39:1ffZedekiah, son of Josiah and last king of Judah, ruled 11 years, from 597 to 586 B.C. Zedekiah’s two older brothers, Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, and his nephew Jehoiachin ruled before him. When Jehoiachin was exiled to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar made 21-year-old Mattaniah the king, changing his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, who Captured him, killed his sons in front of him, and then blinded him and took him back to Babylon, where he later died (see 2 Kings 24~25; 2 Chronicles 36; and Jeremiah 52).
Life Application Study BibleJeremiahChapter 39
Jeremiah 39
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1265, 1266
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39Jeremiah 39
The Fall of Jerusalem
13 In January* of the ninth year of King Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar* came with his army to besiege Jerusalem. 2Two and a half years later, on July 18* in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, the Babylonians broke through the wall, and the city fell. 3All the officers of the Babylonian army came in and sat in triumph at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, and Nebo-sarsekim,* a chief officer, and Nergal-sharezer, the king’s adviser, and all the other officers. 4When King Zedekiah and all the soldiers saw that the Babylonians had broken into the city, they fled. They waited for nightfall and then slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley.* 5But the Babylonian* troops chased the king and caught him on the plains of Jericho. They took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah. 6He made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons and all the nobles of Judah. 7Then they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. 8Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned Jerusalem, including the palace, and tore down the walls of the city. 9Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, sent to Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city as well as those who had defected to him. 10But Nebuzaradan left a few of the poorest people in Judah, and he assigned them vineyards and fields to care for. Jeremiah Remains in Judah. 11King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah. sob EI 5-16 12”See that he isn’t hurt,” he said. “Look after him well, and give him anything he wants.” Jer 1'8: 15:20-21 13S9 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard; Nebushazban, a chief officer; Nergal-sharezer, 3oe? 43 the king’s adviser; and the other officers of Babylon’s king ‘sent messengers to bring Jere- 39:44 miah out of the prison. They put him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grand- 2 Kgs 22.2 P “ 6 son of Shaphan, who took him back to his home. So Jeremiah stayed in Judah among his 49.4, own people. Jer 21:10 P P Zech 1:6 1SThe LORD had given the following message to Jeremiah while he was still in prison: 16“Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian,* ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God Pee at 1-2: of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not pros- Buriat perity. You will see its destruction, ‘but I will rescue you from those you fear so much. Se 18Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I willrescue you and Keep you Jet 17:78 safe. I, the LORD, have spoken!” I Rom 1011
Textual footnotes
- 39:1a Hebrew in the tenth month, of the ancient Hebrew junar calendar. A number of events in Jeremiah can be cross-checked with dates in surviving Babylonian records and related accurately to our modern calendar. This event occurred on January 15, 588 B.c.; see 52:4a and the note there.
- 39:1b Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar; also in 39:11.
- 39:2 Hebrew On the ninth day of the fourth month. This day was July 18, 586 B.c.; also see note on 39:1a.
- 39:3 Or Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsekim.
- 39:4 Hebrew ihe Arabah.
- 39:5 Or Chaldean; similarly in 39:8.
- 39:16 Hebrew the Cushite.
Life Application Notes 6 notes
39:5Riblah was 200 miles north of Jerusalem. This was the Babylonian headquarters for ruling the region.
39:10Babylon had a shrewd foreign policy toward conquered lands. They deported the rich and powerful, leaving only the very poor in charge, thus making them grateful to their conquerors. This policy assured that conquered populations would be too foyal and too weak to revolt.
39:11,12God had promised to rescue Jeremiah from his trouble (1:8). The superstitious Babylonians, who highly respected magicians and fortune-teilers, treated Jeremiah as a seer. Because he had been imprisoned by his own people, they assumed he was a traitor and on their side. They undoubtedly knew he had counseled cooperation with Babylon and predicted a Babylonian victory. So the Babylonians freed Jeremiah and protected him.
39:13,14What a difference there is between Jeremiah’s fate and Zedekiah’s! Jeremiah was freed; Zedekiah was imprisoned. Jeremiah was saved because of his faith; Zedekiah was destroyed because of his fear. Jeremiah was treated with respect; Zedekiah was treated with contempt. Jeremiah was concerned for the people; Zedekiah was concerned for himself.
39:17,18Ebed-melech had risked his life to save God’s prophet Jeremiah (38:7-13). When Babylon conquered Jerusalem, God protected Ebed-melech from the Babylonians. God has special rewards for his faithful people, but not everyone will receive them in this life (see the note on 38:6). 40-45 These six chapters cover events following Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon.