mh_parser/vol_split/24 - Jeremiah/Chapter 39.xml

<div2 id="Jer.xl" n="xl" next="Jer.xli" prev="Jer.xxxix" progress="43.18%" title="Chapter XXXIX">
<h2 id="Jer.xl-p0.1">J E R E M I A H.</h2>
<h3 id="Jer.xl-p0.2">CHAP. XXXIX.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Jer.xl-p1" shownumber="no">As the prophet Isaiah, after he had largely
foretold the deliverance of Jerusalem out of the hands of the king
of Assyria, gave a particular narrative of the story, that it might
appear how exactly the event answered to the prediction, so the
prophet Jeremiah, after he had largely foretold the delivering of
Jerusalem into the hands of the king of Babylon, gives a particular
account of that sad event for the same reason. That melancholy
story we have in this chapter, which serves to disprove the false
flattering prophets and to confirm the word of God's messengers. We
are here told, I. That Jerusalem, after eighteen months' siege, was
taken by the Chaldean army, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.1-Jer.39.3" parsed="|Jer|39|1|39|3" passage="Jer 39:1-3">ver.
1-3</scripRef>. II. That king Zedekiah, attempting to make his
escape, was seized and made a miserable captive to the king of
Babylon, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.4-Jer.39.7" parsed="|Jer|39|4|39|7" passage="Jer 39:4-7">ver. 4-7</scripRef>. III.
That Jerusalem was burnt to the ground, and the people were carried
captive, except the poor, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.8-Jer.39.10" parsed="|Jer|39|8|39|10" passage="Jer 39:8-10">ver.
8-10</scripRef>. IV. That the Chaldeans were very kind to Jeremiah,
and took particular care of him, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.11-Jer.39.14" parsed="|Jer|39|11|39|14" passage="Jer 39:11-14">ver. 11-14</scripRef>. V. That Ebed-melech too, for
his kindness, had a protection from God himself in this day of
desolation, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.15-Jer.39.18" parsed="|Jer|39|15|39|18" passage="Jer 39:15-18">ver.
15-18</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="Jer.xl-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39" parsed="|Jer|39|0|0|0" passage="Jer 39" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Jer.xl-p1.7" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.1-Jer.39.10" parsed="|Jer|39|1|39|10" passage="Jer 39:1-10" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Jer.xl-p1.8">
<h4 id="Jer.xl-p1.9">Jerusalem Taken. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xl-p1.10">b. c.</span> 588.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Jer.xl-p2" shownumber="no">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 <i>And</i>
in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth
<i>day</i> 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, <i>even</i> 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,
<i>that</i> 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.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xl-p3" shownumber="no">We were told, in the close of the foregoing
chapter, that <i>Jeremiah abode patiently in the court of the
prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken.</i> 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.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xl-p4" shownumber="no">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 <i>ninth</i> year
of Zedekiah, <i>in the tenth month</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xl-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.1" parsed="|Jer|39|1|0|0" passage="Jer 39:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>), 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, <i>in the eleventh year, in the fourth month,</i> 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, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.2" parsed="|Jer|39|2|0|0" passage="Jer 39:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>. Jerusalem was so strong a place
that nobody would have believed the enemy could ever enter its
gates, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p4.3" osisRef="Bible:Lam.4.12" parsed="|Lam|4|12|0|0" passage="La 4:12">Lam. iv. 12</scripRef>. But sin
had provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then, like Samson
when his hair was cut, it was weak as other cities.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xl-p5" shownumber="no">II. The princes of the king of Babylon take
possession of the <i>middle gate,</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.3" parsed="|Jer|39|3|0|0" passage="Jer 39:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>. Some think that this was the
same with that which is called the <i>second gate</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xl-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Zeph.1.10" parsed="|Zeph|1|10|0|0" passage="Zep 1:10">Zeph. i. 10</scripRef>), 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 <i>middle gate,</i> 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 <i>Eliakim</i> and
<i>Hilkiah,</i> who bore the name of the God of Israel, used to
sit, now sit <i>Nergal-sharezer,</i> and <i>Samgar-nebo,</i>
&amp;c., who bore the names of the heathen gods. <i>Rab-saris</i>
and <i>Rab-mag</i> are supposed to be not the names of distinct
persons, but the titles of those whose names go before.
<i>Sarsechim</i> was <i>Rab-saris,</i> that is, <i>captain of the
guard;</i> and <i>Nergal-sharezer,</i> to distinguish him from the
other of the same name that is put first, is called
<i>Ram-mag—camp-master,</i> 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
(<scripRef id="Jer.xl-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.1.15" parsed="|Jer|1|15|0|0" passage="Jer 1:15"><i>ch.</i> i. 15</scripRef>), 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.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xl-p6" shownumber="no">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 <i>went out of the
city,</i> under no other protection but that of <i>the night</i>
(<scripRef id="Jer.xl-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.4" parsed="|Jer|39|4|0|0" passage="Jer 39:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>), 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 <i>in the plains of Jericho</i> fell into the
hands of the pursuers, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.5" parsed="|Jer|39|5|0|0" passage="Jer 39:5"><i>v.</i>
5</scripRef>. 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
<i>slew his sons before his eyes,</i> 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: <i>They shall bring forth thy wives and children to the
Chaldeans,</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p6.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.38.23" parsed="|Jer|38|23|0|0" passage="Jer 38:23"><i>ch.</i> xxxviii.
