Charles Ellicott Commentary Jeremiah 38:9

"My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city." — Jeremiah 38:9 (ASV)

These men have done evil... . —It is noticeable that some manuscripts of the Septuagint, following apparently a different text, represent the Eunuch as assuming that the king himself had given the order, "Thou hast done evil in all that thou hast done."

He is like to die for hunger. —Literally, and he dies ..., vividly painting what would be the certain outcome if no help were sent. It stands to reason that those who had thrown the prophet into the pit were not likely to continue supplying his daily rations (Jeremiah 37:21), and the scarcity that prevailed in the besieged city made it all but impossible that his friends, even if they could gain access to him, could help him from their own resources. Ebed-melech obviously had no power to help him without the king’s sanction.