TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
Complete Jewish Bible
In the ninth year of Tzidkiyahu king of Y'hudah, in the tenth month, N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel marched against Yerushalayim with his entire army and began to lay siege against it.
Berean Standard Bible
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to the city.
American Standard Version
(in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and besieged it;
World English Bible Messianic
When Jerusalem was taken, (in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and besieged it;
Geneva Bible (1599)
In the ninth yeere of Zedekiah King of Iudah in the tenth moneth, came Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel and all his hoste against Ierusalem, and they besieged it.
Young's Literal Translation
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, come hath Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his force unto Jerusalem, and they lay siege against it;
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Commentary on Jeremiah 39 verses 1–10
1 ¶ In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.
3 And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4 And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.
5 But the Chaldeans' army 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, where he gave judgment upon him.
6 Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
8 And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.
9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.
10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
We were told, in the close of the foregoing chapter, that Jeremiah abode patiently in the court of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken. He gave the princes no further disturbance by his prophesying, nor they him by their persecutions; for he had no more to say than what he had said, and, the siege being carried on briskly, God found them other work to do. See here what it came to.
I. The city is at length taken by storm; for how could it hold out when God himself fought against it? Nebuchadnezzar's army sat down before it in the ninth year of Zedekiah, in the tenth month (Jer 39:1), in the depth of winter. Nebuchadnezzar himself soon after retired to take his pleasure, and left his generals to carry on the siege: they intermitted it awhile, but soon renewed it with redoubled force and vigour. At length, in the eleventh year, in the fourth month, about midsummer, they entered the city, the soldiers being so weakened by famine, and all their provisions being now spent, that they were not able to make any resistance, Jer 39:2. Jerusalem was so strong a place that nobody would have believed the enemy could ever enter its gates, Lam 4:12. But sin had provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then, like Samson when his hair was cut, it was weak as other cities.
II. The princes of the king of Babylon take possession of the middle gate, Jer 39:3. Some think that this was the same with that which is called the second gate (Zep 1:10), which is supposed to be in the middle wall that divided between one part of the city and the other. Here they cautiously made a half, and durst not go forward into so large a city, among men that perhaps would sell their lives as dearly as they could, until they had given directions for the searching of all places, that they might not be surprised by any ambush. They sat in the middle gate, thence to take a view of the city and give orders. The princes are here named, rough and uncouth names they are, to intimate what a sad change sin had made; there, where Eliakim and Hilkiah, who bore the name of the God of Israel, used to sit, now sit Nergal-sharezer, and Samgar-nebo, etc., who bore the names of the heathen gods. Rab-saris and Rab-mag are supposed to be not the names of distinct persons, but the titles of those whose names go before. Sarsechim was Rab-saris, that is, captain of the guard; and Nergal-sharezer, to distinguish him from the other of the same name that is put first, is called Ram-mag - camp-master, either muster-master or quarter-master: these and the other great generals sat in the gate. And now was fulfilled what Jeremiah prophesied long since (Jer 1:15), that the families of the kingdoms of the north should set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem. Justly do the princes of the heathen set up themselves there, where the gods of the heathen had been so often set up.
III. Zedekiah, having in disguise perhaps seen the princes of the king of Babylon take possession of one of the gates of the city, thought it high time to shift for his own safety, and, loaded with guilt and fear, he went out of the city, under no other protection but that of the night (Jer 39:4), which soon failed him, for he was discovered, pursued, and overtaken. Though he made the best of his way, he could make nothing of it, could not get forward, but in the plains of Jericho fell into the hands of the pursuers, Jer 39:5. Thence he was brought prisoner to Riblah, where the king of Babylon passed sentence upon him as a rebel, not sentence of death, but, one many almost say, a worse thing. For, 1. He slew his sons before his eyes, and they must all be little, some of them infants, for Zedekiah himself was now but thirty-two years of age. The death of these sweet babes must needs be so many deaths to himself, especially when he considered that his own obstinacy was the cause of it, for he was particularly told of this thing: They shall bring forth thy wives and children to the Chaldeans, Jer 38:23. 2. He slew all the nobles of Judah (Jer 39:6), probably not those princes of Jerusalem who had advised him to this desperate course (it would be a satisfaction to him to see them cut off), but the great men of the country, who were innocent of the matter. 3. He ordered Zedekiah to have his eyes put out (Jer 39:7), so condemning him to darkness for life who had shut his eyes against the clear light of God's word, and was of those princes who will not understand, but walk on in darkness, Psa 82:5. 4. He bound him with two brazen chains or fetters (so the margin reads it), to carry him away to Babylon, there to spend the rest of his days in misery. All this sad story we had before, Kg2 25:4, etc.
