Midras Yeremia 38:12: Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

וַיֹּ֡אמֶר עֶבֶד־מֶ֨לֶךְ הַכּוּשִׁ֜י אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ שִׂ֣ים נָ֠א בְּלוֹאֵ֨י הַסְּחָב֤וֹת וְהַמְּלָחִים֙ תַּ֚חַת אַצִּל֣וֹת יָדֶ֔יךָ מִתַּ֖חַת לַחֲבָלִ֑ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ כֵּֽן׃

Lalu Ebed-Melekh, orang Kush itu, berkata kepada Yeremia: “Taruhlah kain-kain usang yang compang-camping dan pakaian-pakaian tua yang sudah rusak itu di bawah ketiakmu, di bawah tali-tali itu.” Yeremia pun melakukannya.

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

Rabbi Tachanah said: The Israelites also are called Cushites, as it is said, "Are ye not as the children of the Cushites unto me, O children of Israel?" (Amos 9:7). Just as the body of this Cushite is different from all creatures, so do the Israelites differ from all the nations of the world in their ways and by their good deeds; therefore are they called Cushites. One Scripture saith, "And Ebedmelech, the Cushite, said" (Jer. 38:12). Was it Ebed? Was he not Baruch, son of Neriah? But just as this Cushite is different in his body from all other people, so was Baruch, son of Neriah, different in his deeds and good ways from the rest of the sons of men. Therefore was he called a Cushite.
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