ירמיהו, פרק ל״ח, פסוק י״ד

Having recently been rescued from a muddy pit and while confined to the courtyard of the guard, Jeremiah is summoned to a secret meeting by King Zedekiah. Overwhelmed by anxiety over the Babylonian siege, the king desperately seeks to hear the word of God and calls the prophet to a hidden spot within the Temple to discover what the future holds [אברבנאל]. They meet at a specific passageway or entrance [מצודת ציון]. There are different understandings of this exact location. It may have been a private corridor connecting the royal palace directly to the Temple [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ], chosen specifically because it was completely hidden from public view [אברבנאל]. Alternatively, this location refers to the Israelite courtyard within the Temple complex. In the standard order of entry, this courtyard was the third designated area, located just past the outer rampart and the Women's Courtyard [רש״י, מצודת דוד].

When the king speaks to Jeremiah, he is not asking an ordinary question. He is directly requesting the word of God, asking to hear the exact prophecy Jeremiah has received regarding their dire situation [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Another perspective suggests that the king actually had many detailed questions, but he phrased his inquiry as one comprehensive request that captured all of his concerns at once [מלבי״ם]. Zedekiah concludes his plea by demanding absolute transparency. He insists that Jeremiah tell him the complete truth [ביאור שטיינזלץ], urging the prophet to reveal every detail of the divine message without concealing or withholding a single thing [מלבי״ם, מצודת ציון].