Deeper Commentary
Jeremiah 39:2 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the
ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city)- The
Babylonians made a breach in the wall to the north, from where the
cherubim had left and would return. But Zedekiah tried to escape by
digging a hole in the southern wall (Ez. 12:12). He did to the city what
the Babylonians did, living out his own condemnation; see on :7. This
"breach" is the same word used for the breaking up of things at the time
of the flood (Gen. 6:11), a well established foretaste of the destruction
of Jerusalem by the flood waters of the Babylonians, albeit with the
promise of a new creation coming as a result of it.
Jeremiah 39:3 that all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat
in the middle gate- The gate separating the citadel of Zion where the
temple was, from the rest of Jerusalem. In other words, the temple was
about to be taken.
Jeremiah 39:4 It happened that when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the
men of war saw them, then they fled and went forth out of the city by
night, by the way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two
walls- It seems Zedekiah had taken refuge in the temple. From there,
he saw the princes of Babylon who had breached the northern wall and were
now at the temple gate (:3). And so they fled by "the king's garden",
which was his own private entrance to the temple, and then came to the
double walls of the southern perimeter of the city. Zedekiah himself dug
through those walls, the strongest point of his defence and human strength
(Ez. 12:12). He was being taught that all human defence, and the physical
temple, was not going to save him.
Jeremiah 39:5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them, and
overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him,
they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the
land of Hamath-
Jeremiah 39:6 Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah in
Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon killed all the nobles of
Judah- The princes were killed, but Zedekiah was spared. He had been
given a wonderful opportunity to repent in Jer. 38, but had spurned it.
And yet he was still spared the loss of his life, although he had been
told he would lose his life (Jer. 38:17). Presumably his deep repentance
as he faced his condemnation was so impressive that God spared his life;
whereas the princes didn't repent.
Jeremiah 39:7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him in
fetters to carry him to Babylon- This is how Jeremiah saw
Nebuchadnezzar's eyes (Jer. 34:3) and yet came to Babylon without seeing
it (Ez. 12:13). Zedekiah fled Jerusalem disguised as a woman with his face
so bound around with some disguise that he couldn't see (Ez. 12:12). He
was living out his own condemnation, which was to be blinded. See on :2.
Jeremiah 39:8 The Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the houses of the
people with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem-
Jeremiah 39:9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away
captive into Babylon the remnant of the people who remained in the city,
the deserters also who fell away to him, and the residue of the people who
remained- The "remnant" is the remainder of those who had not died
from the sword, famine or plague. But there was a large element of "the
poor of the people" (:10) who remained.
Jeremiah 39:10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor
of the people, who had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them
vineyards and fields at the same time- The majority of the population
remained, because they were those who had nothing and were abused by the
wealthy minority; and they received their vineyards and fields. They did
well out of the Babylonian invasion; and that was Babylonian policy, to
deport only the leadership and ingratiate themselves to the poor masses,
in the hope they would thereby have their loyalty.
It needs to be noted that poverty has a way of distracting, terribly
so. Merely giving aid to the poor won't automatically make converts- true
converts. It’s simply not true that desperately poor people will somehow
respond better than others to the Gospel. The Jews left in the land
at the time of the exile were the very poorest. But actually
these were the spiritually weaker in the long run, and it was the more
wealthy who went to Babylon who were the “good figs” of Jer. 24:3-8.
Jeremiah 39:11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon commanded Nebuzaradan
the captain of the guard concerning Jeremiah saying- Nebuchadnezzar
was then at Hamath, Antioch on the Orontes. He would have heard about
Jeremiah from the Jews who had already defected in response to Jeremiah's
prophecies, and they would have told him of Jeremiah's prophecies; which
was why he was well disposed toward Jeremiah, perhaps ignorant of or
choosing to ignore the other prophecies about Babylon's destruction.
Jeremiah 39:12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do
to him even as he shall tell you-
Jeremiah 39:13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and
Nebushazban, Rabsaris, Nergal Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the chief officers
of the king of Babylon- The top brass of Babylon were all involved in
this singular mission- to locate and do well to this individual called
Jeremiah. Such was God's deep desire to reward and care for Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 39:14 they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard,
and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that
he should carry him home: so he lived among the people- But initially
Jeremiah was taken captive in chains (Jer. 40:1), perhaps in the confusion
which arose after the sacking of Jerusalem. He was released from those
chains and given the best treatment, given a place in the house of
Gedaliah whom the Babylonians had appointed governor. But Jeremiah had a
heart for people, wanting only to minister God's word to them. Even that
relatively luxurious position is described according to how Jeremiah
perceived it- he lived "among the people". And this of course is an
example to us, wherever our lot be cast.
Jeremiah 39:15 Now the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, while he was shut
up in the court of the guard, saying- This is the word that had come
to Jeremiah previously. The book of Jeremiah isn't chronological, but
arranged by theme. Here the theme is that God wonderfully preserved
Jeremiah because of his faithfulness; and He did the same for Ebedmelech.
Jeremiah 39:16 Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian saying, Thus says
Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring My words on this
city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished before you
in that day- Jeremiah was "shut up" in prison (:15); so 'going' is
used in the figurative sense, as a metaphor to describe taking the Gospel
to someone, even if we are confined to our bed. See more examples of this
noted on 1 Pet. 3:19.
Jeremiah 39:17 But I will deliver you in that day, says Yahweh; and you
shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid-
To march into the prison with 30 men and rescue Jeremiah from the dungeon
of death was nothing less than staging a jail break. Ebedmelech showed
huge faith and devotion in doing this, and naturally feared for his life
afterwards. His deliverance from the Jews was to encourage him that like
Jeremiah, his life would be saved from the Babylonians too. "You shall not
be given..." is just what Zedekiah had been encouraged- if he had repented
(Jer. 38:20). He likewise was "afraid of... men", the same Jewish princes
who were out to kill Ebedmelech. We see here the thematic nature of the
book of Jeremiah. God worked in the same way in parallel lives, and some
accepted His promises and others didn't.
Jeremiah 39:18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the
sword, but your life shall be for a prey to you; because you have put your
trust in me, says Yahweh-
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