The Meaning of Jeremiah 38:14 Explained

Jeremiah 38:14

KJV: Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

YLT: And the king Zedekiah sendeth, and taketh Jeremiah the prophet unto him, unto the third entrance that is in the house of Jehovah, and the king saith unto Jeremiah, 'I am asking thee a thing, do not hide from me anything.'

Darby: And king Zedekiah sent and took the prophet Jeremiah unto him, into the third entry that is in the house of Jehovah; and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing: hide nothing from me.

ASV: Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of Jehovah: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Zedekiah  the king  sent,  and took  Jeremiah  the prophet  unto him into the third  entry  that [is] in the house  of the LORD:  and the king  said  unto Jeremiah,  I will ask  thee a thing;  hide  nothing from me. 

What does Jeremiah 38:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Shortly after this event, Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him at one of the temple entrances, possibly the king"s private entrance (cf. 2 Kings 16:18). He told the prophet that he was going to ask him a question and he wanted a straight answer.

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 38:14 mean?

And sent the king Zedekiah and had brought - Jeremiah the prophet to him at entrance the third that of the house of Yahweh and said to Jeremiah will ask I you something nothing Hide from me nothing
וַיִּשְׁלַ֞ח הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֗הוּ וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶֽת־ יִרְמְיָ֤הוּ הַנָּבִיא֙ אֵלָ֔יו אֶל־ מָבוֹא֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֶֽל־ יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ שֹׁאֵ֨ל אֲנִ֤י אֹֽתְךָ֙ דָּבָ֔ר אַל־ תְּכַחֵ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נִּי דָּבָֽר

וַיִּשְׁלַ֞ח  And  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
צִדְקִיָּ֗הוּ  Zedekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִדְקִיָּה 
Sense: the last king of Judah renamed from ‘Mattaniah’ by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity.
וַיִּקַּ֞ח  and  had  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִרְמְיָ֤הוּ  Jeremiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִרְמְיָה 
Sense: the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name.
הַנָּבִיא֙  the  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
אֵלָ֔יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֶל־  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מָבוֹא֙  entrance 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָבֹוא  
Sense: entrance, a coming in, entering.
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י  the  third 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שְׁלִישִׁי 
Sense: third, one third, third part, third time.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּבֵ֣ית  of  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ  Jeremiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִרְמְיָה 
Sense: the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name.
שֹׁאֵ֨ל  will  ask 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
דָּבָ֔ר  something 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אַל־  nothing 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תְּכַחֵ֥ד  Hide 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּחַד  
Sense: to hide, conceal, cut off, cut down, make desolate, kick.
מִמֶּ֖נִּי  from  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
דָּבָֽר  nothing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.