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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1712)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>J E R E M I A H.</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XXXIX.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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As the prophet Isaiah, after he had largely foretold the deliverance of
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Jerusalem out of the hands of the king of Assyria, gave a particular
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narrative of the story, that it might appear how exactly the event
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answered to the prediction, so the prophet Jeremiah, after he had
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largely foretold the delivering of Jerusalem into the hands of the king
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of Babylon, gives a particular account of that sad event for the same
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reason. That melancholy story we have in this chapter, which serves to
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disprove the false flattering prophets and to confirm the word of God's
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messengers. We are here told,
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I. That Jerusalem, after eighteen months' siege, was taken by the
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Chaldean army,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:1-3">ver. 1-3</A>.
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II. That king Zedekiah, attempting to make his escape, was seized and
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made a miserable captive to the king of Babylon,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:4-7">ver. 4-7</A>.
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III. That Jerusalem was burnt to the ground, and the people were
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carried captive, except the poor,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:8-10">ver. 8-10</A>.
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IV. That the Chaldeans were very kind to Jeremiah, and took particular
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care of him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:11-14">ver. 11-14</A>.
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V. That Ebed-melech too, for his kindness, had a protection from God
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himself in this day of desolation,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:15-18">ver. 15-18</A>.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Jer39_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Jerusalem Taken.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 588.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth
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month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army
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against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
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2 <I>And</I> in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month,
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the ninth <I>day</I> of the month, the city was broken up.
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3 And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat
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in the middle gate, <I>even</I> Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim,
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Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the residue of the
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princes of the king of Babylon.
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4 And it came to pass, <I>that</I> when Zedekiah the king of Judah
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saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth
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out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the
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gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.
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5 But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook
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Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him,
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they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah
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in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.
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6 Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah
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before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of
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Judah.
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7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with
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chains, to carry him to Babylon.
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8 And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of
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the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.
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9 Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away
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captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in
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the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the
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rest of the people that remained.
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10 But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left of the poor of
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the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave
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them vineyards and fields at the same time.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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We were told, in the close of the foregoing chapter, that <I>Jeremiah
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abode patiently in the court of the prison, until the day that
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Jerusalem was taken.</I> He gave the princes no further disturbance by
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his prophesying, nor they him by their persecutions; for he had no more
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to say than what he had said, and, the siege being carried on briskly,
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God found them other work to do. See here what it came to.</P>
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<P>
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I. The city is at length taken by storm; for how could it hold out when
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God himself fought against it? Nebuchadnezzar's army sat down before it
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in the <I>ninth</I> year of Zedekiah, <I>in the tenth month</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:1"><I>v.</I> 1</A>),
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in the depth of winter. Nebuchadnezzar himself soon after retired to
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take his pleasure, and left his generals to carry on the siege: they
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intermitted it awhile, but soon renewed it with redoubled force and
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vigour. At length, <I>in the eleventh year, in the fourth month,</I>
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about midsummer, they entered the city, the soldiers being so weakened
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by famine, and all their provisions being now spent, that they were not
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able to make any resistance,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>.
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Jerusalem was so strong a place that nobody would have believed the
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enemy could ever enter its gates,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=La+4:12">Lam. iv. 12</A>.
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But sin had provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then, like
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Samson when his hair was cut, it was weak as other cities.</P>
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<P>
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II. The princes of the king of Babylon take possession of the <I>middle
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gate,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>.
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Some think that this was the same with that which is called the
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<I>second gate</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Zep+1:10">Zeph. i. 10</A>),
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which is supposed to be in the middle wall that divided between one
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part of the city and the other. Here they cautiously made a half, and
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durst not go forward into so large a city, among men that perhaps would
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sell their lives as dearly as they could, until they had given
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directions for the searching of all places, that they might not be
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surprised by any ambush. They sat in the <I>middle gate,</I> thence to
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take a view of the city and give orders. The princes are here named,
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rough and uncouth names they are, to intimate what a sad change sin had
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made; there, where <I>Eliakim</I> and <I>Hilkiah,</I> who bore the name
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of the God of Israel, used to sit, now sit <I>Nergal-sharezer,</I> and
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<I>Samgar-nebo,</I> &c., who bore the names of the heathen gods.
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<I>Rab-saris</I> and <I>Rab-mag</I> are supposed to be not the names of
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distinct persons, but the titles of those whose names go before.
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<I>Sarsechim</I> was <I>Rab-saris,</I> that is, <I>captain of the
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guard;</I> and <I>Nergal-sharezer,</I> to distinguish him from the
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other of the same name that is put first, is called
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<I>Ram-mag--camp-master,</I> either muster-master or quarter-master:
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these and the other great generals sat in the gate. And now was
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fulfilled what Jeremiah prophesied long since
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+1:15"><I>ch.</I> i. 15</A>),
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that the families of the kingdoms of the north should set every one his
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throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem. Justly do the princes
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of the heathen set up themselves there, where the gods of the heathen
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had been so often set up.</P>
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<P>
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III. Zedekiah, having in disguise perhaps seen the princes of the king
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of Babylon take possession of one of the gates of the city, thought it
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high time to shift for his own safety, and, loaded with guilt and fear,
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he <I>went out of the city,</I> under no other protection but that of
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<I>the night</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:4"><I>v.</I> 4</A>),
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which soon failed him, for he was discovered, pursued, and overtaken.
