Jeremiah the prophet and Ebed-melech
Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuch's which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebed-melech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.-Jeremiah 38:7-13***Shem, Ham and Japheth were born to Noah the ark builder. Cush was born to Ham and is widely recognized as the forefather of the Ethiopians. Aaron and his younger brother Moses were Israelites from the tribe of Levi, descended from Shem's son Arphaxad, Arphaxad's great-great-great-great-great-grandson Terah, Terah's children Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Sarah (Sarai), their son Isaac and his wife Rebekah, Isaac and Rebekah's youngest fraternal twin son Jacob (Israel) and his 1st wife Leah, and Jacob and Leah's 3rd born son Levi. Forty years after Moses and Aaron led the Israelites away from Egyptian slavery, across the divinely parted Red Sea, into the desert wilderness of Shur, and the desert wilderness of Sin, and the desert wilderness of Sinai, 123-year-old Aaron the high priest died upon Mount Hor, according to the commands of the Lord God. Near Canaan, the Promised Land, Moses proclaimed his last messages to the Israelites, and described the blessings that would come upon and overtake them if they listened to the voice of the Lord God and obeyed his commandments, and the curses that would come upon and overtake them if they did not listen to the voice of the Lord God and did not obey his commandments and statutes. When Moses went upon Mount Nebo, the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses the prophet died, and was divinely buried. Joshua was Moses' aide and successor from the tribe of Ephraim, descended form Jacob and his 2nd wife Rachel, their firstborn son Joseph and his wife Asenath, and Joseph and Asenath's 2nd born son Ephraim, whom Jacob proclaimed to be his own son. The divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that the Lord God spoke to Joshua, and Joshua sent 2 spies to Canaan, the Promised Land, and Rahab hid the spies, and the spies returned, and Joshua led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the land that the Lord God promised to give to Abraham, and Isaac, and to Jacob, and their descendants. Over 300 years after 110-year-old Joshua died, and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, Saul, from the tribe of Jacob and Rachel's 2nd and last son Benjamin, became the 1st king to reign. David, from the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 4th born son Judah, was the 2nd king to rule over all of the Israelites. Solomon, a son born to David and Bathsheba, was the 3rd king. During the 4th year of his 40-year reign, Solomon began building the temple of the Lord, and in the 11th year, workers finished building the temple in Jerusalem. Rehoboam, the son born to Solomon and Naamah, was the 4th king to rule over all of the Israelites. After Rehoboam gave a specific answer, the Israelites split into 2 kingdoms, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of Solomon. Judah was the nation in the south, Jerusalem was the royal city and Rehoboam was the 1st king to reign. Israel was the northern nation, Samaria was the final royal city and Jeroboam, the son born to Nebat and Zeruah, was the 1st king to reign. King Pekah was the 18th king to rule over all of the Israelites in the northern nation of Israel. During Pekah's 20-year reign, the Assyrians invaded the kingdom and King Tiglath-pileser, ruler of Assyria, began taking Israelites captive. During the 9th year of the reign of King Hoshea, the 19th king to rule the northern nation, the Assyrians conquered Samaria, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. Less than 125 years after Samaria was conquered, Rehoboam's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Josiah became the 15th king to rule Judah. During the 13th year of Josiah's 31-year reign, Jeremiah the prophet began proclaiming the words of the Lord God to the Israelites. Jehoahaz, a son born to Josiah and Hamutal, was the 16th king to rule Judah. Jehoiakim (Eliakim), the son born to Josiah and Zebudah, was the 17th king to rule Judah. During Jehoiakim's 11-year reign, the Babylonians (Chaldeans) invaded Judah and Jerusalem and King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon, began looting the temple. Jehoiachin (Jeconiah/Coniah), the son born to Jehoiakim and Nehushta, was the 18th king to rule Judah. During Jehoiachin's 3-month reign, the Babylonians took more prominent Israelites, including Jehoiachin, his wives and mother, to Babylon, and left the poorest Israelites in Judah, and placed Josiah and Hamutal's son Zedekiah (Mattaniah) as king. Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah, and many of their fellow Israelites refused to repent, and refused to listen to Jeremiah. Irijah, a captain of the guard, made a false accusation against Jeremiah, and Jeremiah was put in the prison located inside the home of Jonathan the scribe. Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him and questioned Jeremiah, and Jeremiah proclaimed the words of the Lord to Zedekiah, and questioned Zedekiah, and made a request. Jeremiah's imprisonment was changed to the court of the guard, and a daily allowance of bread was given to Jeremiah. Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal (Jehucal), and Pashur went to Zedekiah and told Zedekiah that Jeremiah should be put to death. Zedekiah put the situation into their hands, and the 4 men used ropes to put Jeremiah into Malchiah's muddy, waterless pit in the court of the guard. Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian, spoke to Zedekiah and received permission to get Jeremiah out of the prison. Shortly thereafter, Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah, and Jeremiah proclaimed the words of the Lord God to him and Jeremiah was returned to the court of the guard. During the 11th year of Zedekiah's reign, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. The Babylonians burned the temple and other buildings, captured Zedekiah and Zedekiah's sons, killed Zedekiah's sons, removed Zedekiah's eyesight, and took Zedekiah and more Israelites to Babylon. The Babylonians freed Jeremiah, according to Nebuchadnezzar's command, and Jeremiah was freed again and given options, food and a present after being chained and taken to Ramah with other Israelites. Over 500 years after a group of Israelites took Jeremiah with them to Egypt, and Israelites began returning to Judah and Jerusalem, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was born. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born in Bethlehem into the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Judah's kings, to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin.-Genesis, Exodus, Numbers 13:1-14:45, 20:1-29, 26:1-27:23, Deuteronomy 31:1-34:12, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 23:1-24:33, Judges 1:1-2:23, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra 1:11, Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26
Reference Information
dungeon = habbowr/bowr/buwr = cistern, pit
Ethiopian = hakkusi = Kuwshiy/Kuwsh/Kush = Cushite, a descendant of Cush
eunuch = saris = cariyc/caric = officer, chamberlain, castrated
Reference Scriptures
Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city got evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.-Jeremiah 39:15-18
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