1In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah in the tenth month Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylonia and all his force came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2In the eleventh year of Zedekiah in the fourth month on the ninth of the month the city was breached. 3And all the commanders of the king of Babylonia came and sat in the central gate—Nergal-Sarezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim the chief eunuch, Nergal-Sarezer high magus, and all the rest of the commanders of the king of Babylonia. 4And it happened when Zedekiah king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and went out by night from the city through the king’s garden, through the gate of the double walls, and he went out toward the Arabah. 5And the Chaldean force pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the desert country of Jericho and took him and brought him up to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylonia at Riblah in the region of Hamath, and he spoke harshly with him. 6And the king of Babylonia slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes in Riblah, and all the aristocrats of Judah the king of Babylonia slaughtered. 7And the eyes of Zedekiah he blinded, and he bound him in bronze fetters to bring him to Babylonia. 8And the king’s house and the people’s houses the Chaldeans burned in fire, and the walls of Jerusalem they shattered. 9And the rest of the people who remained in the city and those who had gone over to him and the rest of the people remaining Nebuzaradan the high chamberlain exiled to Babylonia. 10And from the poor people who had nothing Nebuzaradan the high chamberlain left in the land of Judah and gave them vineyards and plots of land on that day. 11And Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylonia charged concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the high chamberlain, saying, 12“Take him, and keep your eye on him, and do him no harm, but as he speaks to you, do for him.” 13And Nebuzaradan the high chamberlain and Nebushazbaz the chief eunuch and Nergal-sarezer the high magus and all the officers of the king of Babylonia sent, 14they sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard, and they gave him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan to bring him out to the house, and he dwelled in the midst of the people.
15And to Jeremiah the word of the LORD had come when he was detained in the court of the guard, saying, 16“Go and say to Ebed-Melech the Cushite, saying: Thus said the LORD of Armies, God of Israel, I am about to bring My words to this city for evil and not for good, and they shall happen before you on that day. 17And I will save you on that day, said the LORD, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men by whom you are terrified. 18But I will surely let you escape, and you shall not die by the sword and your life shall be your booty, for you trusted in Me, said the LORD.”
CHAPTER 39 NOTES
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1. In the ninth year of Zedekiah. According to the notation here and in the next verse, the siege lasted about a year and a half, from the winter of 587 B.C.E. to midsummer 586.
2. in the fourth month on the ninth of the month. This is the ninth of Av, traditionally marked by Jews as a fast-day to commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
3. Nergal-Sarezer. This name occurs twice in this verse, which must be a scribal duplication. Note as well that, understandably, all the Akkadian names in this list are somewhat distorted by the Hebrew transliteration.
high magus. The Hebrew is rav-mag, and as with other titles of the officials here, the precise function is uncertain.
4. they fled and went out by night from the city through the king’s garden. The spatial indication in this clause suggests that they used some sort of secret exit, as many commentators have proposed.
the Arabah. This is the north-south rift through which the Jordan runs. They are fleeing to the south, perhaps trying to reach Egypt.
5. the desert country of Jericho. The Hebrew uses a plural of Arabah, which could refer either to the north-south rift or, as here, to a kind of terrain.
Riblah. This is far to the north, in Syria, where the Babylonian emperor was contending with other enemies.
he spoke harshly with him. Literally, “he spoke judgments with him.” This translation understands the plural noun mishpatim to have an adverbial sense.
7. And the eyes of Zedekiah he blinded. This was, sad to say, a common treatment of prisoners of war in the ancient Near East. But Nebuchadrezzar has added to it a sadistic gesture: first he slaughters Zedekiah’s sons “before his eyes,” and with this last horrific sight lingering in the mind of the Judahite king, he has him blinded. Nebuchadrezzar wants to make clear to all that he does not tolerate the rebellion of vassal kings.
8. the people’s houses. The Hebrew reads “the people’s house,” which sounds like a public institution, one that actually did not exist in ancient Israel. This translation adopts David Kimchi’s plausible proposal that the noun is collective.
9. the high chamberlain. The literal sense of the Hebrew title is “chief butcher,” though it is obvious that the term was extended far beyond its origins to indicate some sort of important political or military function. Potiphar in Genesis 39 bears the same title.
10. gave them vineyards and plots of land. This redistribution of property to the destitute was calculated to enlist their loyalty to the conquerors.
12. do him no harm. Nebuchadrezzar accords Jeremiah special treatment because he has heard—probably from the Judahite deserters—that the prophet had been preaching capitulation to the Babylonians.
14. Gedaliah. He would then be appointed by Nebuchadrezzar to serve as governor of the conquered province.
the house. Many commentators, medieval and modern, conclude that this is Gedaliah’s house.
17. the men by whom you are terrified. These would be the men who wanted to fight to the bitter end and so sought to kill Jeremiah, whom Ebed-Melech saved, as a traitor.
18. and your life shall be your booty. It will not be the booty of others. This is a way of saying that you will escape with your life.