Jer. 39:1 ¶ 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.
Jer. 39:2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.
Babylon held Jerusalem under siege for about 1.5 years before the city fell.
Jer. 39:3 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.
Jer. 39:4 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.
Jer. 39:5 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.
It’s interesting to note that Jeremiah records the names of the main Babylonian princes that first entered the city, taking control from a position at the middle gate, the gate separating the upper and lower parts of the city. When King Zedekiah realized what had happened, he tried to secretly leave the city during the night and headed in the direction of Jericho. It was not long before he was captured and taken before Nebuchadnezzar, who had established his position in Riblah. One commentary identified this town as Antioch in Syria, another as 65 miles north of Damascus, another as 200 miles northeast of Jerusalem. I’m sure Neb took great delight in pronouncing sentence on this man who had rebelled against him.
Jer. 39:6 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.
Jer. 39:7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
Jer. 39:8 And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.
Nebuchadnezzar immediately killed all of Zedekiah’s sons and all the nobles of Judah whom he had captured. He then put out Zedekiah’s eyes and placed him in chains to be taken captive to Babylon—the memory of the murder of his sons and nobles being the last thing he ever saw. The Hebrew supports the conclusion that his eyeballs were removed.
The Babylonians burned down the palace and all the other homes in the city. They then completed their destruction by tearing down the walls of the city. Jeremiah 52 gives some additional information, affirming that the temple was destroyed by fire at this time also.
Jeremiah 52:12–14 “Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, And burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire: And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.”
This final fall of Jerusalem to Babylon occurred in 586 BC.
Stedman: “As you read this account you can see a certain poetic justice which is always characteristic of the judgments of God. The city that refused God, God refused. He granted them their own desires, in other words. The temple that burned incense to idols was itself burned. The king who would not see had his eyes put out. The people who held their slaves captives were themselves led captive by the Babylonians. This is always the way God works. His judgment is to give you exactly what you are asking for, to let you finally have your way — but to the fullest extent, beyond anything you would desire.”
Jer. 39:9 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.
Jer. 39:10 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.
Only a few of the poor people were left in Judah and not taken captive to Babylon. They who had the least were given vineyards and fields of their own by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the Babylonian guard.
Jer. 39:11 ¶ Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,
Jer. 39:12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.
It seems that Nebuchadnezzar had been told of the prophet Jeremiah’s attempts to get the people to surrender. He instructed Nebuzaradan to treat him well and let him choose what he wanted to do.
Jer. 39:13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;
Jer. 39:14 Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.
The captain sent his top aides to rescue Jeremiah from the court of the prison and put him in the care of Gedaliah, whose father had previously befriended Jeremiah, and whom Neb appointed ruler. So Jeremiah stayed in Jerusalem with the poor people left behind.
2 Kings 25:22 “And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.”
Jer. 39:15 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
Jer. 39:16 Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.
Jer. 39:17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.
Jer. 39:18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.
This section of verses is sort of like a PS at the end of a letter. Evidently, Jeremiah had access to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian while in the court of the prison. The LORD gave Jeremiah a special message to deliver to Ebedmelech before he was released. He was to tell Ebedmelech that when the city fell, God would deliver him from harm at the hands of the Zedekiah’s evil advisors or the Babylonians because he had put his trust in Him as LORD.
Again, this truth echoes through the words of the psalmist.
Psalms 37:37–40 “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.”
I can’t help but think of the prophecies of scripture screaming out today’s headlines, and how the masses have the same disdain for them as did the people of Judah as a whole. Just as surely as Jeremiah was proven to be declaring God’s truth, so too will the rest of the prophecies of scripture. Just as surely as God rescued those that were obedient to Him then, so too will He do the same for those who obey Him in faith when that time comes. Just as surely as those who rejected the LORD received His declared judgment then, so too will those who reject Him as LORD at the time decreed for that judgment to fall.
Jer. 40:1 ¶ The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.
