ירמיהו, פרק ל״ח, פסוק כ״ה

King Zedekiah prepares Jeremiah for an inevitable interrogation by suspicious government officials, briefing him on how to handle their questions without exposing the sensitive details of their secret meeting. Anticipating that the officials will discover the meeting took place, the king expects them to use a combination of threats and promises of immunity to extract information. They will demand full disclosure, promising that if Jeremiah reveals what was discussed, they will spare his life [מצודת דוד].

During the expected interrogation, the officials will press Jeremiah with two distinct questions asked together: what he said to the king, and what the king said to him. Knowing that Jeremiah will never utter a lie, Zedekiah devises a clever strategy. He instructs Jeremiah to tell the officials that he was simply begging the king not to send him back to the prison in Jonathan's house.

The brilliance of this plan lies in its technical honesty. The officials will naturally assume this statement answers their first question, believing this plea was the main reason Jeremiah spoke to the king. In truth, Jeremiah's response serves as a completely accurate answer to their second question regarding what the king said to him. After all, the king is commanding him at that very moment to make this exact statement. Through this careful maneuver, Jeremiah avoids telling a lie, while the officials are satisfied with the explanation, fail to notice the strategy, and drop their investigation [מלבי״ם].