INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 39 This chapter gives an account of the taking of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, according to the several prophecies of Jeremiah concerning it. The time of taking it, and by whom, after a siege of eighteen months, Jeremiah 39:1; several things relating to King Zedekiah; his fl... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE NINTH YEAR OF ZEDEKIAH KING OF JUDAH, IN THE TENTH MONTH,.... The month Tebet, which answers to part of our December, and part of January; so that it was in the winter season the siege of Jerusalem began: CAME NEBUCHADREZZAR KING OF BABYLON AND ALL HIS ARMY AGAINST JERUSALEM, AND THEY BESIE... [ Continue Reading ]
[AND] IN THE ELEVENTH YEAR OF ZEDEKIAH, IN THE FOURTH MONTH,.... The month Tammuz, which answers to part of June, and part of July: THE NINTH [DAY] OF THE MONTH, THE CITY WAS BROKEN UP; or taken by storm; the walls of it were broken by engines and battering rams, so that the Chaldeans could enter i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE PRINCES OF THE KING OF BABYLON CAME IN,.... Into the city: a breach being made in the walls to take possession of it: AND SAT IN THE MIDDLE GATE; according to Jarchi, this was a gate of the temple; the gate Nicanor, the eastern gate, which was between the gate of the court of the women... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, [THAT] WHEN ZEDEKIAH THE KING OF JUDAH SAW THEM, AND ALL THE MEN OF WAR,.... That is, when Zedekiah and his soldiers saw the princes and generals of the Chaldean army enter the city through a breach made in the wall, and take possession of the middle gate; which they might see f... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE CHALDEAN ARMY PURSUED AFTER THEM,.... Being informed of the flight of them, by those who surrendered to them, as Josephus says; or not finding the king, his family, nobles, and guards, at the palace, where they expected them; and, knowing which way they must take, pursued after them; not the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE KING OF BABYLON SLEW THE SONS OF ZEDEKIAH IN RIBLAH BEFORE HIS EYES,.... Not with his own hands, but gave orders to do it: these must be very young, at least some of them; since Zedekiah at this time was but thirty two years of age. This must be a dreadful spectacle for him to behold; and t... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER HE PUT OUT ZEDEKIAH'S EYES,.... By what means is not certain; however, hereby the prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled, that his eyes should see the king of Babylon, as they did, before they were put out, and that he should not die by the sword, Jeremiah 34:3; and also the prophecy of Ezekiel... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHALDEANS BURNT THE KING'S HOUSE,.... His palace: this was a month after the city was taken, as appears from Jeremiah 52:12; AND THE HOUSES OF THE PEOPLE, WITH FIRE; the houses of the common people, as distinct from the king's house, and the houses of the great men, Jeremiah 52:13; though J... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN NEBUZARADAN THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD,.... The Targum is, "the captain of those that kill;'' of the soldiers, of the militia. Some render it, the captain of the "cooks"; others, of the "butchers" l; but no doubt it was a military office he bore; he was captain of the forces that were left in J... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NEBUZARADAN THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD LEFT OF THE POOR OF THE PEOPLE, WHICH HAD NOTHING, IN THE LAND OF JUDAH,.... Because they would have been of no service to the Chaldeans, but a burden to them; and because they had nothing to fear from them; they had no arms to rebel against them, nor money t... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW NEBUCHADREZZAR KING OF BABYLON GAVE CHARGE CONCERNING JEREMIAH TO NEBUZARADAN THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD,.... Of whom he had heard, by one or another of his generals or officers; who had been informed, by those Jews that deserted to them, that Jeremiah had prophesied of the taking of the city by t... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE HIM, AND LOOK WELL TO HIM,.... Take him out of prison; take him under your immediate care; receive him kindly, and use him humanely; provide everything necessary for him, and let him not want for anything: or, "set thine eyes upon him" m look pleasantly at him, and let him be always under your... [ Continue Reading ]
SO NEBUZARADAN CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD SENT,.... When he was come to Jerusalem, one of the first things he did was, he sent a messenger or messengers to the court of the prison where Jeremiah was, to bring him from thence; and this he did not alone, but with the rest of the princes, who had the same ch... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN THEY SENT AND TOOK JEREMIAH OUT OF THE COURT OF THE PRISON,.... Where he was, when Jerusalem was taken, Jeremiah 38:28; and where he remained until this order came: AND COMMITTED HIM UNTO GEDALIAH THE SON OF AHIKAM THE SON OF SHAPHAN; the father of this person seems to be the same who saved Je... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO JEREMIAH, WHILE HE WAS SHUT UP IN THE COURT OF THE PRISON,.... This prophecy was before the taking of the city, and after the prophet had been took out of the dungeon by Ebedmelech; though here inserted after the city was taken; and that to show the great regard th... [ Continue Reading ]
GO AND SPEAK TO EBEDMELECH THE ETHIOPIANS,.... Not that the prophet was to go, or could go, out of prison, to deliver this message to Ebedmelech; but that he should, as he had opportunity, acquaint him with it; either by writing to him, or by word of mouth, when he should visit him; for no doubt he... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL DELIVER THEE IN THAT DAY, SAITH THE LORD,.... As from the famine and pestilence, so from the sword of the Chaldeans, and from all the evil that shall come upon the city in the day of its destruction: AND THOU SHALT NOT BE GIVEN INTO THE HAND OF THE MAN OF WHOM THOU [ART] AFRAID; for thou... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WILL SURELY DELIVER THEE,.... Or, in "delivering will deliver thee" p; this is a repetition and confirmation of what is promised in Jeremiah 39:17, and more fully explains it: AND THOU SHALL NOT FALL BY THE SWORD: by the sword of the Chaldeans, when the city should be taken, as he feared he s... [ Continue Reading ]