IV. Some time afterwards the city was burnt, temple and palace and all, and the wall of it broken down, Jer 39:8. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! this comes of killing the prophets, and stoning those that were sent to thee. O Zedekiah, Zedekiah! this thou mightest have prevented if thou wouldst but have taken God's counsel, and yielded in time."
V. The people that were left were all carried away captives to Babylon, Jer 39:9. Now they must bid a final farewell to the land of their nativity, that pleasant land, and to all their possessions and enjoyments in it, must be driven some hundreds of miles, like beasts, before the conquerors, that were now their cruel masters, must lie at their mercy in a strange land, and be servants to those who would be sure to rule them with rigour. The word tyrant is originally a Chaldee word, and is often used for lords by the Chaldee paraphrast, as if the Chaldeans, when they were lords, tyrannized more than any other: we have reason to think that the poor Jews had reason to say so. Some few were left behind, but they were the poor of the people, that had nothing to lose, and therefore never made any resistance. And they not only had their liberty, and were left to tarry at home, but the captain of the guard gave them vineyards and fields at the same time, such as they were never masters of before, Jer 39:10. Observe here, 1. The wonderful changes of Providence. Some are abased, others advanced, Sa1 2:5. The hungry are filled with good things, and the rich sent empty away. The ruin of some proves the rise of others. Let us therefore in our abundance rejoice as though we rejoiced not, and in our distresses weep as though we wept not. 2. The just retributions or Providence. The rich had been proud oppressors, and now they were justly punished for their injustice; the poor had been patient sufferers, and now they were graciously rewarded for their patience and amends made them for all their losses; for verily there is a God that judges in the earth, even in this world, much more in the other.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–10. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER SEVEN
[Daniel 7:1] "In the first year of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, Daniel beheld a dream. And a vision of his head upon his bed. And when he wrote the dream down, he comprehended it in a few words and gave a brief summary of it, saying..." This section which we now undertake to explain, and also the subsequent section which we are going to discuss, is historically prior to the two previous sections. For this present section and that which follows it are recorded to have taken place in the first and third years of the reign of King Belshazzar (Jeremiah 39) [Jerome's citation of Jeremiah 39 seems quite pointless in this connection]. But the section which we read previously to the one just preceding this, is recorded to have taken place in the last year, indeed on the final day, of Belshaz-zar's reign. And we meet this phenomenon not only in Daniel but also in Jeremiah [cf. Jeremiah 35 and Jeremiah 34] and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 17), as we shall be able to show, if life spares us that long. But in the earlier portion of the book, the historical order has been followed, namely the events which occurred in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar, and Darius or Cyrus. But in the passages now before us an account is given of various visions which were beheld on particular occasions and of which only the prophet himself was aware, and which therefore lacked any importance as signs or revelations so far as the barbarian nations were concerned. But they were written down only that a record of the things beheld might be preserved for posterity.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 39:1 precisely dates the commencement of the final, devastating siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon. This verse serves as a stark historical marker, signaling the beginning of the end for the Kingdom of Judah and its capital, a culmination of decades of spiritual decline and political rebellion. It stands as a direct fulfillment of Jeremiah's persistent prophecies of divine judgment, setting the stage for the dramatic fall of the city and the subsequent Babylonian exile, underscoring the certainty of God's word.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Jeremiah 39:1 marks a pivotal and grim transition in the book of Jeremiah, shifting abruptly from the prophet's unheeded pronouncements and biographical accounts of his ministry to the undeniable fulfillment of those very prophecies. Preceding chapters meticulously detail Jeremiah's consistent warnings to King Zedekiah and the people of Judah regarding their impending judgment at the hands of Babylon due to their persistent idolatry, covenant unfaithfulness, and political maneuvering (e.g., Jeremiah 34). This verse immediately precedes the detailed and harrowing account of Jerusalem's fall, Zedekiah's capture, and the subsequent destruction of the temple and city walls, as recorded in Jeremiah 39:2-10. Functioning as a precise chronological anchor, it grounds the subsequent narrative of destruction and exile in a specific, verifiable historical moment, thereby emphasizing the certainty, inevitability, and divine orchestration of God's word coming to pass.
Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop of Jeremiah 39:1 is the intense geopolitical struggle for regional dominance in the ancient Near East, primarily between the rising Neo-Babylonian Empire and a declining Egypt. Following its decisive victory at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, Babylon had firmly established its supremacy over the Levant. Judah, a strategically located kingdom, found itself caught precariously between these two great powers. Having become a Babylonian vassal state, Judah's kings, Jehoiakim and then Zedekiah, repeatedly vacillated between nominal loyalty to Babylon and ill-fated attempts to ally with Egypt, despite Jeremiah's consistent and divinely inspired warnings against such alliances (e.g., Jeremiah 37:7-10). Zedekiah, a puppet king installed by Nebuchadrezzar after the first significant deportation of Judah's elite in 597 BC (an event detailed in 2 Kings 24:10-17), ultimately rebelled against Babylon, prompting this final, devastating siege. Sieges in the ancient Near East were brutal and protracted affairs, meticulously designed to starve out a city, cut off its water supply, and ultimately breach its defenses, leading to widespread suffering, disease, and often, complete destruction. The mention of specific dates ("ninth year...tenth month") underscores the meticulous record-keeping of the era and the historical veracity of these catastrophic events.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several foundational themes prevalent throughout the book of Jeremiah and the broader prophetic literature of the Old Testament. Foremost is the theme of Divine Judgment, where God, through the instrument of the Babylonian Empire, executes righteous and long-foretold judgment upon Judah for its persistent sin, pervasive idolatry, and flagrant rejection of His covenant (e.g., Jeremiah 25:8-11). It dramatically underscores the Fulfillment of Prophecy, as Jeremiah's long-standing warnings of Jerusalem's destruction and the people's exile are now undeniably coming to pass, thereby validating the prophet's divine commission and the absolute certainty of God's word (e.g., Jeremiah 1:10). Furthermore, the narrative highlights the severe Consequences of Disobedience, demonstrating the dire repercussions of turning away from God and ignoring His repeated calls to repentance and faithful living (e.g., the powerful sermon in Jeremiah 7). Finally, it subtly yet profoundly points to God's Sovereignty over Nations, as even powerful pagan kings like Nebuchadrezzar are shown to be unwitting instruments in God's overarching plan to bring about His purposes, both in judgment and, eventually, in the promise of restoration (e.g., Jeremiah 27:6).
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 39:1 primarily employs Historicism and Foreshadowing, with an element of Hyperbole. The verse is deeply rooted in Historicism, providing precise chronological and geographical details ("ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah," "tenth month," "Jerusalem," "Babylon") that firmly anchor the narrative in real-world, verifiable events. This meticulous dating lends immense credibility and gravity to the unfolding tragedy, emphasizing that these are not abstract prophecies but concrete, historical occurrences that came to pass exactly as foretold. Simultaneously, the verse functions as powerful Foreshadowing. By announcing the commencement of the siege, it ominously predicts the inevitable fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the sacred Temple, the capture of King Zedekiah, and the widespread suffering, famine, and subsequent exile that will follow. The very act of "besieging" implies a prolonged period of distress, deprivation, and eventual capitulation, setting a tone of impending doom for the reader who understands the historical outcome. Furthermore, the phrase "all his army" can be seen as a form of Hyperbole, emphasizing the overwhelming and irresistible force of the Babylonian military, underscoring the futility of Judah's resistance and the absolute certainty of the Babylonian victory.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 39:1 transcends a mere historical record; it stands as a profound theological statement. It is a stark testament to God's unwavering justice and the absolute certainty of His word. The siege of Jerusalem was not a random act of war but the culmination of centuries of covenant unfaithfulness by Judah, repeatedly warned against by prophets like Jeremiah. It demonstrates unequivocally that God takes sin seriously and that persistent rebellion against His commands will ultimately lead to severe, divinely ordained consequences. Yet, even in the midst of this devastating judgment, God's ultimate sovereignty is powerfully evident, as He uses a powerful pagan king like Nebuchadrezzar as an unwitting instrument to fulfill His divine purposes, ensuring that even the most formidable earthly empires are subject to His ultimate will. This catastrophic event, while tragic and painful, was also a necessary purging, preparing the way for a future restoration and the glorious promise of a new covenant, a recurring theme of hope in Jeremiah's later prophecies.