Jeremiah 39, The Destruction of Jerusalem

Deportation of conquered peoples was a practice started by Assyria and adopted by Babylon. “Deportation succeeds in dismembering a society, and the conqueror does not have to worry much about rebellions in distant lands. It is also a way of economizing oppressive military presence in each one of the conquered nations” (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary). With most of the people gone, a smaller military force can manage the conquered territory.

^39:1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. ² And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. ³ Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. ⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.

In 586 BC Babylon succeeds in breaching the wall of Jerusalem and her officials set up shop in the Middle Gate to strategize and administer the city, as Jeremiah predicted (Jeremiah 1:15). Though Jeremiah had told Zedekiah that he would survive and his family would survive and Jerusalem would not be burned to the ground if Zedekiah surrendered, instead he flees the city and heads south.

⁵ But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. ⁶ There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar is not at the city of Jerusalem but is managing his war from Riblah in Syria (the land of Hamath). Zedekiah and his family and officials (the same officials who wanted Jeremiah to be abandoned and die in the mud of a cistern) are brough to Nebuchadnezzar, as Jeremiah had predicted he would be if he didn’t surrender (Jeremiah 38:17,18), and his children and officials are put to death in front of him and his eyes gouged out (see Ezekiel 12:13, where Ezekiel predicted Zedekiah would be brought to Babylon but he would not see it).

⁸ The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹ Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. ¹⁰ But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

Nebuchadnezzar’s commander of the imperial guard takes most of Jerusalem’s citizens to Babylon, while the city lies in ruins, but some of the poorer residents are left to take possession of and tend to the vineyards and fields.

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: ¹² “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.” ¹³ So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon ¹⁴ sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.

¹⁵ While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of Yahweh came to him: ¹⁶ “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what Yahweh Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. ¹⁷ But I will rescue you on that day, declares Yahweh; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. ¹⁸ I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares Yahweh.’” (Jeremiah 39)

Jeremiah was apparently known to the Babylonians, no doubt as someone urging the people of Judah to surrender to the invaders, and he is treated well, being put under the protection of Gedaliah, whose father had been a supporter of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:24), fulfilling God’s promise to Jeremiah of protection (Jeremiah 15:15-21). And God also takes care of Ebed-Melek who succeeded in getting Jeremiah delivered from the certain death of the cistern. God has judged the faithless and protected the faithful.

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Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think king Zedekiah did not choose to surrender to the Babylonians?
2. Does God promise to protect believers from all harm?
3. What is God’s promise to us, as believers?