Jeremiah 39 is the thirty-ninth chapter of the Book of Jeremiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It is numbered as Jeremiah 46 in the Septuagint. This book contains prophecies attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, and is one of the Books of the Prophets. This chapter is part of a narrative section consisting of chapters 37 to 44.[1] Chapter 39 records the fall of Jerusalem, verses 1–10, and Jeremiah's fate, verses 11–18.
The original text was written in Hebrew. This chapter is divided into 18 verses.
The order of chapters and verses of the Book of Jeremiah in the English Bibles, Masoretic Text (Hebrew), and Vulgate (Latin), in some places differs from that in the Septuagint (LXX, the Greek Bible used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and others) according to Rahlfs or Brenton. The following table is taken with minor adjustments from Brenton's Septuagint, page 971.[2]
The order of Computer Assisted Tools for Septuagint/Scriptural Study (CATSS) based on Alfred Rahlfs' Septuaginta (1935), differs in some details from Joseph Ziegler's critical edition (1957) in Göttingen LXX. Swete's Introduction mostly agrees with Rahlfs' edition (=CATSS).[2]
| Hebrew, Vulgate, English | Rahlfs' LXX (CATSS) | Brenton's LXX |
|---|---|---|
| 39:1-3,14-18 | 46:1-3,14-18 | 46:1-4,15-18 |
| 39:4-13 | none | |
| 32:1-44 | 39:1-44 | |
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint (with a different chapter and verse numbering), made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B;
ak{G}
ak{G}
ak{G}
ak{G}
The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex.[3] Jeremiah 39 is a part of the "Fifteenth prophecy (Jeremiah 36-39)" in the section of Prophecies interwoven with narratives about the prophet's life (Jeremiah 26-45). : open parashah; : closed parashah.
[{S} 38:28b] 39:1-14 והיה כאשר 39:15-18
Chronologically and thematically this chapter is a continuation of the previous one, describing Babylon's invasion of Jerusalem and its consequences, particularly for Zedekiah (39:1–10 9) and Jeremiah (39:11–18 9). The narrative places the invasion as background to larger issues (cf. 52:4–16 9 and 25:1–12 9), as the focus is more on the Zedekiah's cowardly behavior, escape, and capture (verses 4–5) under the fulfillment of the prophecy, with the ending of the king being blinded, physically as already spiritually. On the other hand, Jeremiah simultaneously obtains release and protection from Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, at the command of Nebuchadrezzar (39:11–13 9) and then under the protection of Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Babylon, and son of Ahikam (cf.). This signifies the fulfillment of another prophecy that by submitting to Babylon, people could save their lives as the prize of war and returned home (39:11–14 9). The episode with Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian rescuer of Jeremiah (39:15–18 9), further emphasizes the fulfillment of the divine message (Jeremiah 38:7-13) about his life as a prize of war because he trusted in YHWH (39:18 9).
See also: Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC). Verses 1–3 detail the events of the Babylonian invasion to Jerusalem from the ninth to the eleventh year of Zedekiah when finally the city was captured, occupied and destroyed by the Babylonian army. 39:4-5 9 focus on Zedekiah's failed effort to escape and the fulfillment of the prophecy that Zedekiah's offspring were killed in front of him before he himself was blinded and taken to captivity. The houses of Jerusalem were burned and people were exiled, except the poor ones who remained and given their land back by Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian captain of the guard (39:8-10 9).
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it.[5] Cross reference: 25:1 KJV; 52:1-4 KJV; 24:1-2 KJV
"The ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month" refers to January 587 BCE. 25:1 KJV, and 24:1 KJV provide the date as "the tenth day of the month".
And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.[6] Cross reference: 25:2-4 KJV; 52:5-7 KJV
All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar, Nebusarsechim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of Babylon’s king.[8] The Jerusalem Bible merges the last part of with verse 3:Now when Jerusalem was captured … all the officers of the King of Babylon marched in...[9]
The medieval Jewish commentator Rashi considered the statement "All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate" as the fulfillment of the prophecy, "They shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem" in .[10]
Various language versions have rendered the list of names differently:[11]
| Hebrew | נֵרְגַל שַׂרְ-אֶצֶר סַמְגַּר-נְבוּ שַׂר-סְכִים רַב-סָרִיס נֵרְגַל שַׂרְאֶצֶר רַב-מָג | |
| Hebrew (Romanized) | Nêrəḡal Śar’eṣer Samgar Nəḇū-Śarsəḵîm Raḇsārîs Nêrəḡal Śar’eṣer Raḇmāḡ | |
| Greek | Μαργανασαρ και Σαμαγωθ και Ναβουσαχαρ και Ναβουσαρεις Ναγαργας Νασερραβαμαθ | |
| Vulgate | NEREGEL SERESER SEMEGAR NABV SARSACHIM RABSARES NEREGEL SERESER REBMAG |
So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the plain.[15]
′'But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath; and he passed sentence on him.[19]
Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.[22] Cross references: ;
Jeremiah survived because of his trust to YHWH and together with other people who were left behind by the Babylonians, he could go to his own home (29:11–14 9), under the protection of Gedaliah. Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian who had rescued Jeremiah also survived (29:15–18 9), because he trusted in YHWH. The many topics of these narratives converge to a single persuasion effort that the exiles should submit to Babylon as the only way of life forward.
So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s chief officers;[23] "Rabsaris"; and "Rabmag" are "titles of Babylonian officials" according to the New Oxford Annotated Bible.
then they sent someone to take Jeremiah from the court of the prison, and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he dwelt among the people.[24] According to the court of the prison was located in Ramah, from where Jeremiah was released into the protection of Gedaliah (cf.).