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 39:1 serves as a potent and sobering reminder that God's warnings are not empty threats, and His justice is as real and certain as His boundless mercy. For believers today, this historical account profoundly underscores the seriousness of sin and the dire consequences of persistent disobedience to God's revealed will. It challenges us to examine our own lives for areas of compromise, spiritual apathy, or outright rebellion, urging us to heed God's guidance and live in humble, consistent obedience, trusting in His ultimate sovereignty over all nations and historical events. While we do not face physical sieges for spiritual disobedience in the same way ancient Judah did, the underlying spiritual principle remains: a life lived out of alignment with God's truth inevitably leads to spiritual barrenness, distress, and a loss of divine blessing. This verse calls us to cultivate a deep reverence for God's word, recognizing that His prophetic declarations, whether of judgment or blessing, will always come to pass in His perfect timing. It also offers a sobering yet hopeful perspective on suffering, reminding us that even in the midst of trials and apparent chaos, God remains firmly on His throne, meticulously working His sovereign purposes through the intricate tapestry of human history.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is the specific date of the siege mentioned in Jeremiah 39:1 so important?
Answer: The precise dating ("ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month") is critically important for several reasons. First, it grounds the prophetic narrative in verifiable historical reality, demonstrating that Jeremiah's prophecies were not vague predictions but specific pronouncements that came to pass at a particular time and place. This historical accuracy reinforces the reliability and trustworthiness of the biblical text, affirming its divine inspiration. Second, it marks the exact beginning of the final, devastating phase of Judah's existence as an independent kingdom. This date would have been seared into the memory of the survivors, signaling the start of a period of immense suffering, famine, and ultimately, the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the sacred Temple, as detailed in 2 Kings 25:1-10. It vividly emphasizes the certainty and inevitability of God's righteous judgment against a persistently rebellious people, underscoring that His patience has limits.
What was King Zedekiah's role in the events leading up to this siege?
Answer: King Zedekiah was a tragic and pivotal figure whose rebellion directly provoked this final, catastrophic Babylonian siege. He was installed as a puppet king by Nebuchadrezzar after the first deportation of Judah's elite in 597 BC, following King Jehoiachin's brief reign (see 2 Kings 24:10-17). Despite repeated and urgent warnings from the prophet Jeremiah to remain loyal to Babylon, Zedekiah, swayed by pro-Egyptian factions within his court and misled by false prophets, broke his solemn oath of allegiance to Nebuchadrezzar and sought an alliance with Egypt (as described in Jeremiah 37:1-10). This act of rebellion was not only a direct challenge to Babylon's authority but, more significantly, a defiant rejection of God's clear instruction delivered through Jeremiah, which had declared Babylon to be God's divinely appointed instrument of judgment. Zedekiah's persistent disobedience, lack of faith, and political folly ultimately led to the catastrophic siege and fall of Jerusalem, fulfilling Jeremiah's dire prophecies concerning his reign (e.g., Jeremiah 34:1-7).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 39:1, though a somber account of judgment and destruction, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment and theological resonance. The fall of Jerusalem and the subsequent exile represent the ultimate consequence of humanity's persistent rebellion against God, serving as a powerful illustration of the brokenness caused by sin and the necessity of divine judgment. Yet, this very judgment ultimately paves the way for the promise of a new covenant, a central and glorious theme in Jeremiah's later prophecies (e.g., Jeremiah 31:31-34). This new covenant, unlike the old, would be written on hearts, not stone, and would be inaugurated by Jesus Christ through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection. Jesus, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, bore the full weight of God's righteous judgment against sin on the cross, fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law and offering a path to reconciliation that the old covenant could not fully provide. Furthermore, while the physical city of Jerusalem was besieged and destroyed, Christ establishes a spiritual kingdom, a New Jerusalem, where God dwells with His people not in a temple made with human hands, but in spirit and truth through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The ultimate "siege" against humanity's sin and death was decisively overcome by Christ on the cross and through His resurrection, leading not to exile, but to eternal communion with God for all who believe, ushering in an era where the true King reigns supreme, establishing a kingdom that will never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44).