Ch. Jeremiah 39:1-18. Capture of the city. Jeremiah’s fortunes. Promise to Ebed-melech

(i) The words in brackets are clearly a gloss, introduced from Jeremiah 52:4-7. “And it came to pass … taken” (Jeremiah 38:28 b) connects naturally with Jeremiah 39:3. (ii) Jeremiah 39:4-10 are absent from the LXX, they interrupt the train of thought and look like an abridgement of Jeremiah 52:7-16. On the other hand it was not (as stated in these vv.) when the princes had taken up their position that Zedekiah, according to ch. 52, fled, but at an earlier stage (Jeremiah 39:7). Unless they are an insertion here, it is difficult to understand why no reference is made in them to the princes mentioned in Jeremiah 39:3. (iii) Jeremiah 39:11-13. In these (also absent from LXX) Nebuzaradan is mentioned (Jeremiah 39:11 as well as Jeremiah 39:9), although, according to ch. Jeremiah 52:12, he did not arrive at Jerusalem till a month later. Moreover, he is absent from the list in Jeremiah 39:3. Gi., Du. and Co. agree in rejecting all these vv., Gi. speaking, however, less confidently as to (iii). See further in introd. and other notes on ch. 52.

The ch. may be summarized as follows.

(i) Jeremiah 38:28 b–39:3. After a siege by Nebuchadnezzar which lasted for eighteen months less one day, the wall was breached and the city captured. (ii) Jeremiah 39:4-10. Zedekiah flees by the way of the Arabah, is overtaken, brought to Riblah, and, after his sons and the nobles have been slain, is blinded and carried in fetters to Babylon. Jerusalem is burned and its walls broken down. The remainder of the people are carried captive to Babylon, except the very poor who are given fields and vineyards to cultivate. (iii) Jeremiah 39:11-14. Jeremiah, by Nebuchadnezzar’s orders, is released and given in charge to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, who takes him to his house, permitting him to move about freely. (iv) Jeremiah 39:15-18. While Jeremiah is still in the guard-court, he is charged with a message to Ebed-melech that in the overthrow of the city his life shall be spared, because he has put his trust in the Lord.

Jeremiah 38:28 b. And it came to pass … taken] Owing to a wrong division of chs. in MT. and A.V., these words were mistranslated in the latter (“and he was there when Jerusalem was taken”). In R.V. they are rightly rendered and connected directly in sense with ch. 39.

Jeremiah 39:3. and sat] to carry out the matters arising from the capture.

Nergal-sharezer, etc.] From the Eng. it would appear that there are six princes mentioned by name. In fact however there are but four at the most (and probably only two), viz. (a) Nergal-sharezer, (b) Samgar-nebo, (c) Sarsechim, (d) Nergal-sharezer. But (d) is probably an erroneous repetition of (a). Rab-saris (usually explained chief of the eunuchs or chamberlains but more probably chief of the heads, i.e. principal men) and Rab-mag (probably chief of the soothsayers) are the titles of those whose names they follow. Moreover, the first part of Samgar-nebo is probably a corruption of Sar-mag = Rab-mag, chief of the soothsayers, while the latter portion, inasmuch as it never elsewhere ends a name, is to be transferred to the beginning of the third name. Sarsechim, thus becoming Nebo-sarsechim, is an error for Nebushazban of Jeremiah 39:13. The above modifications of the text thus reduce the list to the more accurate form in which it appears in Jeremiah 39:13, viz. two names and two titles, i.e. Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag and Nebushazban the Rab-saris. Nergal-sharezer was a son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar, and after the murder of Evil-Merodach (b.c. 560) seized the throne.

4. by the gate betwixt, etc.] “on the S. of the city (the ‘king’s garden’ was near the pool of Siloam, Nehemiah 3:15), probably the fountain gate of Nehemiah 2:14; Nehemiah 3:15; Nehemiah 12:37, the ‘two walls’ (cf. Isaiah 22:11) being those below this gate along the W. side of the E. hill of Jerusalem, and the E. side of the W. hill.” Dr. See further in C.B. (Barnes) 2 Kings 25:4.

Arabah] the deep valley of the Jordan. See Deuteronomy 1:1 R.V. mg.

4–10. See introd. note and summary to ch.

5. the plains of Jericho] the W. side of the Arabah.

Riblah] (Ribleh) between the mountain ranges of Lebanon and Hermon. It was a suitable halting-place for Nebuchadnezzar, as being on the high road between Babylon and Palestine and lying “on the banks of a mountain stream in the midst of a vast and fertile plain yielding the most abundant supplies of forage.” Robinson’s Bible Researches, III. 545.

gave judgement upon him] lit. spake judgements with him. See on ch. Jeremiah 1:16.

7. Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes] See on Jeremiah 34:3 and cp. Jdg 16:21. “Putting out the eyes has been at all times a common Oriental punishment.… The frequency of the punishment in the time of the younger Cyrus is indicated by a passage in Xenophon, where it is said that men deprived of sight for their crimes were a common spectacle along the highways within his government.” Rawlinson’s Herod. vol. IV. p. 16. C.B. (Barnes), on the parallel passage in Kings, quotes Layard for modern instances in Persia.

fetters] The Hebrew word is dual, and the meaning therefore probably two chains. Cp. Acts 12:6.

9. Nebuzaradan] He did not, however, arrive (Jeremiah 52:12; 2 Kings 25:8) till a month later.

captain of the guard] Heb. chief of the executioners.

that fell away to him] i.e. that went over to the Chaldaeans, and so were under Nebuzaradan from such time as he appeared in command.

10. of the people] Probably we should read, as in Jeremiah 52:15 mg., of the artificers.

gave them … fields] but See on Jeremiah 52:16.

11–14. See introd. summary to the section.

12. If we are to accept this as historical (see introd. note to ch.), Nebuchadnezzar’s action was due to the fact that Jeremiah had consistently throughout counselled submission to him on the part of the Jews. See Jeremiah 40:4.

look well to him] Heb. set thine eyes upon him.

13. For the names see on Jeremiah 39:3.

14. Gedaliah] See on Jeremiah 26:24.

home] to the house, apparently meaning to the prophet’s own dwelling.

dwelt] i.e. was no longer in confinement.

15. came] rather, had come.

15–18. See introd. summary to the section. This section is certainly out of chronological order, as relating to a time before the capture of the city, but there is no sufficient reason for condemning it (with Du. and Co.) as unhistorical.

17. the men of whom thou art afraid] meaning perhaps the princes, who were hostile to Jeremiah and so would punish Ebed-melech for helping him out of the dungeon, or, as Jeremiah 39:18 suggests, the victorious army, in which case cp. Jeremiah 22:25.

18. thy life shall be for a prey unto thee] See on Jeremiah 21:9.