistern, well

of Malchiah,
מַלְכִּיָּ֣הוּ (mal·kî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4441: Malchijah -- 'my king is Yah', the name of a number of Israelites

the king’s
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4429: Melech -- a Benjamite

son,
בֶן־ (ḇen-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

which
אֲשֶׁר֙ (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

was in the courtyard
בַּחֲצַ֣ר (ba·ḥă·ṣar)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 2691: A yard, a hamlet

of the guard.
הַמַּטָּרָ֔ה (ham·maṭ·ṭā·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4307: A guard, ward, prison, target, mark

They lowered
וַיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ (way·šal·lə·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

Jeremiah
יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ (yir·mə·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3414: Jeremiah -- 'Yah loosens', the name of a number of Israelites

with ropes
בַּחֲבָלִ֑ים (ba·ḥă·ḇā·lîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2256: A rope, a measuring line, a district, inheritance, a noose, a company, a throe, ruin

into the cistern,
וּבַבּ֤וֹר (ū·ḇab·bō·wr)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 953: A pit, cistern, well

which had no
אֵֽין־ (’ên-)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

water
מַ֙יִם֙ (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

but only
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

mud,
טִ֔יט (ṭîṭ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2916: Mud, clay, calamity

and Jeremiah
יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ (yir·mə·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3414: Jeremiah -- 'Yah loosens', the name of a number of Israelites

sank down
וַיִּטְבַּ֥ע (way·yiṭ·ba‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2883: To sink, sink down

into the mud.
בַּטִּֽיט׃ (baṭ·ṭîṭ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2916: Mud, clay, calamity


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 38:6 Then took they Jeremiah and cast him (Jer.)
Jeremiah 38:5
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