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Ebed-Melech

An Ethiopian official in the palace of Zedekiah who saved Jeremiah's life. When the prophet was let down into a muddy cistern to die, Ebed-Melech went to the king as he sat in the Benjamin Gate and told him plainly that the men had done evil and that Jeremiah would starve. Given thirty men, he pulled him out with ropes, first sending down worn rags and old clothes for the prophet to put under his armpits. Jeremiah brought him the promise that he would not fall to the sword, because he had put his trust in the Lord.

Role: Rescuer of Jeremiah

Lived: c. 6th century BC

Born: Jerusalem

What we know — and how we know it

Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 1 Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 1

Origin & birthplace

BibleFrom Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 38:7

↳ Jerusalem

Name & titles

ScholarlyThe name Ebed-Melech (עֶבֶד-מֶלֶךְ) means "servant of the king" and reads more like a court title or designation than a birth-name, fitting his role as a royal official (a Cushite eunuch) in Zedekiah's household. Scholars accordingly debate whether it records his personal name or his office.

Onomastic analysis; the compound ʿebed ("servant") + melek ("king"), discussed in Jeremiah commentary literature.

Where in scripture

Jeremiah

Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king was then sitting in Benjamin’s gate),
Jeremiah 38:7 — Pleads for Jeremiah

Ebedmelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,
Jeremiah 38:8

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.”
Jeremiah 38:10

So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 38:11

Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.” Jeremiah did so.
Jeremiah 38:12

“Go, and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will bring my words on this city for evil, and not for good; and they will be accomplished before you in that day.
Jeremiah 39:16

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.

Jeremiah 38:7 Jeremiah 38:8 Jeremiah 38:10 Jeremiah 38:11 Jeremiah 38:12 Jeremiah 39:16

In their own words — 2 recorded sayings

“My lord the king, these men have done evil in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have put into the water-hole; and he will come to his death in the place where he is through need of food: for there is no more bread in the town.” — Jeremiah 38:9

“And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put these bits of old cloth under your arms under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.” — Jeremiah 38:12

Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).

Related reading

Ebed-Melech

What we know — and how we know it

Where in scripture

In their own words — 2 recorded sayings

Places in their life

In art