Jeremiah 38:22
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's easily missed is that the taunt from the women isn't just about Zedekiah's downfall, but highlights the ultimate betrayal of his closest advisors. These "men of peace," who promised security and urged defiance, are now nowhere to be found, leaving him stuck in the "mud" they helped create.
Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and were saying, “‘Your trusted friends have deceived you and prevailed against you; now that your feet are sunk in the mud, they turn away from you.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just before this, Jeremiah has warned King Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonians, promising his life would be spared if he obeyed. Zedekiah, fearing betrayal by his own officials and the humiliation of being captured, asks for assurance, leading Jeremiah to share this grim vision of what happens if he doesn't surrender. This prophecy highlights the utter collapse of Judah, where even the women of the royal household are paraded before Babylonian princes and taunt Zedekiah for being deceived by his supposed allies.
The king's closest advisors are called 'men of peace.' But in his darkest hour, their counsel led him to ruin. What happens when those who promise comfort lead you to catastrophe?
Zedekiah is facing the brutal reality of his choices. The women brought out to the Babylonian princes are repeating a harsh critique, calling his advisors 'friends' who urged him on and then abandoned him. The original Hebrew uses a phrase that can be translated as 'men of your peace.'
False Counselors
These weren't just casual acquaintances; they were his inner circle, his trusted ministers and priests. They were supposed to be his source of security and good counsel, the ones who should have guided him toward what was truly peaceful and lasting. Instead, they 'prevailed against' him, pushing him toward a rebellion that was doomed to fail.
The Mire of Deception
Their counsel led Zedekiah into an inescapable situation, described vividly as his 'feet sunk in the mud.' This imagery speaks to being trapped in circumstances with no easy way out. The very people who promised him safety and victory ultimately left him stuck and vulnerable, turning their backs when he needed them most.
The women of the king's household, once protected and honored, are now paraded before enemies. Their public shame becomes a mirror reflecting Zedekiah's own downfall.
Ask a follow-up
The verse highlights a specific, poignant image: the women of the king of Judah's house being led out to the officials of Babylon. This wasn't just collateral damage; it was a deliberate humiliation.
Loss of Status and Security
These women represented the security and prestige of the royal court. Their forced appearance before the conquerors signaled the complete collapse of Zedekiah's authority and the end of Judah's independence. They were no longer protected by the king's power but were now subject to the whims of the enemy.
A Public Condemnation
Their words, quoted in the verse, are not just a description of events but a bitter accusation against Zedekiah. They are forced to vocalize the king's failure and the treachery of his advisors. This public shaming serves as a devastating consequence, showing Zedekiah that his decisions have not only led to his own ruin but also to the degradation of those under his care.
This verse paints a vivid picture of the final days of Jerusalem. The taunts of the women, led out to face their conquerors, highlight the bitter irony of Zedekiah's choices. He feared the shame of surrender, only to face the ultimate humiliation of being abandoned by the very advisors who urged him to resist, a fate Jeremiah had desperately tried to help him avoid.
589 BC
Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem
The Babylonian army under King Nebuchadnezzar II lays siege to Jerusalem, beginning a long and devastating period for the city and its inhabitants.
c. 588 BC
Jeremiah Thrown into Cistern
Jeremiah is thrown into a cistern by officials who disagree with his prophecies, where he is left to die. Ebed-melech, a palace official, rescues him.
c. 588 BC
Zedekiah Consults Jeremiah Privately
King Zedekiah secretly meets with Jeremiah, asking him to seek God's word for him, revealing his fear and indecision amidst the siege.
c. 588 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Warning and Zedekiah's Fear
Jeremiah relays God's message: surrender to the Babylonians to save the city and your life. Zedekiah fears the taunts of his own people if he surrenders.
c. 588 BC
Women of the Palace Witness Defeat
Women of the king's household are led out to Babylonian officials, lamenting Zedekiah's poor counsel and his friends' betrayal as his situation becomes hopeless.
July 587 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege, Babylonian forces breach Jerusalem's walls, leading to the destruction of the city and the First Temple.
587 BC
Zedekiah's Exile and Punishment
King Zedekiah is captured, his sons are killed before his eyes, and he is then blinded and taken in chains to Babylon.
This passage echoes the sentiment of Jeremiah 38:22, describing how trusted allies can betray and deceive, leaving someone vulnerable and ensnared in their own downfall.
Psalm 41:9This psalm laments a similar betrayal by a close companion, highlighting the deep pain and shock when those you trusted turn against you, just as Zedekiah's 'friends' abandoned him.
Proverbs 26:27This proverb warns that digging a pit for others can lead to falling into it oneself, a fitting parallel to Zedekiah's situation where the counsels of his 'friends' led to his own inescapable ruin.
Matthew 7:24-27Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish builders underscores the dire consequences of ignoring wise counsel (like Jeremiah's) in favor of shaky foundations, mirroring Zedekiah's destruction due to misplaced trust.
calvinJeremiah 38:20-22: "But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live."
But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
Tunc dixit Jeremias, Non tradent te, audi agedum vocem Jehovae quam tibi profero (quam ego loquar ad te,) et tibi erit be…
pooleJeremiah 38:22: "And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back."
Thou that art afraid of the insultings of men that are thy subjects shalt fall under the insultings and taunts of the women: either the court ladies who were left when Jehoiachin was carried away, or th…
What's easily missed is that the taunt from the women isn't just about Zedekiah's downfall, but highlights the ultimate betrayal of his closest advisors. These "men of peace," who promised security and urged defiance, are now nowhere to be found, leaving him stuck in the "mud" they helped create.
Just before this, Jeremiah has warned King Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonians, promising his life would be spared if he obeyed. Zedekiah, fearing betrayal by his own officials and the humiliation of being captured, asks for assurance, leading Jeremiah to share this grim vision of what happens if he doesn't surrender. This prophecy highlights the utter collapse of Judah, where even the women of the royal household are paraded before Babylonian princes and taunt Zedekiah for being deceived by his supposed allies.
Just before this, Jeremiah has warned King Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonians, promising his life would be spared if he obeyed. Zedekiah, fearing betrayal by his own officials and the humiliation of being captured, asks for assurance, leading Jeremiah to share this grim vision of what happens if he doesn't surrender. This prophecy highlights the utter collapse of Judah, where even the women of the royal household are paraded before Babylonian princes and taunt Zedekiah for being deceived by his supposed allies.
"Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and were saying,
“‘Your trusted friends have deceived you
and prevailed against you;
now that your fee…" — What's easily missed is that the taunt from the women isn't just about Zedekiah's downfall, but highlights the ultimate betrayal of his closest advisors. These "men of peace," who promised security a…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026