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Though he made the best of his way, he could make nothing of it, could
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not get forward, but <I>in the plains of Jericho</I> fell into the
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hands of the pursuers,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>.
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Thence he was brought prisoner to Riblah, where the king of Babylon
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passed sentence upon him as a rebel, not sentence of death, but, one
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many almost say, a worse thing. For,
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1. He <I>slew his sons before his eyes,</I> and they must all be
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little, some of them infants, for Zedekiah himself was now but
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thirty-two years of age. The death of these sweet babes must needs be
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so many deaths to himself, especially when he considered that his own
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obstinacy was the cause of it, for he was particularly told of this
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thing: <I>They shall bring forth thy wives and children to the
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Chaldeans,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+38:23"><I>ch.</I> xxxviii. 23</A>.
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2. He <I>slew all the nobles of Judah</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>),
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probably not those princes of Jerusalem who had advised him to this
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desperate course (it would be a satisfaction to him to see them cut
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off), but the great men of the country, who were innocent of the
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matter.
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3. He ordered <I>Zedekiah to have his eyes put out</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>),
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so condemning <I>him</I> to darkness for life who had shut his eyes
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against the clear light of God's word, and was of those princes who
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<I>will not understand,</I> but <I>walk on in darkness,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+82:5">Ps. lxxxii. 5</A>.
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4. He <I>bound him with two brazen chains or fetters</I> (so the margin
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reads it), to carry him away to Babylon, there to spend the rest of his
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days in misery. All this sad story we had before,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+25:4">2 Kings xxv. 4</A>,
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&c.</P>
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<P>
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IV. Some time afterwards the city was burnt, temple and palace and all,
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and the wall of it broken down,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:8"><I>v.</I> 8</A>.
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"<I>O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!</I> this comes of <I>killing the
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prophets,</I> and <I>stoning those that were sent to thee. O Zedekiah,
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Zedekiah!</I> this thou mightest have prevented if thou wouldst but
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have taken God's counsel, and yielded in time."</P>
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<P>
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V. The people that were left were all <I>carried away captives to
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Babylon,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>.
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Now they must bid a final farewell to the land of their nativity, that
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pleasant land, and to all their possessions and enjoyments in it, must
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be driven some hundreds of miles, like beasts, before the conquerors,
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that were now their cruel masters, must lie at their mercy in a strange
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land, and be servants to those who would be sure to rule them with
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rigour. The word <I>tyrant</I> is originally a Chaldee word, and is
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often used for <I>lords</I> by the Chaldee paraphrast, as if the
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Chaldeans, when they were lords, tyrannized more than any other: we
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have reason to think that the poor Jews had reason to say so. Some few
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were left behind, but they were <I>the poor of the people,</I> that had
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nothing to lose, and therefore never made any resistance. And they not
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only had their liberty, and were left to tarry at home, but the
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<I>captain of the guard gave them vineyards and fields at the same
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time,</I> such as they were never masters of before,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>.
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Observe here,
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1. The wonderful changes of Providence. Some are abased, others
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advanced,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Sa+2:5">1 Sam. ii. 5</A>.
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The <I>hungry are filled with good things, and the rich sent empty
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away.</I> The ruin of some proves the rise of others. Let us therefore
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in our abundance <I>rejoice as though we rejoiced not,</I> and in our
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distresses <I>weep as though we wept not.</I>
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2. The just retributions or Providence. The rich had been proud
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oppressors, and now they were justly punished for their injustice; the
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poor had been patient sufferers, and now they were graciously rewarded
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for their patience and amends made them for all their losses; for
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<I>verily there is a God that judges in the earth,</I> even in this
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world, much more in the other.</P>
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<A NAME="Jer39_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_14"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_15"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_16"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_17"> </A>
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<A NAME="Jer39_18"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Jerusalem Released.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 588.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>11 Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning
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Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying,
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12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do
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unto him even as he shall say unto thee.
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13 So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and
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Nebushasban, Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, and all the
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king of Babylon's princes;
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14 Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the
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prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son
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of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the
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people.
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15 Now the word of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> came unto Jeremiah, while he was
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shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
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16 Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith
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the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my
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words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall
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be <I>accomplished</I> in that day before thee.
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17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>: and
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thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou
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<I>art</I> afraid.
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18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by
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the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because
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thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Here we must sing of mercy, as in the former part of the chapter we
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sang of judgment, and must sing unto God of both. We may observe
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here,</P>
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<P>
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I. A gracious providence concerning Jeremiah. When Jerusalem was laid
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in ruins, and all <I>men's hearts failed them for fear,</I> then might
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he <I>lift up his head</I> with comfort, <I>knowing that his redemption
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drew nigh,</I> as Christ's followers when the second destruction of
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Jerusalem was hastening on,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Lu+21:28">Luke xxi. 28</A>.
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Nebuchadnezzar had given particular orders that care should be taken of
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him, and that he should be in all respects well used,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:11,12"><I>v.</I> 11, 12</A>.
