So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
11. under the treasury ] to a room under the treasury, a sort of lumber-room.
old cast clouts and old rotten rags ] worn out pieces of torn and ragged garments, to ease the pressure of the ropes.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Old cast clouts … – Rags of torn garments and rags of worn-out garments.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. Went into the house of the king – and took thence] The eastern kings had their wardrobes always well furnished; as garments were a usual present to ambassadors, c. I cannot think that, in the proper acceptation of the words, these were in any part of the king’s house.
Old cast clouts, and old rotten rags] The fact seems to be this: there were several garments that had been used, and would not be used again and there were others which, through continuing long there, had by insects, &c., been rendered useless. These he took, tied to the cord, let down to the prophet, that he might roll them round the ropes, and place them under his arm-pits, so that in being hauled up he might not suffer injury from the ropes, which in this case must sustain the whole weight of his body.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
11. cast clouts“tornclothes” [HENDERSON].
rotten rags“worn-outgarments.” God can make the meanest things His instruments ofgoodness to His people (1Co1:27-29).
under . . . armholes“underthe joints of thine hands,” that is, where the fingers join thehand, the clothes being in order that the hands should not be cut bythe cords [MAURER].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
So Ebedmelech took the men with him,…. The thirty men, as the king ordered: as soon as ever he had got the grant, he immediately set about the work, and lost no time to save the prophet’s life:
and went unto the house of the king under the treasury; from the gate of Benjamin he went to the king’s palace, and to a particular place under the treasury; by which “treasury” may be meant the treasury of garments, or the royal wardrobe, under which was a place, where clothes worn out, or cast off, were put: the Septuagint represent it as underground, a cellar under the wardrobe:
and took thence old cast clouts, and old rotten rags: the Syriac version has it, such as cattle were wiped and cleaned with:
and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah; for it was so deep, that men could not reach to put them into the hands of the prophet; and, had they been thrown in, they might have been scattered about and be out of his reach, who stuck in the mire; or they would have been in all likelihood greatly bedaubed with the mire.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here Jeremiah goes on with the history of his deliverance. The courage of Ebedmelech ought ever to be noticed by us, for he went immediately to the holy Prophet. And it is said, that he took from some hidden place old tatters, De vieux haillons , as we call them. It is properly a noun substantive. But if its harshness be displeasing, we may give this rendering, “old tatters which had been dragged, and old tatters which were rotten.” Yet some render the words thus, “Worn out clothes and rotten clothes.” But the former is more properly the meaning; for סחב, sacheb, means to drag, and it may be rendered in French, Vieux haillons trainez, ou, qui avoyent traine Then we have סלחים, salechim, corrupted or marred, usez ; for סלח, salech, means to salt; but it is a verb in Hophal, and in that form it means to corrupt. They were torn or rotten garments, des vieux haillons a demi pourris It is said then that Ebedmelech took these old, torn, and rotten garments, and which had been used. This ought to be carefully noticed; for it appears that Ebed-melech was afraid of the violence of the princes, not so much on his own account, but lest he should be hindered in effecting his purpose.
For if he had provided other things, he might have been apprehended; report might have been brought to the princes, who would have immediately assembled and put a stop to his efforts. There is then no doubt but that Ebedmelech, being very confident, prudently considered what might prevent him in his attempt of bringing help to the holy Prophet. Hence it was, that he stealthily took from a hidden place these worn-out and marred garments. This is one thing. Then we see the miserable state of the holy Prophet; he lay half buried in mud, and he was to be drawn out by ropes or cords, and to have these torn and worn-out garments under his arms. And we are afterwards expressly told for what purpose these clothes were sent down to him.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) Under the treasury . . .This was obviously what we should call the lumber-room of the palace. Nothing could show the acuteness of the prophets sufferings more vividly than the precautions which the thoughtful kindness of the Eunuch thus suggested. The pit was so deep that ropes were needed to draw him up, as they had been to let him down, and lest they should cut into the flesh of Jeremiahs emaciated form, improvised cushions had to be fastened to the ropes, that he might rest his arm-pits on them. He was, however, at last rescued, and re-instated in his former position, as a prisoner under the kings protection.
Clout in old English was used for a patch of cloth as distinct from the rags, which were of linen. So Spenser, His garments nought but many ragged clouts.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Old cast clouts and old rotten rags The same word is used for “clouts” and “rags.” Hence the better translation would be, rags of torn garments and rags of worn out garments. This shows the practical sagacity as well as the kindness of the eunuch.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 38:11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
Ver. 11. So Ebedmelech took the men with him and went. ] The labour of love that this Ethiopian performed to the man of God is particularly and even partly described, for his eternal commendation, and all men’s imitation.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
old cast = cast-off clothes.
clouts = patches. Ang. -Sax. clut = a patch.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
let them: Jer 38:6
Reciprocal: Jos 6:19 – the treasury
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 38:11. Cast clouts and rotten rags mean practically the same. The latter means old garments and the former includes old rags in general. Treasury is from an original that means a storage place in general, and is used here to refer to some closet where were placed articles “not good enough to keep but too good to throw away.”
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Ebed-melech assembled his men and gathered together old clothes and rags from the palace wardrobe storeroom and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah.