Jeremiah 38:27

27 Then all the princes came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they left off speaking with him, for the conversation had not been overheard.

Jeremiah 38:27 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 38:27

Then came all the princes to Jeremiah, and asked him
After he had parted with the king, and was come back to the court of the prison; as soon as the princes had been informed of the interview between the king and the prophet, which soon came to their ears, they came in a body to him, to the court of the prison, where he was, and asked him of what passed between him and the king: and he told them according to all those words that the king had
commanded;
what he told them, no doubt, was truth; though he did not tell them all the truth; which he was not obliged to do, having no command from God, and being forbid by the king: so they left off speaking with him;
or, "were silent from him" ^F5; went away silent, not being able to disprove what he had said, or object unto it, and finding they could get nothing more out of him: for the matter was not perceived;
or, "was not heard" ^F6; though there were persons that saw the king and the prophet together, yet nobody heard anything that passed between them; and therefore Jeremiah could not be confronted in what he had said, or be charged with concealing anything.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (wnmm wvrxyw) "et tacuerunt ab eo", Pagninus, Montanus; "siluerunt", Calvin.
F6 (rbdh emvn al) "quia non auditum est verbum", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 38:27 In-Context

25 If the princes hear that I have spoken with you and come to you and say to you, 'Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; hide nothing from us and we will not put you to death,'

26 then you shall say to them, 'I made a humble plea to the king that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.'"

27 Then all the princes came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they left off speaking with him, for the conversation had not been overheard.

28 And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.