Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.
I presented - literally, I made my supplication to fall; implying supplication with humble prostration (note, I presented - literally, I made my supplication to fall; implying supplication with humble prostration (note, Jeremiah 36:7).
That he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house - (Jeremiah 37:15) different from Malchiah's dungeon (Jeremiah 38:6). This statement was true, though not the whole truth; the princes had no right to the information; and, moreover, no sanction is given by Scripture here to Jeremiah's representation of this being the cause of his having come to the king. Fear drove him to it. Compare the case of Abraham's suppression of truth, and suggestion of what was false, in respect to Sarah, through fear of Abimelech (Genesis 20:2; Genesis 20:12); on the other hand, compare the Lord's direction to Samuel, when afraid of Saul, to say he was coming to sacrifice, when his chief object was to anoint David king. Still God in no way sanctioned mental reservation (1 Samuel 16:2; 1 Samuel 16:5).