NOTES for Jer 38:1-28
Jerusalem stands on the brink of destruction, and the people on the threshold of great change. It is therefore unsurprising that all the inhabitants of the besieged city are in turmoil. The king is ready to change his decision several times, now condemning Jeremiah and now acquitting him; his advisers, in a panic, try to save the army’s morale by destroying the prophet; and Jeremiah himself tries to preserve his life and has no desire at all to become a “martyr.” Amid all this inconstancy, only one thing remains constant: the Word addressed to all who are able to hear and receive it, and the prophet’s readiness to convey this Word without distorting it to please the strong and powerful. From these two elements—God’s faithfulness and human faithfulness—is born a new stage of sacred history: a new faithfulness in response to a new faithfulness.