In brief
Ebed-Melech is an Ethiopian, a eunuch in the house of King Zedekiah, during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. When the officials throw the prophet Jeremiah into a cistern full of mud, he dares to speak to the king, obtains thirty men and has the prophet pulled up with ropes and old rags. God then sends him a promise: he will be delivered when the city falls, because he trusted in him. He is remembered as a foreigner with the courage to act when others stay silent.
What does the name Ebed-Melech mean?
Ebed-Melech is generally understood as a Hebrew name meaning "servant of the king," which could describe his office as much as serve as a personal name. The Bible does not explain it; it presents him as “Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house” (Jeremiah 38:7).
The story of Ebed-Melech
Jeremiah thrown into the cistern
Jeremiah 38:1-6Jeremiah announces that whoever goes out to the Chaldeans will keep his life. The officials ask the king for his death, accusing him of discouraging the soldiers. Zedekiah answers that he can do nothing against them. They lower Jeremiah with ropes into Malchijah's cistern: there is no water, only mud, and the prophet sinks into it.
A foreigner speaks to the king
Jeremiah 38:7-10Ebed-Melech hears what has happened. He leaves the king's house and goes to Zedekiah at the Benjamin Gate: “these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet.” He warns that the prophet is likely to die where he is. The king orders him to take thirty men and pull Jeremiah out before he dies.
Rags and ropes
Jeremiah 38:11-13Ebed-Melech takes the men, goes to the room under the treasury for worn-out rags and old clothes, and lowers them to Jeremiah. He tells him to put them under his armpits, beneath the ropes, so he will not be hurt. The prophet is pulled out of the cistern. Jeremiah stays in the court of the guard, but alive.
God's promise
Jeremiah 39:15-18While Jeremiah is still shut up, God tells him to speak to Ebed-Melech. The disasters announced will fall on the city, but God tells him he will be saved: “you will escape with your life; because you have put your trust in me.” His faith receives a personal answer.
What Ebed-Melech teaches us
- When an injustice happens before your eyes, silence is not neutral: dare to speak, even if you are not from the land.
- Care for details is part of love: Ebed-Melech thinks of the rags that will keep Jeremiah from being hurt.
- God sees the trust you place in him and remembers it in the day of trial.
- One man who acts can change the fate of a servant of God; do not underestimate your place.
Key verses
Ebed-Melech denounces before the king the wrong done to Jeremiah: a courageous word, spoken by a foreigner while Judah's own officials had wanted the prophet dead.
God promises Ebed-Melech that he will escape with his life when Jerusalem falls, because he trusted in him. His act of faith receives a personal answer from God.
Bible verses to meditate on
Frequently asked questions
Why did Ebed-Melech save Jeremiah?
The Bible does not spell out his motives, but it records his words to the king: these men have done evil, and Jeremiah is likely to die where he is. God supplies the key later: Ebed-Melech trusted in Yahweh (Jeremiah 39:18). His act is presented as an act of faith and not only of compassion.
What does the name Ebed-Melech mean?
Ebed-Melech is generally translated "servant of the king." Some see in it a title of office rather than a given name, which the text does not settle. The Bible says only that he is an Ethiopian and a eunuch in the house of King Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38:7). His foreign origin makes his courage all the more remarkable.
Where can I find the story of Ebed-Melech in the Bible?
It is found in the book of Jeremiah, in two passages. Jeremiah 38:7-13 tells of his plea to the king and the rescue of the prophet from the cistern. Jeremiah 39:15-18 records the word God sends him through Jeremiah: he will be delivered when Jerusalem is taken because he trusted in Yahweh.