Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Jeremiah 39:5

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Jeremiah 39:5. To Riblah — This city was situated on the northern frontier of Palestine, and Hamath was a large city belonging also to Syria. See Genesis 10:18.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

The fall of Jerusalem (39:1-18)

After eighteen months of siege, the Babylonian armies finally broke through the walls of Jerusalem (39:1-2). Zedekiah tried to escape by night, but was quickly captured and brought face to face with the king of Babylon, as Jeremiah foretold. Although he was not executed, Zedekiah suffered cruel treatment before being taken captive to Babylon (3-7; cf. 34:2-3). The Babylonians then burnt Jerusalem, destroyed the city walls and took the citizens into captivity. They left behind only the poorest of the people, who were of no use to them (8-10).
God protected his servant Jeremiah through the enemy invasion, as he had promised (cf. 1:8). The Babylonians released him from imprisonment and placed him in the care of Gedaliah, the son of Jeremiah’s friend Ahikam (11-14; cf. 26:24). God also protected the African who saved Jeremiah’s life. Through Jeremiah, God assured the man that he would be safe from both the Judean rulers and the enemy soldiers (15-18; cf. 38:8-9).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE CAPTURE OF ZEDEKIAH

"And it came to pass that, when Zedekiah, the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, through the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out toward the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon to Riblab in the land of Hamath; and he gave judgment upon him."

"When the king… and the men of war… saw them" The word "saw" in this passage simply means, "when they perceived, or understood, what had happened." One often hears a blind person say, "we went and saw" this or that. A similar usage is found here. We may be certain that the king fled the city as soon as he definitely knew that Nebuchadrezzar's army had entered it. Nothing certain is known about the exact location of the king's garden, or the gate by which he escaped, nor can we trace the route of his departure.

"Nebuchadrezzar at Riblah in the land of Hamath" "This place was a stronghold on the Orontes river, 35 miles north-east of Baalbeck, 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."The New Bible Dictionary, p. 1096. This place was about 200 miles north and east of Jerusalem; but Nebuchadnezzar remained there and entrusted the siege of Jerusalem to his military subordinates.

At Riblah, Nebuchadnezzar was fully equipped for his murderous business of executing all of his enemies. Here he gave judgment against Zedekiah.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Compare the marginal reference. The differences between the two accounts are slight.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

The Chaldeans pursued the fugitive king, no doubt, through a hidden impulse from above. It is, indeed, probable that he was betrayed by his own people; and this often happens in a disturbed state of things; but however, he might have escaped, had he not been given up by the hand of God. These things are therefore narrated, that we may know that the ungodly, by their evasions, gain no other thing than really to acknowledge that God is true ill his threatenings as well as in his promises. They believe not his word, it is therefore necessary that they should be convinced by actual experience. Zedekiah then is here set before us as an example, so that we may know that as soon as God announces any calamity, we ought to tremble and to humble ourselves under his mighty hand, for he holds us on every side completely shut up, so that if hiding places and refuges be open before us, they can yet avail us nothing.

The Prophet then tells us, that he was taken in the deserts of Jericho This circumstance also is important, for he had gone forth beyond the sight of men, even into solitude; for that plain was not so fruitful as to support many inhabitants, but it was as it were a desert. It is then a wonder how the Chaldeans found him in that solitude, but they had God, as it were, as their guide. Hence then it was, that Zedekiah fell into the hands of the Chaldean army. The Prophet adds, that they brought him into Riblah, which is thought to have been Antioch. It is also called Hemath; but this name designated the country and not the city. And yet in Amos 6:2, it means the city, when it is said,

“Go to Calneh, go to Hemath the great.”

But it may be, that the dignity of the city was the reason why the country was so called; and no doubt Pliny, in his fifth book, calls that part of Syria Antiochean; and as to what he says shortly before, that Antioch was that part of Syria toward Cilicia, that place seems to me to have been corrupted. I rather read thus, that it was a part of Syria, for, as I have said, he calls it Antiochean. And it was not unsuitable that the city should be called Hemath and Riblah, and that the name of the city should be given to the country. Interpreters indeed agree, that Riblah was Antioch. Jerome says, that in his day, the first station towards Chaldea still retained its ancient name, though, by changing some letters, they called it Emmaus. But he doubts not but it was Antioch, which was formerly called Epidaphne, and had also the name of Hemath. There then Zedekiah was brought to Nebuchadnezzar, who spoke judgments with him, that is, who brought him as a criminal before his tribunal, that he might pronounce sentence upon him; for to speak judgments means the same as to minister justice or to pass judgment.

Now this was very inconsistent with royal dignity, for though, as a conqueror, he was angry with his enemy, he might yet have been content with his death alone. Kings are not wont to deal in this way with kings, for they respect themselves, and are not disposed to degrade royal dignity. But Jeremiah says, that Zedekiah was by no means dealt with royally; for he was constrained to plead guilty, and was condemned by a solemn sentence. Then to speak judgments is the same as what we call in French former proces criminel. And this indignity increased the weight of his calamity and his punishment; for Zedekiah not only had to bear many reproaches, while the king of Babylon expostu-lated with him, but he was also brought to judgment, so that punishment, according to the common practice, was allotted to him. For Nebuchadnezzar had made him king, and imposed tribute on him. He therefore condemned him as guilty of perfidy and perjury. This is the degradation which the Prophet points out, when he says, that he spoke judgments with him, or acted towards him judicially; and he repeats the same expression in the last chapter. It follows —

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 39

Now in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and began their siege. And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month ( Jeremiah 39:1-2 ),

Or sixteen months later.

the ninth day of the month, the city was destroyed ( Jeremiah 39:2 ).

They were under siege for sixteen months. When the disease began to ravage the city, the pestilence, many died from the disease. Famine began to grip them. Many died of starvation. It was sixteen months of horror. And then the walls were broken down. The Babylonian army came in with the sword and began to slay the people.

And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, [and the names of these] princes of the king of Babylon. And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they 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 went out the way of the plain ( Jeremiah 39:3-4 ).

So Zedekiah tried to escape. Seeing that all was lost, he, with some of his men, sought to escape. Now there are some legends that he escaped through what is known as Solomon's Quarries. And there are some stories, though unconfirmed, that Solomon's Quarries go for several miles and have an exit out in the Judaean wilderness. That has never been confirmed, but there are persisting stories that this indeed is so. However it was, Zedekiah did try to escape going down towards Jericho.

But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho ( Jeremiah 39:5 ):

Some seventeen, eighteen miles from Jerusalem.

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 ( Jeremiah 39:5 ).

So they brought him to Nebuchadnezzar. Now Nebuchadnezzar had set him up as the king. He was a vassal king under Nebuchadnezzar. Now, of course, he had rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar so now Nebuchadnezzar pronounced his judgments.

So 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. Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon ( Jeremiah 39:6-7 ).

So the tragic end of Zedekiah. He watched his children being slain by the Babylonians. Watched them slay his nobles. All of this could have been averted. Jeremiah said, "If you'll just surrender, your family will be saved." The man would not hearken to the Word of the Lord. He was rebelling against God's warnings. And thus, what God declared did happen.

Now there was an interesting prophecy concerning Zedekiah that he would go to Babylon but not see it. Of course, it says, "Thou shalt not see Babylon." That prophecy, interestingly enough, was fulfilled. People thought that they were saying, you know, "You won't go to Babylon." But the prophecy says, "You won't see Babylon." He went to Babylon, but Nebuchadnezzar had put out his eyes so he never saw it.

And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem ( Jeremiah 39:8 ).

It is very interesting that at the present time, an archaeologist, Dr. Shiloh, is excavating now the ruins of Jerusalem at the time of Jeremiah when Zedekiah was the king, those ruins that were destroyed by the Babylonian army. They were actually uncovering the very houses that were destroyed by this siege. And they find the houses, like the scripture says, burned with fire. They find the walls broken down and the rubble within. And when they came back from the seventy years of Babylonian exile, they did not rebuild the old houses but just covered them over and built on top of them. So the old houses are still lying as they are digging now, lying in ruins. The walls broken in, signs of the fire and so forth, and the archaeologist's spade under the direction of Dr. Shiloh is graphically proving the story that we are reading tonight here in Jeremiah.

And you maybe read the little flap lately about the rabbis, the orthodox rabbis in Israel who were objecting to the diggings that are going on saying that they were digging in a graveyard. And on the news the other night they showed the police chasing some of these guys with the curls, the orthodox and radicals from the site of the excavations where Dr. Shiloh is excavating. This is the very spot. He is excavating now the very houses that were destroyed by the Babylonian army.

The interesting thing, that as they are uncovering these houses, they are finding in each of these houses multitudes of little gods, idols. The very thing for which God said His judgment was coming upon the people because they had turned to him and were worshipping idols. And they are uncovering just troves of these idols in these little... and the houses that they are uncovering now there in Jerusalem. I talked with Dr. Shiloh concerning these excavations. Hope to visit the sites when I take the pastors over to Israel in December and then again when we go in February with you that would like to go to Israel with us.

So God's Word came to pass. "The Chaldeans burned the king's house." Of course, they're looking for the palace now. They haven't found it yet. "The houses of the people, with fire, they broke down the walls of Jerusalem."

Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away the captives into Babylon the remaining of the people that remained in the city [the remnant that remained], and those that had fallen away, that fell to him, and the rest of the people that remained. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and he gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him, and treat him well, don't do him any harm; but do unto him whatever he asks you ( Jeremiah 39:9-12 ).

