Zedekiah the king said, “Behold, he is in your hand; for the king can’t do anything to oppose you.”
Parallel translations
- KJV Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.
- BSB “Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”
- NKJV Then Zedekiah the king said, “Look, he is in your hand. For the king can do nothing against you.”
- NASB And King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you.”
- NLT King Zedekiah agreed. “All right,” he said. “Do as you like. I can’t stop you.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The weak king Zedekiah abandons Jeremiah to the officials, admitting he cannot oppose them.
Overview
Zedekiah surrenders the prophet to his enemies, confessing his own powerlessness. His cowardice and fear of men reveal a ruler ruled by others rather than by God. This tragic weakness illustrates the ruin of leadership that fears people more than it fears the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- John 19:12–16At this, Pilate was seeking to release him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you release this man, you aren’t Caesar’s friend! Everyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar!”
- 2 Sam 3:39I am weak today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”
- 1 Sam 29:9Achish answered David, “I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God. Notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’
- 2 Sam 19:22David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For don’t I know that I am king over Israel today?”
- Prov 29:25The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe.
- 1 Sam 15:24Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 38:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.