Ebed-Melech

From Bible Exegesis

ē-bed-mē´lek, eb-ed-mē´lek (עבד־מלך, ‛ebhedh-mekekh, “a servant of the king” or “of (god) Melek”):

It is probably an official title, an Ethiopian, “one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house;” i.e., in the palace of Zedekiah, king of Judah. He interceded with the king in Jeremiah's behalf, and was the means of saving him from death by famine (Jeremiah 38:7-13; compare Jeremiah 39:15-18).

An Ethiopian eunuch in the service of King Zedekiah, who interceded with the king for the prophet Jeremiah and rescued him from the dungeon into which he had been cast to die (Jeremiah 38:7-13). For this, the word of YHWH through Jeremiah promised Ebed-meleeh that his life should be spared in the fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 39:15-18).