Jeremiah
Chapter
39
{1~~In
the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah {588BC},
in
the tenth month
{Jewish new year started April - so this is our January
and II Kings 25:1 tells us this was actually the 10th day also},
came
{bow' - used to state that this is a fact in history}
Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon
and
all his army against Jerusalem
{means the army came under his directions, the king did not come
himself},
and
they besieged it.
{Chaldeans
take part of Jerusalem}
2~~
And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah {586 BC},
in
the fourth month {July},
the
ninth day of the month {July 9, 586 BC},
the
city was broken into
{baqa` - walls breeched and troops entering city - northern
suburbs middle gate before the middle and southern part of the
city}.
{Chaldeans
plan final assault (while Jewish leaders plan to run away - verse 4)}
{Conference
of General Officers -
Two highest mentioned here - Nergalsharezer and Samgarnebo }
3~~
And all the generals of the king of Babylon came in,
and
'sat with satisfaction' {yashab} at the middle gate . . .
{1}
Nergalsharezer {1st Prince}
and
{2} Samgarnebo {2nd Prince - also known as} Sarsechim . . .
{title}
the 'quartermaster general' {rabsaris}.
Nergalsharezer
the Chief of staff {rabmag}
with
all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon
{divisional commanders, staff officers, branch commanders, etc.
planning assault on the southern part of the city} .
{Note: Nergalsharezer is a capable man. He performed well here as a general and later as the future leader of Chaldea. His title here is 'rabmag'. Mag is for the Magi, which is the name of the group who are the aristocracy of Chaldea (a group of these 'wise men' came to see the baby Jesus). Rab means the leader. The best title for him here in the army would be 'Chief of Staff'. His name in the Greek was Neragliser (sp). We also know that he married a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar and later did rule from 560-556 BC.}
{Note: Samgarnebo is the second general mentioned here. His title is rabsaris. This title means 'chief of the eunuchs'. At one time all eunuchs were castrated - his tile means chief of the castrated ones'. But the title came to mean chief of the trusted ones. So His best title here is 'quartermaster general'. His job is to coordinate the plunder of the city for the interests of King Nebuchadnezzar! He makes sure the king gets his booty! His name means 'god of education be gracious'.}
{The
Army Remnant Run Away and then King Zedekiah}
4~~And
it came to pass
{means a series of related events will follow},
when
Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them
{made a reconnaissance},
and
all the men of war {last large group of Jewish troops},
then
they {the Jewish army} fled,
and
they went forth out of the city by night,
by
the way of the king's garden,
by
the gate between the two walls.
And
he {Zedekiah} went out
the
way of the plain {the plain of Jericho}.
{Note: Per the word order, the army disserted first. Then Zedekiah left . . . RBT says taking his family with him here (though the singular indicates the King).}
5~~But
the Chaldeans' army vigorously pursued after them,
and
overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho.
And
after they had captured/'vigorously seized' him,
they
were caused to bring him up {means a standing order}
to
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
to
{the city of} Riblah in the land of Hamath,
where
he {Nebuchadnezzar}
pronounced
upon him {Zedekiah} judgments {plural}.
{Note: Zedekiah reneged on his oath before Elohiym to Nebuchadnezzar and he has a great deal to say to Zedekiah! ' Woe to the king who has to be rebuked by a heathen king'.}
{Nebuchadnezzar's
Judgments Upon Zedekiah}
6~~
Then the king of Babylon
'kept
on massacring like animals' {shachat - slicing them up}
the
sons of Zedekiah in Riblah
before
his {Zedekiah's} eyes.
Also
the king of Babylon
'massacred
like animals' {shachat - sliced them up}
all
the nobles of Judah {again 'before the eyes of Zedekiah'}.
{Zedekiah
would See Nothing Again - Blinded}
7~~Moreover
he 'dug-out'/'flicked-out' {with the edge of a sword}
Zedekiah's
eyes,
and
bound him with 'brass fetters'/chains {on hands and ankles},
to
caused him to be carried to Babylon.
8~~And
the Chaldeans burned
{totally
destroying} the king's {Zedekiah} palace,
and
the 'luxuriously built' homes of the people
{peoples whose happiness depended on nice things will be
disappointed},
with
fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem
{removing the security of the people}.
{New
Subject - A Chaldean Believer - Nebuzaradan}
9~~And,
the rest of the people
who
had remained in the city
{the remnant/survivors after the siege},
and
the {Jewish} deserters
who
had deserted to him {a second category of captives},
with
the remnant of the people that remained
{third category - the survivors of the other Jewish cities} . . .
Nebuzaradan
the 'Provo Marshall General'/'G2 Commander'
{rabsarbashim - 'Prince of the executioners' - title 2nd Highest in
military}
carried
away captive {one category of people} into Babylon.
{Note: Rabsarbashim is the third title in this chapter. It refers to the 2nd highest officer in Chaldean army. Literally is the prince of the executioners - really is the Provo Marshall General - the G2 (intelligence department) of the Chaldean Army. He is a believer and positive toward the doctrine of Jeremiah. RBT says this happened from Nebuzaradan reading the intelligence reports from the Jews- including the sermons of Jeremiah. He recognized the Truth and believed.}
{Disposition
of One Important Category of Captives}
10~~But
Nebuzaradan
the
Provo Marshall General/G2 Commander
{rabsarbashim - title 2nd Highest in military}
caused
to leave behind {one category of the captives}
in
the land of Judah,
some
people being 'dispossessed' {dal},
unto
whom . . . nothing
and
kept on giving them {indicates this took a bit of time to do so}
vineyards
and fields in that day.
{Note: Dal does mean poverty. But it also means 'dispossessed' into become poor. RBT says we will find out later, that Nebuzaradan knew that these were the only people worthy of being saved. Nebuzaradan will restore the wealth to these people - they stayed loyal to Nebuchadnezzar - and therefore were unjustly persecuted by Zedekiah. These are the mature believers had been positive to God and followed Jeremiah. There people were stabilized and made good citizens so Nebuchadnezzar made them the landed citizens in Judah.}
11-12~~Now
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
gave
charge concerning Jeremiah
to
Nebuzaradan
the
Provo Marshall General/G2 Commander
{rabsarbashim - title 2nd Highest in military }, saying, 12~~
"Seize
him {Jeremiah} from danger,
and
'provide for him well'/'give him VIP treatment'
{Idiom: literally 'put your eyes upon him'},
and
you shall not do any evil {ra} to him.
Even
as he shall tell you, so do unto him."
{Note: Nebuchadnezzar say the intelligence reports that told how Jeremiah was persecuted for always telling Zedekiah NOT to break his word with him. So, here he is giving Jeremiah great care and his own personal freedom.}
{Takes
Organization to Conquer a Nation - See Verse 3 also}
13~~So
Nebuzaradan
the
Provo Marshall General/G2 Commander
{rabsarbashim - title 2nd Highest in military}
sent
{saw to it that the order of the King was fulfilled} {shalach},
Nebushasban {aka Samgarnebo},
the
'quartermaster general' {rabsaris},
and
Nergalsharezer, the Chief of staff {rabmag}
and
all the king of Babylon's princes.
{Note: All of these high-ranking officers are cooperating to see that Jeremiah is freed.}
14~~Even
they {all three top officers} sent,
and
took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison,
and
gave him {Jeremiah}
unto
Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan,
that
he should cause him to go home.
So
he {Jeremiah} 'dwelt in happiness' {yashab}
among
the people.
{Note: There were two sets of prison cells. This was the nice type where the prisoners could sit in the sun. Jeremiah used his balcony to preach to the people.}
{Note: In Jeremiah 26:24 Ahikam was one of the original bible student crowd and rescued Jeremiah from a mob. II Kings 25:22, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah the 'governor of the remnant'.}
{Note: This verse is occurring in the short interlude of happiness. Jerusalem has been taken, but it has not yet been sacked by the Chaldean Army (the method of paying the soldiers in this day - they rape all they want and steal all they can.}
15-16~~Now
the word of the Jehovah/God came unto Jeremiah,
while
he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 16~~
"Go
and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying,
'Thus
said the Jehovah/God of the armies/hosts,
the
Elohiym/Godhead of Israel.
Behold,
I will cause to come My words
{prophecy doctrine taught by Jeremiah}
upon
this city for evil {ra' - 5th cycle of discipline}
and
not for good.
And
they {Jeremiah's words} shall come to pass
in
that day before you.' "
17
"But I will cause you {Ebedmelech}
to
be delivered in that day",
said
the Jehovah/God,
"and
you shall not be given into the hand of the men
of
whom you are 'traditionally afraid' {yagowr}."
{Note: Ebedmelech is an Ethiopian and the Chaldeans do not take Ethiopians prisoners - they kill them immediately. He knows the Chaldeans will break through from Jeremiah so he has been listening to his own doom preached.}
18~~"Preserving
you, I {God} will preserve you {Ebedmelech}
from
the danger
{doubling of 'malat' - complete and full deliverance},
and
you shall not fall by the sword,
and
shall be unto you . . . your very own soul {nephesh} for booty
{idiom: meaning Ebedmelech will carry his own soul in his own
body out of this situation as plunder - and the most important
thing he has is the doctrine resident in his soul so he is a free
and 'wealth' man}.
Because
you have put your trust/confidence in Me,"
said
the Jehovah/God.
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