The Fall of Jerusalem
Jer 39:1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it.
Jer 39:2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through.
Jer 39:3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other
officials of the king of Babylon.
Jer 39:4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.
Jer 39:5 But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.
Jer 39:6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah.
Jer 39:7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
Jer 39:8 The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
Jer 39:9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.
Jer 39:10 But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
The Lord Delivers Jeremiah
Jer 39:11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard:
Jer 39:12 “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.”
Jer 39:13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon
Jer 39:14 sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.
Jer 39:15 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him:
Jer 39:16 “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.
Jer 39:17 But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear.
Jer 39:18 I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'”
Jerusalem is taken. 4 Zedekiah is made blind, and sent to Babylon. 8 The city ruinated, 9 the people captivated. 11 Nebuchadrezzar’s charge for the good usage of Jeremiah. 15 God’s promise to Ebed-melech.
The Fall of Jerusalem
Jer 39:1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it.
The final siege against Jerusalem began approximately Jan. 15, 588 b.c. (see on 2 Kings 25:1 for the basis of this date)
The Fall of Jerusalem
Jer 39:1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it.
Jer 39:2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through.
After besieging Jerusalem for 30 months, the Babylonians broke through its defences on “the ninth day” of “the fourth month.” This date can be approximated on the same basis as that in v. 1, as July 18, 586 b.c. For a more detailed account of the siege and capture of Jerusalem see Jer. 52; 2 Kings 25.
Jer 39:3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon.
Instead of there being six princes, as implied here, there were probably only three, or even two, if the name Nergalsharezer, mentioned twice, represented only one individual.
Nergalsharezer is otherwise known as Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law, Nergal-shar-usur, or Neriglissar, second successor on the throne, being king of Babylon from 560 to 556 b.c.
Nebo-sarsechim is an unknown name. On the title rab-saris see on Dan. 1:3.
Jer 39:4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.
The “king’s garden” was probably near “the pool of Siloah” (see on Neh. 3:15), and from this the king went through the gate between the two walls. It is generally believed, on archeologically evidence, that this gate was somewhere near the southeastern corner of the city wall. They fled eastward toward the plain, or Arabah, the distinctive name of the Jordan valley (see on 2 Sam. 2:29).
Jer 39:5 But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.
It was apparently the king’s intention to cross the Jordan River near Jericho, and find safety in the open country of Gilead or with a would-be ally such as Moab or Ammon (see ch. 27:3).
Riblah. This city to the north, “in the land of Hamath,” was a traffic centre on the Orontes River, and so provided a natural headquarters for Nebuchadnezzar in his invasion of Palestine.
Jer 39:6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah.
The severe punishment dealt out by the Chaldean conqueror (vs. 6, 7) was due to the fact that he placed Zedekiah on the throne as his supposedly loyal vassal, and yet the king of Judah treacherously rebelled against him (2 Kings 24:17–20) and violated the most solemn oaths taken in the name of Jehovah (see PK 447).
Jer 39:7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
Jer 39:8 The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
Thus, two apparently mutually exclusive prophecies were fulfilled: (1) that Zedekiah would see Nebuchadnezzar and be taken to Babylon (ch. 32:4, 5), and (2) that he would die in Babylon but not see it (Eze. 12:13).
For a more detailed account of this devastation see Jer. 52:12–14; cf. 2 Kings 25:8–10.
Jer 39:9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.
To prevent rebellion Nebuchadnezzar followed the same deportation policy as did the Assyrians before him (2 Kings 15:29; 17:6).
This was undoubtedly done to prevent a political vacuum in the land. The gifts of land to the poor would ensure their allegiance to the Babylonians, and perhaps also, through the cultivation of the land, the Babylonians might even expect some tribute.
The Lord Delivers Jeremiah
Jer 39:11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard:
Nebuchadnezzar learned of Jeremiah’s unwavering counsel of submission to Babylon either through deserters or spies, or from Zedekiah himself, and so as soon as he found out that Jeremiah had been “bound in chains among all that were carried away captive” (ch. 40:1), he ordered the prophet released.
Jer 39:13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon
Nebuzar-adan … sent. Presumably from Ramah (see on v. 14; ch. 40:1). Nebuzar-adan is known from Babylonian records. His Babylonian name, Nabu–zer–iddinam, means “Nabu gives offspring.” His Hebrew title, Rab–ṭabbachim, correctly translated “captain of the guard,” literally means “chief of the butchers.”
However, the term was used in a wider sense to designate the chief of the bodyguard of the king. In the Babylonian records Nebuzar-adan is listed several decades later with the title “chief cook,” which, idiomatically, had the wider meaning of “chancellor.”
Nebushasban, Rab-saris. Rather, “Nebushazban the rabsaris” (see on v. 3). His Babylonian name, Nabu–shezibanni means, “Nabu, save me.” On Nergalsharezer see on v. 3.
Jer 39:14 sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.
This statement may be harmonized with ch. 40:1 by assuming that Jeremiah was taken out of the prison and was carried along as a captive with the other captives for the few miles from Jerusalem to Ramah (see on ch. 31:15), at which place the Babylonian captain gave him the good news of his release. The account of ch. 39:14 merely omits the intervening events between Jeremiah’s release from prison and his joining Gedaliah, which events are related in detail in ch. 40
Gedaliah. See on ch. 26:24. True to his family’s attitude, “the son of Ahikam” now advances as Jeremiah’s friend and protector.
Jer 39:15 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him:
Verses 15–18 are a parenthetical account of God’s promise to Ebed-melech because of his kindness to Jeremiah.
Jer 39:16 “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.
Ebed-melech. See on ch. 38:7.
Jer 39:17 But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear.
Because of his loyalty toward Jeremiah, God promises the Ethiopian that his life will be spared from “the hand of” the princes of Judah, who were angered by his action regarding the prophet (ch. 38:7–13), and that he will “not fall by the sword” (ch. 39:18) of the Babylonians, since Jeremiah will undoubtedly intercede for him.
Jer 39:18 I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'”
An idiom meaning that his life would be spared. At a time when countless thousands lost their lives a man could ask no greater reward than this.