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Hebuzar-adan and the rest of the king of Babylon's princes observed
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these orders, discharged him out of prison, and did every thing to make
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him easy,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:13,14"><I>v.</I> 13, 14</A>.
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Now we may look upon this,
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1. As a very generous act of Nebuchadnezzar, who, though he was a
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haughty potentate, yet took cognizance of this poor prophet. Doubtless
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he had received information concerning him from the deserters, that he
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had foretold the king of Babylon's successes against Judah and other
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countries, that he had pressed his prince and people to submit to him,
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and that he had suffered very hard things for so doing; and in
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|
consideration of all this (though perhaps he might have heard also that
|
|
he had foretold the destruction of Babylon at length) he gave him these
|
|
extraordinary marks of his favour. Note, It is the character of a great
|
|
soul to take notice of the services and sufferings of the meanest. It
|
|
was honourably done of the king to give this charge even before the
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|
city was taken, and of the captains to observe it even in the heat of
|
|
action, and it is recorded for imitation.
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|
|
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2. As a reproach to Zedekiah and the princes of Israel. They put him
|
|
in prison, and the king of Babylon and his princes took him out. God's
|
|
people and ministers have often found fairer and kinder usage among
|
|
strangers and infidels than among those that call themselves of the
|
|
holy city. Paul found more favour and justice with king Agrippa than
|
|
with Ananias the high priest.
|
|
|
|
3. As the performance of God's promise to Jeremiah, in recompence for
|
|
his services. <I>I will cause the enemy to treat thee well in the day
|
|
of evil,</I>
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+15:11"><I>ch.</I> xv. 11</A>.
|
|
|
|
Jeremiah had been faithful to his trust as a prophet, and now God
|
|
approves himself faithful to him and the promise he had made him. Now
|
|
he is comforted according to the time wherein he had been afflicted,
|
|
and sees thousands fall on each hand and himself safe. The false
|
|
prophets fell by those judgments which they said should never come
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+14:15"><I>ch.</I> xiv. 15</A>),
|
|
|
|
which made their misery the more terrible to them. The true prophet
|
|
escaped those judgments which he said would come, and that made his
|
|
escape the more comfortable to him. The same that were the instruments
|
|
of punishing the persecutors were the instruments of relieving the
|
|
persecuted; and Jeremiah thought never the worse of his deliverance for
|
|
its coming by the hand of the king of Babylon, but saw the more of the
|
|
hand of God in it. A fuller account of this matter we shall meet with
|
|
in the next chapter.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
II. A gracious message to Ebed-melech, to assure him of a recompence
|
|
for his kindness to Jeremiah. This message was sent to him by Jeremiah
|
|
himself, who, when he returned him thanks for his kindness to him, thus
|
|
turned him over to God to be his paymaster. He relieved <I>a prophet in
|
|
the name of a prophet,</I> and thus he had <I>a prophet's reward.</I>
|
|
This message was delivered to him immediately after he had done that
|
|
kindness to Jeremiah, but it is mentioned here after the taking of the
|
|
city, to show that, as God was kind to Jeremiah at that time, so he was
|
|
to Ebed-melech for his sake; and it was a token of special favour to
|
|
both, and they ought so to account it, that they were not involved in
|
|
any of the common calamities. Jeremiah is directed to tell him,
|
|
|
|
1. That God would certainly bring upon Jerusalem the ruin that had been
|
|
long and often threatened; and, for his further satisfaction in having
|
|
been kind to Jeremiah, he should see him abundantly proved a true
|
|
prophet,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+39:16"><I>v.</I> 16</A>.
|
|
|
|
2. That God took notice of the fear he had of the judgments coming.
|
|
Though he was bravely bold in the service of God, yet he was afraid of
|
|
the rod of God. The enemies were <I>men of whom he was afraid,</I>
|
|
Note, God knows how to adapt and accommodate his comforts to the fears
|
|
and griefs of his people, for he <I>knows their souls in adversity.</I>
|
|
|
|
3. That he shall be delivered from having a share in the common
|
|
calamity: <I>I will deliver thee; I will surely deliver thee.</I> He
|
|
had been instrumental to deliver God's prophet out of the dungeon, and
|
|
now God promises to deliver him; for he will be behind-hand with none
|
|
for any service they do, directly or indirectly, for his name: "Thou
|
|
has saved Jeremiah's life, that was precious to thee, and therefore
|
|
<I>thy life shall be given thee for a prey.</I>"
|
|
|
|
4. The reason given for this distinguishing favour which God had in
|
|
store for him is <I>because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the
|
|
Lord.</I> God, in recompensing men's services, has an eye to the
|
|
principle they go upon in those services, and rewards according to
|
|
those principles; and there is no principle of obedience that will be
|
|
more acceptable to God, nor have a greater influence upon us, than a
|
|
believing confidence in God. Ebed-melech trusted in God that he would
|
|
own him, and stand by him, and then he was not afraid of the face of
|
|
man. And those who trust God, as this good man did, in the way of duty,
|
|
will find that their hope shall not make them ashamed in times of the
|
|
greatest danger.</P>
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|
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