The BibleGospel Companion

Ebed-melech

עֶ֫בֶד מֶ֫לֶךְ · e.ved me.lekh · H5663“the king's servant” Hitchcock's 18696 mentions, all in Jeremiah

Who he was

Ebed-melech was an Ethiopian eunuch who served in the court of King Zedekiah during the final days of the kingdom of Judah. He played a significant role in rescuing the prophet Jeremiah from a life-threatening situation.

When Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern by the officials who opposed his prophetic message, Ebed-melech learned of the prophet's plight (Jeremiah 38:7). Recognizing the injustice of the situation, Ebed-melech courageously went to King Zedekiah and interceded on Jeremiah's behalf (Jeremiah 38:8–9).

The king granted Ebed-melech permission to rescue Jeremiah, and the Ethiopian eunuch took thirty men with him to the cistern (Jeremiah 38:10). Ebed-melech showed compassion and resourcefulness by lowering old rags and worn-out clothes for Jeremiah to use as padding under the ropes.

Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Every mention

6 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)

Jeremiah 6 mentions

Jeremiah 38:7Now 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 38:8Ebedmelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,Jeremiah 38:10Then 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 38:11So 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 38:12Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.” Jeremiah did so.Jeremiah 39:16“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…

What the dictionary says

A servant of the king; probably an official title, an Ethiopian, “one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house;” i.e., in the palace of Zedekiah, king of…

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
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Sources