Now Nebuchadnezzar was aware that Jeremiah was telling these people to surrender. He was aware that he was speaking God's truth to the people, so Nebuchadnezzar gave an order, he said, "Treat him well. Let him do whatever he wants. If he wants to come to Babylon, we'll set him up in a nice home. We'll take care of him there. If he wants to stay in the land, let him remain in the land. Let him do whatever he wants, but treat him right."

So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and [these other princes], they took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he would carry him home: so he dwelt among the people ( Jeremiah 39:13-14 ).

Actually, he had been taken already in chains, but they came and they got him and brought him back.

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian ( Jeremiah 39:15-16 ),

Remember this is the guy that lifted him out of the miry mud, the mire in the bottom of that dungeon. "Go 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. 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. 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 your trust in me, saith the LORD ( Jeremiah 39:16-18 ).

So here was this Ethiopian eunuch who had helped Jeremiah out of that pit, dungeon, and Jeremiah went to him and said, "Look, the Lord says that you don't have to be afraid of the Babylonians. Your life is going to be spared because you put your trust in the Lord." So his life indeed was spared.

"

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The fall of Jerusalem 39:1-10

What Jeremiah had predicted for so long finally became a reality for Judah. There are four chapters in the Bible that record the fall of Jerusalem, reflecting the importance of this event (39; 52; 2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36).

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The Chaldean soldiers spotted Zedekiah fleeing and finally caught up with him in the plains near Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar, who was at Riblah, an ancient city located on a highway between Egypt and Mesopotamia on the Orontes River in central Aramea (cf. 2 Kings 23:33). Riblah stood about 50 miles south of Hamath and 65 miles north of Damascus. There Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on his rebellious vassal. Nebuchadnezzar evidently did not personally participate in the siege of Jerusalem; his headquarters during this campaign was at Riblah.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

But the Chaldean army pursued after them,.... Being informed of the flight of them, by those who surrendered to them, as Josephus says; or not finding the king, his family, nobles, and guards, at the palace, where they expected them; and, knowing which way they must take, pursued after them; not the whole army, only a part of it; for some must remain at Jerusalem to demolish the city, and take the spoil of it:

and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; not far from it, as Josephus says; and who also observes, that when his friends and generals saw the enemy near, they left him, and shifted for themselves, and only a few were with him when overtook:

and when they had taken him they brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath: which is generally thought to be Antioch in Syria; whither he had retired from the siege of Jerusalem, having left it to his generals to refresh himself in this pleasant place, as it seems it was; or that he might be nearer his own kingdom, if any troubles should arise in it during his absence; however, here he was, and here the army brought Zedekiah to him, and those they took with him; which must be very agreeable to the king of Babylon to have this perfidious and ungrateful prince in his power:

where he gave judgment upon him: or passed sentence on him, which was to have his eyes put out: or, "spake judgments with him" i; he severely chide him, and upbraided him for the injury he had done him; the perfidy he had been guilty of in breaking his oath and covenant. So Josephus says,

"after he came to him, Nebuchadnezzar began to call him a wicked man and a covenant breaker, unmindful of promises he had made to preserve the country for him; he reproached him with ingratitude, in receiving the kingdom from him he had taken from Jehoiakim, and given to him, who had used his power against the giver; but, says he, the great God that hates thy manners has put thee into our hands.''

i וידבר אתו משפטים "et locutus est cum eo, [vel] ipso judicia", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Schmidt.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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.   2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.   3 And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.   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.   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.   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.   7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.   8 And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.   9 Then Nebuzar-adan 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.   10 But Nebuzar-adan 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.

      We were told, in the close of the foregoing chapter, that Jeremiah abode patiently in the court of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken. He gave the princes no further disturbance by his prophesying, nor they him by their persecutions; for he had no more to say than what he had said, and, the siege being carried on briskly, God found them other work to do. See here what it came to.

      I. The city is at length taken by storm; for how could it hold out when God himself fought against it? Nebuchadnezzar's army sat down before it in the ninth year of Zedekiah, in the tenth month (Jeremiah 39:1; Jeremiah 39:1), in the depth of winter. Nebuchadnezzar himself soon after retired to take his pleasure, and left his generals to carry on the siege: they intermitted it awhile, but soon renewed it with redoubled force and vigour. At length, in the eleventh year, in the fourth month, about midsummer, they entered the city, the soldiers being so weakened by famine, and all their provisions being now spent, that they were not able to make any resistance, Jeremiah 39:2; Jeremiah 39:2. Jerusalem was so strong a place that nobody would have believed the enemy could ever enter its gates, Lamentations 4:12. But sin had provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then, like Samson when his hair was cut, it was weak as other cities.

