Jeremias 39

1 The word that came from the Lord to Jeremias in the tenth year of king Sedekias, this is the eighteenth year of king Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon.
2 And the host of the king of Babylon had made a rampart against Jerusalem: and Jeremias was kept in the court of the prison, which is in the king's house;
3 in which king Sedekias shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;
4 and Sedekias shall by no means be delivered out of the hand of the Chaldeans, for he shall certainly be given up into the hands of the king of Babylon, and his mouth shall speak to his mouth, and his eyes shall look upon his eyes;
5 and Sedekias shall go into Babylon, and dwell there?
6 AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO JEREMIAS, SAYING,
7 Behold, Anameel the son of Salom thy father's brother is coming to thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for thou the right to take as a purchase.
8 So Anameel the son of Salom my father's brother came to me into the court of the prison, and said, Buy thee my field that is in the land of Benjamin, in Anathoth: for thou a right to buy it, and thou art the elder. So I knew that it was the word of the Lord.
9 And I bought the field of Anameel the son of my father's brother, and I weighed him seventeen shekels of silver.
10 And I wrote in a book, and sealed , and took the testimony of witnesses, and weighed the money in the balance.
11 And I took the book of the purchase that was sealed;
12 and I gave it to Baruch son of Nerias, son of Maasaeas, in the sight of Anameel my father's brother's son, and in the sight of the men that stood by and wrote in the book of the purchase, and in the sight of the Jews that were in the court of the prison.
13 And I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, Thus saith the Lord Almighty;
14 Take this book of the purchase, and the book that has been read; and thou shalt put it into an earthen vessel, that it may remain many days.
15 For thus saith the Lord; There shall yet be bought fields and houses and vineyards in this land.
16 And I prayed to the Lord after I had given the book of the purchase to Baruch the son of Nerias, saying,
17 O living Lord! thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power, and with thy high and lofty arm: nothing can be hidden from thee.
18 Granting mercy to thousands, and recompensing the sins of the fathers into the bosoms of their children after them: the great, the strong God;
19 the Lord of great counsel, and mighty in deeds, the great Almighty God, and Lord of great name: thine eyes are upon the ways of the children of men, to give to every one according to his way:
20 who hast wrought signs and wonders in the land of Egypt even to this day, and in Israel, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and thou didst make for thyself a name, as at this day;
21 and thou didst bring out thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, with a mighty hand, and with a high arm, and with great sights;
22 and thou gavest them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey;
23 and they went in, and took it; but they hearkened not to thy voice, and walked not in thine ordinances; they did none of the things which thou didst command them, and they caused all these calamities to happen to them.
24 Behold, a multitude is come against the city to take it; and the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans that fight against it, by the power of the sword, and the famine: as thou hast spoken, so has it happened.
25 And thou sayest to me, Buy thee the field for money; and I wrote a book, and sealed , and took the testimony of witnesses: and the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.
26 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
27 I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: shall anything be hidden from me!
28 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel; This city shall certainly be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it:
29 and the Chaldeans shall come to war against this city, and they shall burn this city with fire, and shall burn down the houses wherein they burnt incense on the roofs thereof to Baal, and poured drink-offerings to other gods, to provoke me.
30 For the children of Israel and the children of Juda alone did evil in my sight from their youth.
31 For this city was to my anger and my wrath, from the day that they built it even to this day; that I should remove it from my presence,
32 because of all the wickedness of the children of Israel and Juda, which they wrought to provoke me, they and their kings, and their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, the men of Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem.
33 And they turned the back to me, and not the face: whereas I taught them early in the morning, but they hearkened no more to receive instructions.
34 And they set their pollutions in the house, on which my name was called, by their uncleannesses.
35 And they built to Baal the altars that are in the valley of the son of Ennom, to offer their sons and their daughters to king Moloch; which things I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Juda to sin.
36 And now thus has the Lord God of Israel said concerning this city, of which thou sayest, it shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by famine, and banishment.
37 Behold, I gather them out of every land, where I have scattered them in my anger, and my wrath, and great fury; and I will bring them back into this place, and will cause them to dwell safely:
38 and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a god.
39 And I will give them another way, and another heart, to fear me continually, and for good to them and their children after them.
40 And I will make with them an everlasting covenant, which I will by no means turn away from them, and I will put my fear into their heart, that they may not depart from me.
41 And I will visit to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, and with all my heart, and with all soul.
42 For thus saith the Lord; As I have brought upon this people all these great evils, so will I bring upon them all the good things which I pronounced upon them.
43 And there shall yet be fields bought in the land, of which thou sayest, it shall be destitute of man and beast; and they are delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans.
44 And they shall buy fields for money, and thou shalt write a book, and seal , and shalt take the testimony of witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and round about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Juda, and in the cities of the mountain, and in the cities of the plain, and in the cities of the south: for I will turn their captivity.

Jeremias 39 Commentary

Chapter 39

The taking of Jerusalem. (1-10) Jeremiah used well. (11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (15-18)

Verses 1-10 Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who had shut his eyes against the clear light of God's word. Those who will not believe God's words, will be convinced by the event. Observe the wonderful changes of Providence, how uncertain are earthly possessions; and see the just dealings of Providence: but whether the Lord makes men poor or rich, nothing will profit them while they cleave to their sins.

Verses 11-14 The servants of God alone are prepared for all events; and they are delivered and comforted, while the wicked suffer. They often meet with more kindness from the profane, than from hypocritical professors of godliness. The Lord will raise them up friends, do them good, and perform all his promises.

Verses 15-18 Here is a message to assure Ebed-melech of a recompence for his great kindness to Jeremiah. Because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord. God recompenses men's services according to their principles. Those who trust God in the way of duty, as this good man did, will find that their hope shall not fail in times of the greatest danger.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 39

This chapter gives an account of the taking of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, according to the several prophecies of Jeremiah concerning it. The time of taking it, and by whom, after a siege of eighteen months, Jer 39:1-3; several things relating to King Zedekiah; his flight; the taking of him; the bringing him to the king of Babylon, and his sentence on him; the execution of that sentence, slaying his sons and nobles, putting out his eyes, and carrying him in chains to Babylon, Jer 39:4-7; the destruction of the city is described, by burning the houses in it, breaking down its walls, carrying the people captive, all, except a few poor persons left in the land, Jer 39:8-10; the preservation of Jeremiah, according to the king of Babylon's orders by his princes; and the committing him to the care of Gedaliah, the governor of the poor Jews, Jer 39:11-14; and the chapter is concluded with a promise of the protection of Ebedmelech, made by the Lord before the taking of the city, while the prophet was in prison; and which, no doubt, had its accomplishment, Jer 39:15-18.

Jeremias 39 Commentaries

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.