The Meaning of Jeremiah 38:6 Explained

Jeremiah 38:6

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: Then they took Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah the son of Hammelech, which 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 38:6 Mean?

Study Notes

then took they
.
And it came to pass
Five phases of Jeremiah's prison experiences are recorded:
(1) He is arrested in the gate and committed to a dungeon on the false charge of treason Jeremiah 37:11-15 .
(2) he is released from the dungeon, but restrained to the court of the prison;
(3) he is imprisoned in the miry dungeon and kept in prison court Jeremiah 38:1-6 .
(4) he is again released from the dungeon and kept in the prison court Jeremiah 38:13-28 until the capture of the city;
(5) carried in chains from the city by Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, he is finally released at Ramah. Jeremiah 40:1-4 .

Verse Meaning

The nobles had Jeremiah placed in a cistern of one of the royal princes, Malchijah, which was in the court of the guardhouse. Jeremiah had previously been confined in this court or stockade ( Jeremiah 37:21), but now he was lowered into the cistern with ropes. The cistern had no water in it, but the bottom was very muddy, and Jeremiah sank into the mud. The nobles wanted him to die there of "natural causes," i.e, hunger-probably to alleviate their guilt (cf. Genesis 37:18-20; Genesis 37:24; Genesis 37:26-27).
"A typical cistern was dug out of limestone rock and consisted of a narrow neck perhaps three feet across and three or four feet in depth opening into a much longer bulbous cavity of varying depth. Water from catchment areas was directed to the opening." [1]

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 38:6 mean?

so they took - Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah son of the king that [was] in the court of the prison and they let down Jeremiah with ropes And in the dungeon [there was] no water for but mire so sank in the mire -
וַיִּקְח֣וּ אֶֽת־ יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ וַיַּשְׁלִ֨כוּ אֹת֜וֹ אֶל־ הַבּ֣וֹר ׀ מַלְכִּיָּ֣הוּ בֶן־ הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר֙ בַּחֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָ֔ה וַיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בַּחֲבָלִ֑ים וּבַבּ֤וֹר אֵֽין־ מַ֙יִם֙ כִּ֣י אִם־ טִ֔יט וַיִּטְבַּ֥ע בַּטִּֽיט ס

וַיִּקְח֣וּ  so  they  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
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.
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.
וַיַּשְׁלִ֨כוּ  and  cast 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַבּ֣וֹר ׀  the  dungeon 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֹּור 
Sense: pit, well, cistern.
מַלְכִּיָּ֣הוּ  of  Malchiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַלְכִּיָּה 
Sense: the father of Pashur in the time of Jeremiah.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: a Benjamite, the 2nd son of Micah and grandson of Mephibosheth.
אֲשֶׁר֙  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּחֲצַ֣ר  in  the  court 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct
Root: חָצֵר 
Sense: court, enclosure.
הַמַּטָּרָ֔ה  of  the  prison 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַטָּרָה  
Sense: guard, ward, prison, mark, target.
וַיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ  and  they  let  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ  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.
בַּחֲבָלִ֑ים  with  ropes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֶבֶל 
Sense: a cord, rope, territory, band, company.
וּבַבּ֤וֹר  And  in  the  dungeon 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּור 
Sense: pit, well, cistern.
אֵֽין־  [there  was]  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַ֙יִם֙  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
טִ֔יט  mire 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טִיט  
Sense: mud, clay, mire, damp dirt.
וַיִּטְבַּ֥ע  so  sank 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָבַע  
Sense: to sink, sink into, sink down, pierce, settle down, drown, be settled, be planted.
בַּטִּֽיט  in  the  mire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: טִיט  
Sense: mud, clay, mire, damp dirt.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation