Verse 27. - He told them according to all these words. A controversy has arisen as to whether Jeremiah was justified in concealing the truth. But is a man bound to confess the truth to a murderer?
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.
Then came all the princes to Jeremiah, and asked him,.... After he had parted with the king, and was come back to the court of the prison; as soon as the princes had been informed of the interview between the king and the prophet, which soon came to their ears, they came in a body to him, to the court of the prison, where he was, and asked him of what passed between him and the king:
and he told them according to all those words that the king had commanded; what he told them, no doubt, was truth; though he did not tell them all the truth; which he was not obliged to do, having no command from God, and being forbid by the king:
so they left off speaking with him; or, "were silent from him" (e); went away silent, not being able to disprove what he had said, or object unto it, and finding they could get nothing more out of him:
for the matter was not perceived; or, "was not heard" (f); though there were persons that saw the king and the prophet together, yet nobody heard anything that passed between them; and therefore Jeremiah could not be confronted in what he had said, or be charged with concealing anything.
(e) "et tacuerunt ab eo", Pagninus, Montanus; "siluerunt", Calvin. (f) "quia non auditum est verbum", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.
and he told them according to all those words that the king had commanded; what he told them, no doubt, was truth; though he did not tell them all the truth; which he was not obliged to do, having no command from God, and being forbid by the king:
so they left off speaking with him; or, "were silent from him" (e); went away silent, not being able to disprove what he had said, or object unto it, and finding they could get nothing more out of him:
for the matter was not perceived; or, "was not heard" (f); though there were persons that saw the king and the prophet together, yet nobody heard anything that passed between them; and therefore Jeremiah could not be confronted in what he had said, or be charged with concealing anything.
(e) "et tacuerunt ab eo", Pagninus, Montanus; "siluerunt", Calvin. (f) "quia non auditum est verbum", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt.