The fall of Jerusalem is now very close. For years, the sordid details of Judah’s sin have been brought out, and some have already paid the price. And for years the fall of the city was foretold. The final instalment is now due. In this chapter, we have the record of the disaster itself.
There are no less than four Biblical of the Fall of Jerusalem.
1. The one in this chapter, Jeremiah 29.
2. The account in the very last chapter of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 52.
3. In 2 Kings 25.
4. In 2 Chronicles 36.
The length of the siege was just one day short of eighteen months, from January 588 B.C. to July 587 B.C.
After a siege that has lasted the best part of three years, the Babylonian forces eventually find a weak spot. A breach in the city wall has allowed the invaders to take the city by storm, Jeremiah 39:1-2.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The tenth month is called Tebeth in Esther 2:16. It began with the first new moon of our January, and it was on the tenth day of this month that Nebuchadnezzar invested the city. The fourth month in the Hebrew calendar is called Thammuz, and commences with the first new moon of our July. The siege had lasted just eighteen months.’
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, Jeremiah 39:3. The names of these Babylonian officials aren’t of much interest to anybody. Some scholars believe that they are names of titles, not their actual names. You will notice that we have one name repeated, Nergal-Sharezer.
Does that mean that there were two generals of the same name? What difference does it make? Zedekiah is captured whilst trying to escape. So, all that was prophesied about him came to pass, Jeremiah 32:4-5 / Jeremiah 34:4-5 / Nehemiah 12:12-13.
Amidst the commotion and fear, Zedekiah and his officers try to make their escape during the night-time, Jeremiah 39:4.
They left by the way of the king’s garden, Jeremiah 39:4. This was by the Pool of Siloam, where some years later Jesus would heal the blind man, John 9:1-12. Nehemiah 3:15, tells us that the wall of the Pool of Siloam was ‘by the King’s Garden’, and talks about the steps that go down from the city of David.
This is probably where Zedekiah and his officers tried to make their escape. The gate mentioned here, Jeremiah 39:4, is probably the Fountain Gate that Nehemiah mentions in Nehemiah 3:15 / Nehemiah 2:14 / Nehemiah 12:37. The ‘Arabah’, Jeremiah 39:4, was the deep valley of the Jordan, north of the Dead Sea.
Zedekiah was taken to Riblah, Jeremiah 39:5, which was about two hundred miles northeast of Jerusalem. This is evidently where Nebuchadnezzar remained whilst he entrusted the siege of Jerusalem to his army. It was here at Riblah that Nebuchadnezzar had his headquarters where he was fully equipped to destroy his enemies, and where he pronounced sentence on Zedekiah.
The New Bible Dictionary, says the following.
‘This place was a stronghold on the Orontes river, 35 miles north-east of Baalbek, in an area that provided an abundant supply of fuel and food. Pharaoh-Necho II made it his headquarters at the time of the defeat of Jehoahaz; and Nebuchadnezzar made it the base of his operations in the final campaign to destroy Jerusalem in 588-587 B.C.’
It was here at Riblah that Nebuchadnezzar slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes and killed all the nobles of Judah, Jeremiah 39:6. Nebuchadnezzar proceeds to remove Zedekiah’s eyes and bind him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon, Jeremiah 39:7.
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Feinberg tells us that ancient kings liked to perform this act of cruelty, and often did it with their own hands.(F7) The word in the Hebrew from which the verb comes in this place is from a root which means ‘to dig out,’ indicating that the entire eyeball was popped out of the victim’s skull. Another form of blinding was that of bringing a red hot iron to the surface of the eye. What made this especially pitiful to Zedekiah was the fact of his witnessing the execution of his sons and the nobles of Judah as the very last events that he would ever be able to remember seeing.’
The Babylonians now set fire to the palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem, Jeremiah 39:8. It seems strange that the destruction of the temple is not included in Jeremiah 39:8. We know from the last chapter of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 52:13, that ‘they set fire to the temple of the Lord.’ This is a good lesson for us here. We must learn to read all that the Bible says and not question every little detail. We know from the Gospels that each writer wrote what he saw and thus did not include all the details that other writers used.
If you were to ask four witnesses to say what they saw in a road accident, their stories would not be word-for-word identical. In fact, if they were, the police would believe that they had got together beforehand to concoct their evidence.
It was Nebuzaradan, who was a commander of the imperial guard who carried into Babylon the people who remained in the city, those who had gone over to him and the rest of the people, Jeremiah 39:9. Notice that Nebuzaradan didn’t take everyone, he left those who were poor and didn’t own anything and he also gave them vineyards and fields, Jeremiah 39:10.
Here we have a great example of God’s providence. Obviously, Nebuchadnezzar must have been told about Jeremiah’s work and his messages of surrender, which is why he treated him so well, Jeremiah 39:11-12. How ironic it is that his own people imprisoned him and his enemy set him free.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Nebuchadnezzar had heard that this prophet had foretold his capture of the city, and had frequently used all his influence to induce Zedekiah to pay the tribute, and not rebel against him; and on this account would be inclined to show the prophet especial favour.’
Some scholars say that it cannot be true that Jeremiah was taken from the courtyard of the guard, Jeremiah 39:13-14, when Jeremiah 40:1, the next chapter says, that he was bound in chains and, with other captives, taken to Ramah. Once again, we should remember that we are here dealing with a brief summary of events, and we don’t have detailed reports of every activity. Jeremiah’s book would be as big as the Bible itself if we had every little detail.
To answer such questions, we would need details like, when did Nebuchadnezzar’s orders reach his commander in the field? Had Zedekiah’s house already been burnt? Where exactly was Jeremiah when the general got his orders?
Was Jeremiah released twice, once from the courtyard and once from Ramah? Was Jeremiah’s release from the courtyard an official release? Or did he and the other prisoners escape when the palace was destroyed?
We cannot answer these questions, nor do we need such details to understand the story. Why should men living twenty-five centuries after the event want detailed applications of all the mysteries in the Bible? I believe that we should enjoy studying God’s word, having full confidence that His Word is true.
Notice that Jeremiah is entrusted to Gedaliah, Jeremiah 39:14, who was the son of the man who earlier had saved Jeremiah’s life, Jeremiah 26:24. Gedaliah was appointed as governor of defeated Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. He was to govern the poor people who remained in Judah, the people that the Babylonians had left to look after the fields and vineyards. Jeremiah was safe in his hands, it is believed that Gedaliah had control as governor for the next five years.
While Jeremiah was confined in the courtyard of the guard, God spoke to him, Jeremiah 39:15. Jeremiah is to go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, that God is about to fulfil His words against this city, words concerning disaster, not prosperity and they will be fulfilled before Ebed-Melek’s eyes, Jeremiah 39:16.
We read ‘you will not be handed over to those you fear,’ Jeremiah 39:17. The evil officials would have murdered Ebed-Melech if they had had the opportunity but they themselves were destroyed at the command of Nebuchadnezzar.
Many scholars believe that this section should have a comma at the end of Jeremiah 38, but I don’t think it matters whether or not this is in chronological order. After all, much of Jeremiah is not in chronological order. It is, however, important for us to know that because this man believed in Jeremiah, he is classed as putting his trust in God. And what was his reward? When the city eventually falls, his life will be rewarded, Jeremiah 39:18. I suppose we could apply Ebed-Melech’s life to this, his life was saved because he was willing to lose it, Matthew 16:25 / Acts 16:31.
This chapter and chapter 52, give some details of the Fall of Jerusalem. Chapter 52 is regarded as the historical chapter that was added some years after Jeremiah died. Before we move on, let me remind you if you would like to get a better picture of what happened, a more detailed picture of the Fall. To do that, you need to read the Book of Lamentations.
This book is also believed to be written by Jeremiah, who was an eyewitness to the actual fall. Lamentations pictures Jeremiah sitting on a hill, opposite Jerusalem and giving us all the sad details of the fall. I suppose you could call it sad and gory details.