23</scripRef>. 2. He <i>slew all the nobles of Judah</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xl-p6.4" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.6" parsed="|Jer|39|6|0|0" passage="Jer 39:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>), 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 <i>Zedekiah to have his eyes put out</i> (<scripRef id="Jer.xl-p6.5" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.7" parsed="|Jer|39|7|0|0" passage="Jer 39:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>), so condemning
<i>him</i> to darkness for life who had shut his eyes against the
clear light of God's word, and was of those princes who <i>will not
understand,</i> but <i>walk on in darkness,</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p6.6" osisRef="Bible:Ps.82.5" parsed="|Ps|82|5|0|0" passage="Ps 82:5">Ps. lxxxii. 5</scripRef>. 4. He <i>bound him with two
brazen chains or fetters</i> (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, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p6.7" osisRef="Bible:2Kgs.25.4" parsed="|2Kgs|25|4|0|0" passage="2Ki 25:4">2 Kings
xxv. 4</scripRef>, &amp;c.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xl-p7" shownumber="no">IV. Some time afterwards the city was
burnt, temple and palace and all, and the wall of it broken down,
<scripRef id="Jer.xl-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.8" parsed="|Jer|39|8|0|0" passage="Jer 39:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>. "<i>O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem!</i> this comes of <i>killing the
prophets,</i> and <i>stoning those that were sent to thee. O
Zedekiah, Zedekiah!</i> this thou mightest have prevented if thou
wouldst but have taken God's counsel, and yielded in time."</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xl-p8" shownumber="no">V. The people that were left were all
<i>carried away captives to Babylon,</i> <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.9" parsed="|Jer|39|9|0|0" passage="Jer 39:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>. 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 <i>tyrant</i> is originally a Chaldee word, and is
often used for <i>lords</i> 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 <i>the poor of the people,</i>
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 <i>captain of the guard gave them vineyards and
fields at the same time,</i> such as they were never masters of
before, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.10" parsed="|Jer|39|10|0|0" passage="Jer 39:10"><i>v.</i> 10</scripRef>.
Observe here, 1. The wonderful changes of Providence. Some are
abased, others advanced, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p8.3" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.2.5" parsed="|1Sam|2|5|0|0" passage="1Sa 2:5">1 Sam. ii.
5</scripRef>. The <i>hungry are filled with good things, and the
rich sent empty away.</i> The ruin of some proves the rise of
others. Let us therefore in our abundance <i>rejoice as though we
rejoiced not,</i> and in our distresses <i>weep as though we wept
not.</i> 2. The just retributions of 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 <i>verily there is a God that judges in the
earth,</i> even in this world, much more in the other.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Jer.xl-p8.4" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.11-Jer.39.18" parsed="|Jer|39|11|39|18" passage="Jer 39:11-18" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Jer.xl-p8.5">
<h4 id="Jer.xl-p8.6">Jerusalem Released. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xl-p8.7">b. c.</span> 588.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Jer.xl-p9" shownumber="no">11 Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave
charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the
guard, saying,   12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him
no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.   13
So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban,
Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, and all the king of
Babylon's princes;   14 Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out
of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son
of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he
dwelt among the people.   15 Now the word of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xl-p9.1">Lord</span> came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in
the court of the prison, saying,   16 Go and speak to
Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xl-p9.2">Lord</span> 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 <i>accomplished</i> in that day before thee.   17 But
I will deliver thee in that day, saith the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xl-p9.3">Lord</span>: and thou shalt not be given into the hand
of the men of whom thou <i>art</i> afraid.   18 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 thy trust
in me, saith the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jer.xl-p9.4">Lord</span>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xl-p10" shownumber="no">Here we must sing of mercy, as in the
former part of the chapter we sang of judgment, and must sing unto
God of both. We may observe here,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jer.xl-p11" shownumber="no">I. A gracious providence concerning
Jeremiah. When Jerusalem was laid in ruins, and all <i>men's hearts
failed them for fear,</i> then might he <i>lift up his head</i>
with comfort, <i>knowing that his redemption drew nigh,</i> as
Christ's followers when the second destruction of Jerusalem was
hastening on, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Luke.21.28" parsed="|Luke|21|28|0|0" passage="Lu 21:28">Luke xxi. 28</scripRef>.
Nebuchadnezzar had given particular orders that care should be
taken of him, and that he should be in all respects well used,
<scripRef id="Jer.xl-p11.2" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.11-Jer.39.12" parsed="|Jer|39|11|39|12" passage="Jer 39:11,12"><i>v.</i> 11, 12</scripRef>.
Hebuzar-adan and the rest of the king of Babylon's princes observed
these orders, discharged him out of prison, and did every thing to
make him easy, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p11.3" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.13-Jer.39.14" parsed="|Jer|39|13|39|14" passage="Jer 39:13,14"><i>v.</i> 13,
14</scripRef>. Now we may look upon this, 1. As a very generous act
of Nebuchadnezzar, who, though he was a haughty potentate, yet took
cognizance of this poor prophet. Doubtless he had received
information concerning him from the deserters, that he had foretold
the king of Babylon's successes against Judah and other countries,
that he had pressed his prince and people to submit to him, and
that he had suffered very hard things for so doing; and in
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 city was taken, and of the
captains to observe it even in the heat of action, and it is
recorded for imitation. 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> <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p11.4" osisRef="Bible:Jer.15.11" parsed="|Jer|15|11|0|0" passage="Jer 15:11"><i>ch.</i> xv. 11</scripRef>. 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
(<scripRef id="Jer.xl-p11.5" osisRef="Bible:Jer.14.15" parsed="|Jer|14|15|0|0" passage="Jer 14:15"><i>ch.</i> xiv. 15</scripRef>),
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 class="indent" id="Jer.xl-p12" shownumber="no">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, <scripRef id="Jer.xl-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Jer.39.16" parsed="|Jer|39|16|0|0" passage="Jer 39:16"><i>v.</i> 16</scripRef>. 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>
</div></div2>