Jeremiah 38:22

King James Version (KJV)

And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

All the women - brought forth - I think this place speaks of a kind of defection among the women of the harem; many of whom had already gone forth privately to the principal officers of the Chaldean army, and made the report mentioned in the end of this verse. These were the concubines or women of the second rank.

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

All the women that are left - Belonging to the harems of former kings (compare 1 Kings 2:22), attendants, and slaves.

Thy friends … - This satirical song (compare Obadiah 1:7) should be translated as a distich:

Thy friends have urged thee on and prevailed upon thee:

Thy feet are stuck in the mire; they have turned back.

Thy friends - literally “men of thy peace,” thy acquaintance Jeremiah 20:10. They urge Zedekiah on to a hopeless struggle with the Chaldaeans, and when he gets into difficulties leave him in the lurch.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

Jeremiah was not forward to repeat the warnings, which seemed only to endanger his own life, and to add to the king's guilt, but asked whether he feared to do the will of God. The less men fear God, the more they fear men; often they dare not act according to their own judgments and consciences.

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