Officials Lower Jeremiah into a Muddy Cistern

Officials hear the surrender word as military sabotage

Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashur son of Malchiah hear Jeremiah speaking: He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be unto him for a prey, and he shall live. This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.

The princes say to the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. Zedekiah answers, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.

They lower Jeremiah with cords into Malchiah's cistern; there is no water, only mire

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

The scene does not authorize torture, incommunicado detention, or punishing speech merely because it affects morale. Weak hands is their diagnosis; muddy slow death is their method. Surrender counsel in this siege is still not a universal war ethic, and it never justifies a cistern.