John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 38:8
And Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house ,.... As soon as he heard of the prophet's distress, he immediately went out from his apartments in the king's palace, where he performed his office, and his business chiefly lay, or where he dwelt, to the gate of Benjamin, where the king was; and if he was here for the administration of justice, it was a proper time and place for Ebedmelech to lay the case of Jeremiah before him: and spake to the king ; freely, boldly, and intrepidly, in... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 38:7
Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian ,.... The Targum renders it, "a servant of King Zedekiah;' which Jarchi, and other writers, following, make Zedekiah to be the Ethiopian; so called, because as an Ethiopian differs in his skin, so Zedekiah differed in his righteousness, from the rest of his generation; and this his servant, he, with others F18 Pirke Eliezer, c. 53. Shalshelet Hakabala, fol. 13. 1. , takes to be Baruch the son of Neriah, but without any foundation; but, as Kimchi... read more