Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people:
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to overlook that these "princes" were not just random officials; some of them, like Pashur, had already personally afflicted Jeremiah. This detail reveals a persistent, personal vendetta against the prophet, rather than just a political disagreement. Their hearing Jeremiah's words isn't passive observation; it's a hostile act by those already seeking his ruin.
Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people:
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has been imprisoned but is now in the court of the guard, where people can still hear him. He continues to preach God's message that the city will fall and that those who surrender to the Babylonians will survive. Four princes, who are enemies of Jeremiah, overhear his words to the people and are enraged by his seemingly defeatist message. They immediately plot to have him executed for undermining the city's morale and weakening its defenses.
Ever feel like a handful of people can stir up a whole lot of trouble? That's exactly what we see happening here. Four powerful men are about to make life very difficult for Jeremiah.
Jeremiah is in a difficult situation, ministering from the court of the guard (a step up from the dungeon, but still imprisoned). He's sharing God's message, which is essentially a warning: stay and die, or surrender and live. But this message doesn't sit well with everyone.
The Opposition:
Even when a prophet is imprisoned, God's message can't be silenced. This verse shows how God's truth finds a way to spread, even through opposition.
Jeremiah's physical confinement did not mean his voice was silenced. The 'court of the guard' offered him a slightly more open platform, allowing people to come and hear him.
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The Power of Propagation:
These verses place Jeremiah's prophecy squarely in the death throes of Jerusalem. The princes who accuse Jeremiah are part of a faction desperately resisting the inevitable Babylonian conquest, clinging to the false hope of Egyptian aid. Jeremiah's message of surrender, while life-saving, is seen as treasonous by those in power who are fighting to maintain their authority and the city's independence against overwhelming odds.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieges and captures Jerusalem, deporting some of the royal family and nobility, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a brief rebellion, Jerusalem is again conquered, and King Jehoiachin, along with thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon.
c. 588 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem for the third and final time, a devastating period that lasts for over a year.
c. 587 BC
Egyptian Army Advances
Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt marches his army north to relieve Jerusalem, causing the Babylonian siege to temporarily lift. This event sparks false hope among many in Jerusalem.
c. 587 BC— this verse
Jeremiah Arrested and Imprisoned
Jeremiah, who had been advocating surrender to the Babylonians for years, is arrested by guards who suspect him of deserting to the enemy as the Egyptians approach. He is brought before the princes, beaten, and cast into a dungeon.
c. 587 BC
Jeremiah Rescued and Imprisoned in Court of Guard
Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch in the king's household, hears of Jeremiah's plight and intervenes with King Zedekiah. Jeremiah is rescued from the cistern and moved to the court of the guard, a less severe imprisonment.
c. 587 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege and failed attempts at negotiation, the Babylonians breach Jerusalem's walls. The city is plundered and burned, and King Zedekiah's sons are killed before his eyes, after which his own eyes are put out, and he is taken captive to Babylon.
This passage shows a similar instance where Jeremiah's unpopular message led to his arrest by priests and prophets, highlighting the recurring conflict between prophetic truth and established authorities.
Acts 17:5Here, city officials, threatened by the apostles' message, incited a riot, mirroring how these princes sought to silence Jeremiah because his words 'weakeneth the hands' of those defending the city.
1 Kings 22:24In this account, Zedekiah, a false prophet, struck Micaiah for speaking God's true word, showing a pattern of spiritual leaders attacking those who deliver inconvenient prophecies.
Luke 4:28-29When Jesus spoke a relevant truth in the synagogue, the listeners were filled with wrath and sought to throw him down a cliff, demonstrating the fierce opposition true prophets often faced from their own people.
calvinJeremiah 38:1-4: "Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,"
Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,
Et audivit Saphatias fillus Matthew tam, et Guadalias filius Passhur, e…
pooleJeremiah 38:1: "Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,"
Jeremiah prophesieth; is by the princes, with the king’s permission, cast into a dungeon; but is by Ebed-melech, with the king’s consent, taken out again, Jeremiah 38:1-13 . He hath a secret conference with the king, in which he counselleth him by yielding to save his life, Jeremi…
It's easy to overlook that these "princes" were not just random officials; some of them, like Pashur, had already personally afflicted Jeremiah. This detail reveals a persistent, personal vendetta against the prophet, rather than just a political disagreement. Their hearing Jeremiah's words isn't passive observation; it's a hostile act by those already seeking his ruin.
Jeremiah has been imprisoned but is now in the court of the guard, where people can still hear him. He continues to preach God's message that the city will fall and that those who surrender to the Babylonians will survive. Four princes, who are enemies of Jeremiah, overhear his words to the people and are enraged by his seemingly defeatist message. They immediately plot to have him executed for undermining the city's morale and weakening its defenses.
Jeremiah has been imprisoned but is now in the court of the guard, where people can still hear him. He continues to preach God's message that the city will fall and that those who surrender to the Babylonians will survive. Four princes, who are enemies of Jeremiah, overhear his words to the people and are enraged by his seemingly defeatist message. They immediately plot to have him executed for undermining the city's morale and weakening its defenses.
"Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people:" — It's easy to overlook that these "princes" were not just random officials; some of them, like Pashur, had already personally afflicted Jeremiah. This detail reveals a persistent, personal vendetta ag…
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Last reviewed October 2026