Jeremiah 39:15

GOD REWARDS EBEL-MELECH

"Now the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the guard, saying, Go, and speak to Ebel-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished before thee in that day. But I will deliver thee in that day, saith Jehovah; and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely save thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee; because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith Jehovah."

"Go, and speak to Ebel-melech ..." (Jeremiah 39:15). Ebel-melech was in the king's house; and apparently there would have been impediment against Jeremiah's seeking an interview with the Ethiopian who had saved his life. Evidently, this word to Jeremiah's benefactor probably came, "shortly after Jeremiah's final interview with Zedekiah, but is not reported earlier in order not to break the sequence of events."[13]

"Thou shalt not be delivered into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid ..." (Jeremiah 39:17). Right here is the explanation of why thirty men were needed (not three) for the rescue mission on behalf of Jeremiah. Ebel-melech had every reason to fear those evil princes who had tried to murder Jeremiah, and who would have certainly prevented his rescue if it had not been protected by an armed group of men.

Those evil princes would certainly have murdered Ebel-melech if they had found an opportunity; but that opportunity never came, thanks to the orders Nebuchadnezzar gave to his "head butcher" to put all of those reprobate "nobles" to death. "Ebel-melech's trust in God proved to be his salvation, a situation that is normative also for Christians (Acts 16:31)."[14]