This verse adds a bit to the information we were given in the last chapter. It seems that Jeremiah was gathered up with all those left in Jerusalem and Judah at the time the city fell and bound in chains to be taken captive to Babylon. The gathering point is identified as Ramah, about 5 miles north of Jerusalem in the land of Benjamin.
Jer. 40:2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.
Jer. 40:3 Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.
After Nebuchadnezzar gave instructions for Jeremiah to be given special treatment, Nebuzaradan had to locate Jeremiah and found him among the captives. He seemed to understand that “the LORD thy God” had pronounced judgment upon His people because of their disobedience and that their defeat of Judah/Jerusalem was the result of that judgment. Evidently, those who had surrendered to the Babylonians before the siege ended had told the Babylonian soldiers the message that Jeremiah was declaring from God to His people.
Jer. 40:4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.
Jer. 40:5 Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.
Jer. 40:6 Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
Nebuzaradan then released Jeremiah and gave him the option of going to Babylon under his protection or staying in Judah and going wherever he chose.
I think the NLT translation for verse 5 is clearer: “If you decide to stay, then return to Gedaliah….” Having told him that he would see to his care in Babylon, he let him know that he would also be taken care of if he stayed. Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Gedaliah as governor, and Jeremiah could go stay with him or anywhere else he chose.
Jeremiah was then given food and “a reward” and allowed to go. Jeremiah chose to go and stay with Gedaliah in Mizpah with the people in that area. Mizpah was located northwest of Jerusalem in the land of Benjamin.
Jer. 40:7 ¶ Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;
Jer. 40:8 Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
Jer. 40:9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
Jer. 40:10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.
My first thought is—What forces? Weren’t all but the poor taken captive. It would seem that there were groups of men hidden throughout the country that were overlooked or just no longer considered a threat by the Babylonians. Their focus seemed to be on those living in and around the cities. The NLT uses the term “guerilla bands,” which I think is a good comparison. The leaders of these groups got word that Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Gedaliah governor and decided to come and meet with him. Gedaliah told them that if they would submit to the rule of the Babylonians, things would go well with them. He informed them that he would headquarter in Mizpah, evidently according to his agreement with the Babylonians who would make routine visits for reports on the status quo. They were free to farm the land and make homes in the cities they chose to occupy.
Jer. 40:11 Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;
Jer. 40:12 Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.
Word finally got around to Jews that had escaped to the surrounding nations (such as Moab, Ammon and Edom) that Nebuchadnezzar had left some people to live in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah as their governor. This appointment must have met with their approval since they decided to come home and take part in the harvest of the summer crops.
Jer. 40:13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
Jer. 40:14 And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.
Jer. 40:15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?
Jer. 40:16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.
Now we are told that one of the guerilla leaders, Johanan the son of Kareah, led a delegation of some of the other guerilla leaders to warn Gedaliah that another one of the guerilla leaders, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, had been hired by the king of the Ammonites to kill Gedaliah. Ishmael was a descendant of the royal line of David.
Jeremiah 41:1 “Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal….”
Some commentators think Ishmael was motivated by the fact that he thought he should have been appointed governor; some by the fact that he considered Gedaliah to be a traitor. As far as I can ascertain, scripture doesn’t reveal his motive. His actions after killing Gedaliah (as recorded in the next chapter) indicate that he was motivated by greed and the desire for power.
Gedaliah did not believe them. Johanan decided to try one more time and made a secret visit to Gedaliah. He offered to go on a secret mission to kill Ishmael. He reasoned that it would be better for the Jews in the land to live under the rule of Gedaliah than to fall prey to the king of Ammon. For some reason, Gedaliah still did not believe Johanan and accused him of lying. He told him not to harm Ishmael.
I can maybe understand that Gedaliah might not believe one man’s report, especially one that volunteers to murder someone. It seems a bit odd, however, that he didn’t at least give possible credence to such a serious accusation affirmed by many others.