· Translation: KJV

Jeremiah 38:14Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entry that is in the house of Yahweh: and the king said to Jeremiah, I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me.

The setting

Jerusalem, 586 BC. King Zedekiah secretly meets Jeremiah in a private entrance to the Temple, desperate for God's word as Babylon tightens the siege...

The emotion here: recording the tragic irony of a king demanding truth while rejecting it

The original word

al-teka'ēd (אַל־תְּכַחֵד) — do not hide, conceal, or withhold anything

Why it matters

The 'third entry' was likely a private royal entrance to the Temple complex

Read with care

What most readers miss in Jeremiah 38:14

Zedekiah is asking for complete honesty while being completely dishonest himself - he's already decided not to follow God's word

Common misconceptionPeople think Zedekiah really wanted to obey God here, but this is actually the beginning of his final rejection. He asks for truth but has already decided not to follow it.

Bible Genome reading

Jeremiah 38:14 — Bible Genome reading

Speakernarrator
EraExile
Primary emotionseeking
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability20%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance80%
Standalone40%
Themes:seeking counseldesperationleadership

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah 38:14 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include seeking counsel, desperation, leadership. Notable phrases: third entry; house of Yahweh.

Your reflection

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