      II. The princes of the king of Babylon take possession of the middle gate,Jeremiah 39:3; Jeremiah 39:3. Some think that this was the same with that which is called the second gate (Zephaniah 1:10), which is supposed to be in the middle wall that divided between one part of the city and the other. Here they cautiously made a half, and durst not go forward into so large a city, among men that perhaps would sell their lives as dearly as they could, until they had given directions for the searching of all places, that they might not be surprised by any ambush. They sat in the middle gate, thence to take a view of the city and give orders. The princes are here named, rough and uncouth names they are, to intimate what a sad change sin had made; there, where Eliakim and Hilkiah, who bore the name of the God of Israel, used to sit, now sit Nergal-sharezer, and Samgar-nebo, c., who bore the names of the heathen gods. Rab-saris and Rab-mag are supposed to be not the names of distinct persons, but the titles of those whose names go before. Sarsechim was Rab-saris, that is, captain of the guard and Nergal-sharezer, to distinguish him from the other of the same name that is put first, is called Ram-mag--camp-master, either muster-master or quarter-master: these and the other great generals sat in the gate. And now was fulfilled what Jeremiah prophesied long since (Jeremiah 1:15; Jeremiah 1:15), that the families of the kingdoms of the north should set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem. Justly do the princes of the heathen set up themselves there, where the gods of the heathen had been so often set up.

      III. Zedekiah, having in disguise perhaps seen the princes of the king of Babylon take possession of one of the gates of the city, thought it high time to shift for his own safety, and, loaded with guilt and fear, he went out of the city, under no other protection but that of the night (Jeremiah 39:4; Jeremiah 39:4), which soon failed him, for he was discovered, pursued, and overtaken. Though he made the best of his way, he could make nothing of it, could not get forward, but in the plains of Jericho fell into the hands of the pursuers, Jeremiah 39:5; Jeremiah 39:5. Thence he was brought prisoner to Riblah, where the king of Babylon passed sentence upon him as a rebel, not sentence of death, but, one many almost say, a worse thing. For, 1. He slew his sons before his eyes, and they must all be little, some of them infants, for Zedekiah himself was now but thirty-two years of age. The death of these sweet babes must needs be so many deaths to himself, especially when he considered that his own obstinacy was the cause of it, for he was particularly told of this thing: They shall bring forth thy wives and children to the Chaldeans,Jeremiah 38:23; Jeremiah 38:23. 2. He slew all the nobles of Judah (Jeremiah 39:6; Jeremiah 39:6), probably not those princes of Jerusalem who had advised him to this desperate course (it would be a satisfaction to him to see them cut off), but the great men of the country, who were innocent of the matter. 3. He ordered Zedekiah to have his eyes put out (Jeremiah 39:7; Jeremiah 39:7), so condemning him to darkness for life who had shut his eyes against the clear light of God's word, and was of those princes who will not understand, but walk on in darkness,Psalms 82:5. 4. He bound him with two brazen chains or fetters (so the margin reads it), to carry him away to Babylon, there to spend the rest of his days in misery. All this sad story we had before, 2 Kings 25:4, c.

      IV. Some time afterwards the city was burnt, temple and palace and all, and the wall of it broken down, Jeremiah 39:8; Jeremiah 39:8. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! this comes of killing the prophets, and stoning those that were sent to thee. O Zedekiah, Zedekiah! this thou mightest have prevented if thou wouldst but have taken God's counsel, and yielded in time."

      V. The people that were left were all carried away captives to Babylon,Jeremiah 39:9; Jeremiah 39:9. Now they must bid a final farewell to the land of their nativity, that pleasant land, and to all their possessions and enjoyments in it, must be driven some hundreds of miles, like beasts, before the conquerors, that were now their cruel masters, must lie at their mercy in a strange land, and be servants to those who would be sure to rule them with rigour. The word tyrant is originally a Chaldee word, and is often used for lords by the Chaldee paraphrast, as if the Chaldeans, when they were lords, tyrannized more than any other: we have reason to think that the poor Jews had reason to say so. Some few were left behind, but they were the poor of the people, that had nothing to lose, and therefore never made any resistance. And they not only had their liberty, and were left to tarry at home, but the captain of the guard gave them vineyards and fields at the same time, such as they were never masters of before, Jeremiah 39:10; Jeremiah 39:10. Observe here, 1. The wonderful changes of Providence. Some are abased, others advanced, 1 Samuel 2:5. The hungry are filled with good things, and the rich sent empty away. The ruin of some proves the rise of others. Let us therefore in our abundance rejoice as though we rejoiced not, and in our distresses weep as though we wept not. 2. The just retributions or Providence. The rich had been proud oppressors, and now they were justly punished for their injustice; the poor had been patient sufferers, and now they were graciously rewarded for their patience and amends made them for all their losses; for verily there is a God that judges in the earth, even in this world, much more in the other.