Jeremiah 38:7

King James Version 1611 (Original)

Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּשְׁמַ֡ע עֶֽבֶד־מֶ֨לֶךְ הַכּוּשִׁ֜י אִ֣ישׁ סָרִ֗יס וְהוּא֙ בְּבֵ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כִּֽי־נָתְנ֥וּ אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ אֶל־הַבּ֑וֹר וְהַמֶּ֥לֶךְ יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּשַׁ֥עַר בִּנְיָמִֽן׃

Transliteration

And wə-yišmaʿ ʿEḇeḏ-meleḵ the-Kûšî, ʾîš sārîs, and-he in-bêt the-meleḵ, kî-nātnû ʾet-Yirməyāhû into-the-bôr; and-the-meleḵ yôšēḇ in-šaʿar Binyāmin

Grammar Details

• *wə-yišmaʿ*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he heard
• *ʿEḇeḏ-meleḵ*: proper noun, masculine singular - Ebed-melech (meaning 'servant of the king')
• *Kûšî*: gentilic adjective, masculine singular - Cushite/Ethiopian
• *ʾîš*: noun, masculine singular construct - man of
• *sārîs*: noun, masculine singular - eunuch/official
• *bêt*: noun, masculine singular construct - house of
• *meleḵ*: noun, masculine singular - king
• *kî*: conjunction - that
• *nātnû*: qal perfect, 3rd common plural - they had put
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *Yirməyāhû*: proper noun, masculine singular - Jeremiah
• *bôr*: noun, masculine singular - pit/cistern
• *yôšēḇ*: qal participle, masculine singular - sitting
• *šaʿar*: noun, masculine singular construct - gate of
• *Binyāmin*: proper noun - Benjamin

Word Meanings

• *ʿEḇeḏ-meleḵ*: name meaning 'servant of the king'
• *Kûšî*: Cushite/Ethiopian
• *sārîs*: eunuch/court official/officer
• *nātnû*: they had put/placed
• *bôr*: pit/cistern/dungeon
• *yôšēḇ*: sitting/remaining/dwelling

Referenced Verses

• Jer 29:2 : 2 After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)
• Jer 37:13 : 13 And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
• Deut 21:19 : 19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
• Amos 5:10 : 10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
• Matt 8:11-12 : 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
• Matt 20:16 : 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
• Luke 10:30-36 : 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
• Luke 13:29-30 : 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
• Acts 8:27-39 : 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
• 2 Kgs 24:15 : 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
• Job 29:7-9 : 7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! 8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up. 9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. 10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. 11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: 12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. 13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. 14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. 15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. 16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. 17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
• Ps 68:31 : 31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
• Jer 13:23 : 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
• Jer 39:16-18 : 16 Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. 17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.
• Jer 34:19 : 19 The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;