Jeremias 39
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Jeremias 39:1-10
39:1 "Jerusalem was captured" Jerusalem fell in 586 B.C. (there are parallel accounts in Jeremiah 52 and 2 Kgs. 25:1-12). ▣ "in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month. . .laid siege to it" The siege began in January of 588 B.C. It lasted over a year and a half (i.e. July of 586 B.C., cf. Jer. 52:4-6; 2 Kgs. 25:1-3). 39:3 The names and titles of the Neo-Babylon officials mentioned in Jer. 39:3 (cf. Jer. 39:13) are very confusing. the Septuagint, King James, and American Standard versions list six men Josephus (Antiq.10.7.2) and the Peshitta list five men the Revised Standard Version and Jewish Publication Society of America Bible list four men the New International Version, the New English Bible, and the Revised English Bible list three the New Jerusalem Bible lists two men 39:3 "sat down" "took their places" NKJV, NRSV, Peshitta "sat in" REB, NJB "came in and took their seats" "set up quarters" "took up quarters" The MT has the VERB "sat," "sit" (BDB 442, KB 444, Qal IMPERATIVE with waw). The NET Bible, p. 1407, #4, mentions that John Bright, in his commentary on Jeremiah, p. 243, asserts this phrase refers to the Neo-Babylonian leaders setting up provisional military governent in Jerusalem after its fall. ▣ "the Middle Gate" This designation is mentioned only here, so the location is uncertain. ▣ "Nergal-sar-ezer" This (BDB 669) is possibly the same as Neri-glissar, who was the successor to Nebuchadnezzar's son, Evil-merodach. 39:4 "they fled and went out of the city at night" Josephus tells us that it was midnight (Antiq. 10.7.2, cf. Jer. 52:7; 2 Kgs. 25:4). ▣ "by way of the king's garden" From Neh. 2:14; 3:15; 12:37 it appears that this is the fountain of the Pool of Siloam. ▣ "Arabah" This refers to the great rift valley that runs from above the Sea of Galilee down into the Sinai. Here it would refer to the forested valley east of Jerusalem (cf. Jer. 39:5). 39:5 "the Chaldeans pursued" This is predicted in Jer. 32:4-5; 38:18,23. Josephus tells us that Jewish deserters informed the Neo-Babylonian officials of their flight. SPECIAL TOPIC: CHALDEANS ▣ "he passed sentence on him" Josephus tells us that it was for ingratitude treason His sentence is spelled out in graphic detail in Jer. 39:6-7; 52:10-11; and 2 Kgs. 25:7. 39:6 "Riblah" This was a city in a district of Syria. It was where Nebuchadnezzar's main expeditionary military camp was located. It is about fifty miles north of Damascus. Pharaoh Necho II also used this area as headquarters during the Carchemish campaign, where he was defeated (cf. 2 Kgs. 23:33) 39:8 "the houses of the people" The Masoretic Text is SINGULAR (UBS Text Project, p. 282, gives it a B rating) and, therefore, could mean a meeting hall the temple following the Talmud, the main synagogue Kimchi, a Jewish exegete of the Middle Ages, translates this phrase, "the peoples' houses" (cf. 2 Kgs. 25:9). This translation has influenced all English translations. ▣ "broke down the walls of Jerusalem" When limestone is exposed to high heat it loses its strength and cannot be reused for construction. The walls themselves were pulled down (BDB 683, KB 736, Qal PERFECT) the slopes so that it would be very difficult to raise them. Jerusalem was totally destroyed and left uninhabited and uninhabitable! 39:9 "Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard" It is uncertain whether this title (BDB 913 II CONSTRUCT BDB 371, literally "the chief slaughterer") refers to an executioner or the chief cook. It is uncertain how many groups of people are exiled. There are two other groups. those left in the city (RSV) those who deserted There is either a repeated reference to #1 or a third group which the NJB and REB identify as "artisans," which involves an emendation of the MT, but fits with the parallel of Jer. 52:15. See UBS Text Project, p. 283. 39:10 One way for the Neo-Babylonians to leave a loyal people who would pay taxes was to give the land to those who had nothing (i.e. the poor of the countryside). None of them were owners nor producers!
Jeremias 39:11-14
39:11-14 Jeremiah 40:1-6 seems to be a different account of the same event (similar to chapters 37 and 38). Some have asserted that these are in sequential order and others see two different accounts of the same event. At this point we just do not know. Moderns tend to read ancient literature through the filter of their own culture, era, and literary methods. See D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic. SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT) 39:12 Nebuchadnezzar II must have heard about Jeremiah's prophetic message from Daniel Jewish deserters spies in the city of Jerusalem He gives several orders. take him ‒ BDB 542, KB 534, Qal IMPERATIVE (meaning "locate him") look after ‒ BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal IMPERATIVE do nothing harmful to him ‒ BDB 793, KB 889, Qal JUSSIVE deal with him just as he tells you ‒ BDB 793, KB 889, Qal IMPERATIVE 39:14 "Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam" Later Gedaliah was appointed the Neo-Babylonian governor of Judah (cf. 2 Kgs. 25:23; Jer. 40:5,7). He was not of the lineage of David. His father had been friendly to Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 26:24; 2 Kgs. 22:12-14). ▣ "take him home" At this point Gedaliah chose the city of Mizpah (cf. Jer. 40:5,8) to be his headquarters. Mizpah means "watchtower" and there were many towns by this name in Palestine. Apparently, Jeremiah was taken to Gedaliah's new residence.
Jeremias 39:15-18
39:15-18 This paragraph is out of chronological order. Remember, the book of Jeremiah, like Isaiah, is an anthology of his messages over years of his ministry. YHWH's gracious attitude and actions toward Ebed-melech are because of his kind treatment and intercession on behalf of His prophet, Jeremiah while in the cistern (cf. Jer. 38:7-13). 39:17 "I will deliver you" This VERB (BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil PERFECT with waw) is a promise that YHWH will deal kindly and with special protection to this foreigner (non-Jew). In Jer. 39:18 he is said to have trust (BDB 105, KB 120, Qal PERFECT) in YHWH (cf. Jer. 17:7,8). 39:18 "I will certainly rescue you" This is a literary parallel to Jer. 39:17. The VERB (BDB 572, KB 589) is intensified by the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and the IMPERFECT VERB of the same root.