17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah , "Thus says the Lord God of hosts , the God of Israel , 'If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon , then you will live , this city will not be burned with fire , and you and your household will survive . 18 'But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon , then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans ; and they will burn it with fire , and you yourself will not escape from their hand .' " 19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah , "I dread the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans , for they may give me over into their hand and they will abuse me." 20 But Jeremiah said , "They will not give you over. Please obey e the Lord in what I am saying to you, that it may go well with you and you may live . 21 "But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which the Lord has shown me: 22 'Then behold , all of the women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon ; and those women will say , "Your close friends e Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire , They turned back ." 23 'They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans , and you yourself will not escape from their hand , but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon , and this city will be burned with fire .' "
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 38:17-23
Commentary on Jeremiah 38:14-28
(Read Jeremiah 38:14-28)
Jeremiah was not forward to repeat the warnings, which seemed only to endanger his own life, and to add to the king's guilt, but asked whether he feared to do the will of God. The less men fear God, the more they fear men; often they dare not act according to their own judgments and consciences.