Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Jeremiah 38:6 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 6. 6Then 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The narrated crisis and constrained human response carries the next action, claim, image, or measurement through “Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was…” at Jeremiah 38:6 as part of “Officials Lower Jeremiah into a Muddy Cistern.”
Officials hear the surrender word as military sabotage
This verse is one part of that explanation in Jeremiah 38:1–6. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Jeremiah 38:1–6
Read Jeremiah 38:6 with 38:1–6. By itself, “Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, imperial horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Leaders treat Jeremiah's surrender message as military demoralization, gain weak royal consent, and imprison him in a waterless pit where he sinks in mud.
Why This Verse Appears Here
This received unit develops “Officials Lower Jeremiah into a Muddy Cistern” through its own speaker, addressee, date, oracle, sign, lament, or historical scene. Its non-interchangeable movement is: Leaders treat Jeremiah's surrender message as military demoralization, gain weak royal consent, and imprison him in a waterless pit where he sinks in mud. This verse's placement is specific: The narrated crisis and constrained human response carries the next action, claim, image, or measurement through “Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was…” at Jeremiah 38:6 as part of “Officials Lower Jeremiah into a Muddy Cistern.”
What Remains True
Religious and political ends do not make coercion, torture, or silencing morally safe. In Jeremiah 38:6, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The narrated crisis and constrained human response carries the next action, claim, image, or measurement through “Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was…” at Jeremiah 38:6 as part of “Officials Lower Jeremiah into a Muddy Cistern.”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Jeremiah 38:1–6 — Officials Lower Jeremiah into a Muddy CisternSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Jeremiah 38:1–6, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Jeremiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2; fixed commit
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a critical apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Jer.xml, OSIS 38:1–6
Open the fixed Hebrew Jeremiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Jeremiah with Translator, Textual, and Study Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press; official eBible PDF distribution, NET Bible Second Edition; official PDF accessed 2026
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, older KJV language, dates, names, textual problems, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Jeremiah PDF, pp. 1258-1459, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Jeremiah 38:1–6
Open the official NET Jeremiah PDF ↗