King Zedekiah’s lack of conviction is once again on display as he instructs Ebed-melech to take thirty men and lift Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies. Zedekiah’s actions are determined by who he has last spoken to and not by any firm convictions of his own. He is easily swayed and only does what seems expedient, not necessarily what is right1.
The fact that Ebed-melech is told to take thirty men with him to rescue Jeremiah probably points to the very fluid and chaotic political situation in Jerusalem. The king assumes that there is likely to be a violent attempt to prevent the release of Jeremiah. However, the rescue attempt is successful. The details included in the account, right down to the fact the Ebed-melech had the forethought to take rags and worn-out clothes that Jeremiah could use to protect his arms from the ropes as they pulled him out, point to an eye-witness account of the rescue. It is very likely that Jeremiah himself gave this account to Baruch who used the details as he composed the narrative2.
10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”