Jer 39:4-14 | JFB | STEP | 4. the king's garden-- The "gate" to it from the upper, city above was appropriated to the kings alone; stairs" led down from Mount Zion and the palace to the king's garden below ( ). two walls-- Zedekiah might have held the upper city longer, but want of provisions drove him to flee by the double wall south of Zion, towards the plains of Jericho ( ), in order to escape beyond Jordan to Arabia-Deserta. He broke an opening in the wall to get out ( ).

‏ Jeremiah 39:4-14

4. the king's garden--The "gate" to it from the upper, city above was appropriated to the kings alone; stairs" led down from Mount Zion and the palace to the king's garden below (Ne 3:15).

two walls--Zedekiah might have held the upper city longer, but want of provisions drove him to flee by the double wall south of Zion, towards the plains of Jericho (Jr 39:5), in order to escape beyond Jordan to Arabia-Deserta. He broke an opening in the wall to get out (Eze 12:12).

5. Riblah--north of Palestine (see Jr 1:14; Nu 34:11). Hamath is identified by commentators with Antioch, in Syria, on the Orontes, called Epiphania, from Antiochus Epiphanes.

gave judgment upon him--literally, "spake judgments with him," that is, brought him to trial as a common criminal, not as a king. He had violated his oath (Eze 17:13-19; 2Ch 36:13).

6. slew ... sons ... before his eyes--previous to his eyes being "put out" (Jr 39:7); literally, "dug out." The Assyrian sculptures depict the delight with which the kings struck out, often with their own hands, the eyes of captive princes. This passage reconciles Jr 32:4, "his eyes shall behold his eyes"; with Eze 12:13, "he shall not see Babylon, though he shall die there."

slew all ... nobles--(Jr 27:20).

8. burned ... the houses--(Jr 52:12, 13). Not immediately after the taking of the city, but in the month after, namely, the fifth month (compare Jr 39:2). The delay was probably caused by the princes having to send to Riblah to know the king's pleasure as to the city.

9. remnant--excepting the poorest (Jr 39:10), who caused Nebuchadnezzar no apprehensions.

those ... that fell to him--the deserters were distrusted; or they may have been removed at their own request, lest the people should vent their rage on them as traitors, after the departure of the Chaldeans.

rest ... that remained--distinct from the previous "remnant"; there he means the remnant of those besieged in the city, whom Nebuchadnezzar spared; here, those scattered through various districts of the country which had not been besieged [Calvin].

10. left ... the poor ... which had nothing--The poor have least to lose; one of the providential compensations of their lot. They who before had been stripped of their possessions by the wealthier Jews obtain, not only their own, but those of others.

11. Jeremiah's prophecies were known to Nebuchadnezzar through deserters (Jr 39:9; Jr 38:19), also through the Jews carried to Babylon with Jeconiah (compare Jr 40:2). Hence the king's kindness to him.

12. look well to him--Hebrew, "set thine eyes upon him"; provide for his well-being.

13. Nebuzara-dan ... sent--He was then at Ramah (Jr 40:1).

14. Gedaliah--son of Ahikam, the former supporter of Jeremiah (Jr 26:24). Gedaliah was the chief of the deserters to the Chaldeans, and was set over the remnant in Judea as one likely to remain faithful to Nebuchadnezzar. His residence was at Mizpah (Jr 40:5).

home--the house of Gedaliah, wherein Jeremiah might remain as in a safe asylum. As in Jr 40:1 Jeremiah is represented as "bound in chains" when he came to Ramah among the captives to be carried to Babylon, this release of Jeremiah is thought by Maurer to be distinct from that in Jr 40:5, 6. But he seems first to have been released from the court of the prison and to have been taken to Ramah, still in chains, and then committed in freedom to Gedaliah.

dwelt among the people--that is, was made free.