Ebed-Melek was an Ethiopian court official (eunuch) who served under King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. He showed extraordinary courage by going against the king's advisors and rescuing the prophet Jeremiah from a cistern where he had been left to die. As a reward for his faith and compassion, he received God's promise of protection during the fall of Jerusalem.
Hechos clave
Hearing About Jeremiah's Fate
Ebed-Melek learned that the officials had thrown the prophet Jeremiah into a mud-filled cistern belonging to Malkijah, the king's son, where he sank in the mud and was in danger of dying.
6So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
7But Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the king's palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate,
With great courage, Ebed-Melek went directly to King Zedekiah at the Benjamin Gate and declared that the officials had acted wickedly toward Jeremiah. He argued that the prophet would die of hunger in the cistern.
9"My lord the king, these men have done wrong in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, since there is no more bread in the city."
10Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, "Take thirty men with you from here and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
Ebed-Melek fetched old rags and cloths from the treasury and lowered them down to Jeremiah with ropes, so that he could place them under his arms to protect himself from the ropes. Then they carefully pulled him up.
11So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room beneath the treasury in the palace. From there he took worn-out rags and cast-off clothing and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.
Through Jeremiah, God gave a special promise to Ebed-Melek: because he had put his trust in the Lord, he would be spared and survive the fall of Jerusalem. His life would be given to him as plunder.
16"Go and say to Ebed-melech the Cushite: This is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am about to bring my words against this city—for disaster and not for good—and on that day they will come to pass before your eyes.