Naravist

The Prophets · Old Testament

Jeremiah 39

Jeremiah 39: the city broken up, Zedekiah blinded, Jeremiah released

General context

In the ninth year of Zedekiah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadrezzar and his army besiege Jerusalem; in the eleventh year, on the ninth day of the fourth month, the city is broken up. The king of Babylon's princes sit in the middle gate, among them Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris and Rab-mag. Zedekiah and the men of war flee by night through the king's garden and the gate between the two walls toward the plain. The Chaldeans overtake him in the plains of Jericho and bring him to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where judgment is given. The king of Babylon kills Zedekiah's sons before his eyes and all the nobles of Judah, then puts out Zedekiah's eyes and binds him in chains for Babylon. The Chaldeans burn the king's house and the people's houses and break down the walls. Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carries the remnant and the deserters to Babylon, but leaves the poor who had nothing and gives them vineyards and fields. Nebuchadrezzar charges Nebuzar-adan to look after Jeremiah, do him no harm and do as he asks. The princes take Jeremiah out of the court of the prison and commit him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to carry him home, and he dwells among the people. The chapter closes with a word given to Jeremiah while he was still shut up: he is to tell Ebed-melech the Ethiopian that the Lord's words against the city will be fulfilled before him, but he will be delivered, will not fall by the sword and will have his life for a prey because he trusted the Lord.

Cited passages: Jeremiah 39:1, Jeremiah 39:2, Jeremiah 39:3, Jeremiah 39:4, Jeremiah 39:5, Jeremiah 39:6, Jeremiah 39:7, Jeremiah 39:8, Jeremiah 39:9, Jeremiah 39:10, Jeremiah 39:12, Jeremiah 39:14, Jeremiah 39:15, Jeremiah 39:16, Jeremiah 39:17, Jeremiah 39:18

Jeremiah 39 (KJV)

1In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.

2And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.

3And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

4And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.

5But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.

6Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

7Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

8And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.

9Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.

10But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

11Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying,

12Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

13So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;

14Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.

15Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

16Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.

17But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.

18For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The chapter supplies two dated markers, the start of the siege in Zedekiah's ninth year and tenth month, and the breach in his eleventh year, fourth month, ninth day. The king of Babylon's name is spelled Nebuchadrezzar in verses 1 and 11 and Nebuchadnezzar in verse 5. The list of princes in the middle gate prints Nergal-sharezer twice with different accompanying titles, and Rab-saris and Rab-mag are printed as names without explanation. The order of Zedekiah's punishment is stated: his sons and the nobles are killed before his eyes, then his eyes are put out. The book does not narrate his death; chapter 34 had said he would not die by the sword. Two accounts of Jeremiah's release stand side by side: here he is taken from the court of the prison and given to Gedaliah, while chapter 40 has the captain of the guard release him from chains at Ramah among the captives. The text does not reconcile them. The word for Ebed-melech is placed after the fall but dated to the time Jeremiah was still shut up. Gedaliah's father Ahikam is the man whose hand protected Jeremiah in chapter 26, and 2 Kings also records Gedaliah's appointment over the people left in the land.

Cited passages: Jeremiah 39:1, Jeremiah 39:2, Jeremiah 39:5, Jeremiah 39:11, Jeremiah 39:3, Jeremiah 39:6, Jeremiah 39:7, Jeremiah 34:4, Jeremiah 39:14, Jeremiah 40:1, Jeremiah 39:15, Jeremiah 26:24, 2 Kings 25:22

Literary context

The narrator reports the fall in short, plain clauses, and the violence is not softened: sons killed before a father's eyes, nobles killed, eyes put out, chains. What Jeremiah had told Zedekiah in chapters 32 and 34, that his eyes would see the king of Babylon's eyes, is fulfilled in the same words and then answered by blindness. The chapter sets two treatments of Jeremiah against each other: Judah's princes beat and imprisoned him, while the king of Babylon orders that he be looked after and harmed in no way. The poor who had nothing receive vineyards and fields, a small reversal inside the ruin. The closing word to Ebed-melech is a step back in time, and it repeats the formula used for those who go out to the Chaldeans, life for a prey, so the eunuch who pulled Jeremiah from the mire is placed among those who live. The list of foreign princes seated in the gate states the city's new authority in one sentence.

Cited passages: Jeremiah 39:6, Jeremiah 39:7, Jeremiah 32:4, Jeremiah 34:3, Jeremiah 37:15, Jeremiah 39:12, Jeremiah 39:10, Jeremiah 39:18, Jeremiah 38:2, Jeremiah 38:13, Jeremiah 39:3

Key moments

  1. The city broken up (Jeremiah 39:2). After the siege Jerusalem is breached in Zedekiah's eleventh year.
  2. Zedekiah's sons killed (Jeremiah 39:6). At Riblah the king of Babylon kills Zedekiah's sons before his eyes.
  3. Eyes put out (Jeremiah 39:7). Zedekiah is blinded and bound in chains for Babylon.
  4. The city burned (Jeremiah 39:8). The Chaldeans burn the houses and break down the walls.
  5. Fields for the poor (Jeremiah 39:10). Nebuzar-adan leaves the poorest in the land and gives them vineyards and fields.
  6. Jeremiah given to Gedaliah (Jeremiah 39:14). Jeremiah is taken from the prison court and dwells among the people.
  7. Ebed-melech will be delivered (Jeremiah 39:17). The Lord promises the eunuch safety from the men he fears.

For reflection

Before Zedekiah's eyes are put out, he watches his sons and the nobles of Judah killed, and the narrator gives it two short verses without comment. What does that restraint ask of a reader who wants the text to say more?

People in this chapter

Also indexed here: