THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 39

1Jerusalem is taken. 4Zedekiah fleeth, is taken, and, his eyes being put out, is sent in chains to Babylon. 8The city is laid in ruins; 9and the people carried away captive, except a few poor labourers. 11By Nebuchadrezzar's orders Jeremiah meeteth with kind usage. 15God's promise to Ebed-melech.


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

a 2 Kings 25:1; Jer. 52:4.

1 Or, by, to, that is, before Jerusalem.

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

2 Compare 2 Kings 25:4; Jer. 52:7. Understand the most outside wall of the city.

3And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and 3sat in the 4middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, 5Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, 6Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, 7Rab-mag, with all the 8residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

3 Hebr. kept by, set themselves, or remained, that is, they kept, stayed there, namely, by or at the gate of the middle wall, which parted the upper city from the lower city.

4 Hebr. the gate of the middle.

5 Some translate this word with treasurer or master of the treasurer; which others apply to Sharezer.

6 That is, the upper chamberlain or courtier, that is, steward, as some conceive.

7 That is, field-marshal, or field-officer, as others. Compare verse 13.

8 Hebr. all the remnant, that is here, all the others, all the rest.

4¶And 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 9of the king’s garden, by the 10gate betwixt the two walls: and 11he went out the way of the 12plain.

9 Which was at or by the king’s garden. Compare 2 Kings 9 on verse 27.

10 See 2 Kings 25 on verse 4.

11 Namely, the king.

12 Or, of the wilderness; this wilderness or these plains was situated between Jerusalem and Jericho or the Jordan. See 2 Sam. 15 on verse 23, and here in the next verse.

5But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had 13taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to 14Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave 15judgment upon him.

13 See of the Hebrew word Jer. 36 on verse 26, albeit it may here also be simply translated: and they took him, etc.; yet, it did as much as to say: they caught him or took him prisoner.

14 See 2 Kings 23 on verse 33.

15 Or, sentences, in the plural number, for which 2 Kings 25:6 judgment is used in the singular number. See the annotation there, and compare Jer. 1:16; 4:12; 52:9.

6Then the king of Babylon 16slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the 17nobles of Judah.

16 That is, caused to be slain.

17 Hebr. white ones. See Neh. 2 on verse 16.

7Moreover he 18put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

18 Or, he made blind; causing his eyes to be put out, or at least so to be spoiled that he became blind; as it is conceived that even at this day some nations in the eastern countries do spoil the eyes of those whom they take prisoners in war, and bereave them quite of their sight, without putting out their eyes.

8¶And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the 19houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Hebr. the house; that is, the houses of the inhabitants, but especially of the great ones. See 2 Kings 25 on verse 9.

9Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the 20guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to 21him, with the rest of the people that remained.

20 See Gen. 37 on verse 36.

21 Who were gone over, or were deserted to the king of Babel, or to this Nebuzaradan. See 2 Kings 25:11.

10But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and 22gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

22 To dress and to till.

11¶Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning 23Jeremiah 24to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying,

23 Of whose prophecies doubtless the king had heard by the deserters, or some other way. Compare Jer. 40:2, 3, etc.

24 This may be understood of a charge or commission in writing, or simply be taken for by or to him.

12Take him, and 25look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall 26say unto thee.

25 That is, take care for him, look well to him. See Jer. 24 on verse 6.

26 That is, shall desire of thee.

13So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, 27Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, and all the king of Babylon's princes;

27 See of these names on verse 3.

14Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the 28court of the prison, and committed him unto 29Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he 30dwelt among the people.

28 See Jer. 38:28, but afterward he was fetched away from among the captives who were on the way to be carried to Babel.

29 See 2 Kings 25 on verse 22.

30 Or, lived, abiding among the people, and living in his own house, for, he came not until afterward to Gedaliah unto Mizpah. See Jer. 40:4, 5, 6, where it is related that Jeremiah, because he had not yet joined himself unto Gedaliah, was carried away a good part of the way with the other captives.

15¶Now 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 31bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day 32before thee.

31 I will perform what I have threatened and foretold.

32 That is, My words shall be fulfilled before thine eyes, that thou shalt behold it.

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 33surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy 34life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy 35trust in me, saith the LORD.

33 Hebr. delivering deliver.

34 Or, thy soul; that is, life, as Jer. 38:2.

35 That I would defend thee against all the enemies of My servant Jeremiah, whom for My sake thou hast assisted and delivered out of his trouble. See Jer. 38:7, 8, etc.