Jeremiahchapter 39

A.The Wall Broken Up and Zedekiah's Eyes Put Outvv. 1-10

1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to the city. 2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city was breached. 3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-sarsekim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. 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 they went out along the route to the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. 6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. 8 The Chaldeans set fire to the palace of the king and to the houses of the people, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried away to Babylon the remnant of the people who had remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to him. 10 But Nebuzaradan left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who had no property, and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

B.Jeremiah Set Free; a Word of Life for Ebed-melechvv. 11-18

11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, saying, 12 “Take him, look after him, and do not let any harm come to him; do for him whatever he says.” 13 So Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the captains of the king of Babylon 14 had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guard, and they turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So Jeremiah remained among his own people. 15 And while Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD had come to him: 16 “Go and tell Ebed-melech the Cushite that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to fulfill My words against this city for harm and not for good, and on that day they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 17 But I will deliver you on that day, declares the LORD, and you will not be delivered into the hands of the men whom you fear. 18 For I will surely rescue you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will escape with your life like a spoil of war, declares the LORD.’”

← Back: Jeremiah 38 Continue: Jeremiah 40 →

Chapter summary

The eleventh year, the fourth month, the ninth day: the city is broken up, and Babylon's princes sit in the middle gate.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴

The eleventh year, the fourth month, the ninth day: the city is broken up, and Babylon's princes sit in the middle gate. Zedekiah flees by night through the king's garden toward the Arabah and is overtaken in the plains of Jericho. At Riblah his sons and the nobles of Judah are slain before him, then his eyes are put out and he is bound in fetters for Babylon. The palace and the houses are burned and the walls broken down; the poorest of the people are left vineyards and fields. Nebuzaradan is charged to look well to Jeremiah, who is committed to Gedaliah. And Ebed-melech receives his reward: 'thy life shall be for a prey unto thee, because thou hast put thy trust in me.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Prophecy · Jeremiah — Jeremiah overview

A. 1–10 The Wall Broken Up and Zedekiah's Eyes Put Out
B. 11–18 Jeremiah Set Free; a Word of Life for Ebed-melech

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Jeremiah 526 verses
- Jeremiah 52:4So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.
- Jeremiah 52:7Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
- Jeremiah 52:10There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the officials of Judah.
- Jeremiah 52:11Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.
- Jeremiah 52:16But Nebuzaradan captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
- Jeremiah 52:26Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
- Read Jeremiah 52 →
2 Kings 254 verses
- 2 Kings 25:1So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.
- 2 Kings 25:3By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.
- 2 Kings 25:11Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population.
- 2 Kings 25:12But the captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.
- Read 2 Kings 25 →
Jeremiah 214 verses
- Jeremiah 21:4this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.
- Jeremiah 21:7‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’
- Jeremiah 21:9Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war.
- Jeremiah 21:10For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’
- Read Jeremiah 21 →
Jeremiah 384 verses
- Jeremiah 38:2“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
- Jeremiah 38:17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.
- Jeremiah 38:18But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”
- Jeremiah 38:28And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
- Read Jeremiah 38 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Jeremiah 403 verses
- Jeremiah 40:1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had released him at Ramah, having found him bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon.
- Jeremiah 40:4But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains that were on your wrists. If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon, then come, and I will take care of you. But if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther. Look, the whole land is before you. Wherever it seems good and right to you, go there.”
- Jeremiah 40:7When all the commanders and men of the armies in the field heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women, and children who were the poorest of the land and had not been exiled to Babylon,
- Read Jeremiah 40 →
Jeremiah 393 verses
- Jeremiah 39:3Then all the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-sarsekim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.
- Jeremiah 39:9Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried away to Babylon the remnant of the people who had remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to him.
- Jeremiah 39:14had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guard, and they turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So Jeremiah remained among his own people.
- Read Jeremiah 39 →
Jeremiah 322 verses
- Jeremiah 32:1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
- Jeremiah 32:4Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hands of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye.
- Read Jeremiah 32 →
Jeremiah 262 verses
- Jeremiah 26:18“Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.’
- Jeremiah 26:24Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
- Read Jeremiah 26 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.