39:1 The following events occurred when Jerusalem was captured. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. The siege began in the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah ruled over Judah.
After the Egyptian army withdrew their forces, then King Nebuchadnezzar returned to siege Jerusalem.
39:2 It lasted until the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year. On that day they broke through the city walls.
The entire siege of Jerusalem lasted just over 30 months (from January 15, 588 to July 18, 586 B.C.)
39:3 Then Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim, who was a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer, who was a high official, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon came and set up quarters in the Middle Gate.
There were two Babylonian generals mentioned by name in this passage. Their names were similar, but they possessed different titles. It was not unusual for Babylonians to possess the same name. Sometimes, they possessed more than one name.
The first Babylonian general was Nergal-Sharezer. His title was Nebo-Sarsekim, meaning that he was the Lord of the Babylonian city of Nebo. This Babylonian city was known in secular history as Sin. He was the mayor of a Babylonian city. He was also a military officer of the Babylonian army.
The second Babylonian General was also named Nergal-Sharezer. He was known in secular history as Nerig Lissar. He would later execute the son of Nebuchadnezzar (Evil-Merodach) and reign as King of Babylon.
39:4 When King Zedekiah of Judah and all his soldiers saw them, they tried to escape. They departed from the city during the night. They took a path through the king’s garden and passed out through the gate between the two walls. Then they headed for the Jordan Valley.
The prophecies of Jeremiah began to be fulfilled step-by-step. King Zedekiah and his royal guard attempted to escape by night by the way of the King’s Garden, which was located in the south near the Pool of Siloam. The Pool of Siloam was the same location where Jesus would later heal a blind man. They left by the Fountain gate, going towards the Arabah. The Arabah was the Jordan Valley, where the Jordan River flows. This escape maneuver was a futile attempt, because Jeremiah had already predicted that King Zedekiah would be captured by the Babylonians.
39:5 But the Babylonian army chased after them. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho and captured him. They took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at Riblah in the territory of Hamath and Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him there.
After sieging Jerusalem for over thirty months, there was no way that the Babylonian soldiers were going to allow King Zedekiah to escape. King Zedekiah was captured in the plains of Jericho, which were about 25 miles outside of Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar was holding his military camp in Riblah, which was about 200 miles north of Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar judged King Zedekiah from these military headquarters.
39:6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon had Zedekiah’s sons put to death while Zedekiah was forced to watch. The king of Babylon also had all the nobles of Judah put to death.
Just as Jeremiah predicted, Zedekiah lost his family by execution. Just as Jeremiah predicted, the nobles who had deceived the people and enslaved their fellow Jews were also executed.
39:7 Then he had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains to be led off to Babylon.
The last thing that Zedekiah saw was the execution of his family. Zedekiah was then blinded and taken to chains in Babylon.
39:8 The Babylonians burned down the royal palace, the temple of the Lord, and the people’s homes, and they tore down the wall of Jerusalem.
Just as Jeremiah predicted, the city of Jerusalem was burned to the ground.
39:9 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took captive the rest of the people who were left in the city. He carried them off to Babylon along with the people who had deserted to him.
This was the third and final deportation. The Babylonian Captivity was complete. Daniel was the prophet of the first deportation. He was trained in the royal palace to become a federal administrator for King Nebuchadnezzar. Ezekiel was the prophet to the second deportation. He prophesied to those who worked in the canals of Babylon. Jeremiah remained with the poor in Jerusalem.
39:10 But he left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing. He gave them fields and vineyards at that time.
Some of the poor people were left behind to cultivate the fields and vineyards. Nebuchadnezzar may have felt that these poor people would be grateful for receiving free land from the Babylonian government. They would be least likely to rebel. They would grow crops and pay tribute to Babylon.
39:11 Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had issued orders concerning Jeremiah. He had passed them on through Nebuzaradan, the captain of his royal guard,
King Nebuchadnezzar had most likely heard of Jeremiah, because Jeremiah had written letters to the other captives who had already been deported to Babylon. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have possibly informed Nebuchadnezzar about Jeremiah.
39:12“Find Jeremiah and look out for him. Do not do anything to harm him, but do with him whatever he tells you.”
Jeremiah was given royal protection from the new Babylonian government.
39:13 So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, Nebushazban, who was a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer, who was a high official, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon 39:14 sent and had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guardhouse. They turned him over to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and the grandson of Shaphan, to take him home with him. But Jeremiah stayed among the people.
According to 40:1, Jeremiah was placed in chains. Liberals like to point this out as a supposed Bible error. However, Jeremiah was most likely unrecognized, captured in Jerusalem, chained, marched five miles to Ramah, recognized, and then sent back to the courtyard of the guard.
Notice that King Nebuchadnezzar sent out his best army officers to find Jeremiah. This meant that this task of finding Jeremiah was of great importance to King Nebuchadnezzar.
Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam and the grandson of Shaphan. Ahikam was a friend of Jeremiah. Shaphan was the loyal servant of the good King Josiah. Gedaliah was the Babylonian-appointed governor who would be ruling over Jerusalem. He was placed in charge for providing for the welfare of Jeremiah.
39:15 Now the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah while he was still confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse,
The Book of Jeremiah was written thematically and not in historical chronological order. Verses 15-18 took place sometimes between chapters 38-39. While Jeremiah was waiting for the city of Jerusalem to fall, Jehovah gave another message to him.
39:16 “Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, ‘The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I will carry out against this city what I promised. It will mean disaster and not good fortune for it. When that disaster happens, you will be there to see it.
Ebed-Melech was a Gentile proselyte from Ethiopia. This Gentile was the only person who stood up for Jeremiah. Jeremiah told Ebed-Melech that he would see the fall of Jerusalem.
39:17 But I will rescue you when it happens. I, the Lord, affirm it! You will not be handed over to those whom you fear.
Jehovah promised Ebed-Melech that he would be rescued from the onslaught which was to come upon Jerusalem. Ebed-Melech may have feared the Babylonians or the princes of Judah who attempted to kill Jeremiah.
39:18 I will certainly save you. You will not fall victim to violence. You will escape with your life because you trust in me. I, the Lord, affirm it!” ’ ”
Ebed-Melech would not die by sword, starvation, or famine, because he trusted upon Jehovah. He would die naturally of old age. God always protects His believing remnant, even if they are Gentile proselytes. Ebed-Melech was a Gentile believer in the One True God, whom the Jews had rejected. The fall of Jerusalem ended with a Gentile doing what no Jew would do. The Gentile Ebed-Melech believed in Jehovah and lived. The Jews did not believe in Jehovah and died.