Nergal-sharezer

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Easton's Bible Dictionary - Nergal-sharezer

Nergal-sharezer [N] [H]

Nergal, protect the king!

  • One of the "princes of the king of Babylon who accompanied him in his last expedition against Jerusalem" ( Jeremiah 39:3 Jeremiah 39:13 ).

  • Another of the "princes," who bore the title of "Rabmag." He was one of those who were sent to release Jeremiah from prison ( Jeremiah 39:13 ) by "the captain of the guard." He was a Babylonian grandee of high rank. From profane history and the inscriptions, we are led to conclude that he was the Neriglissar who murdered Evil-merodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, and succeeded him on the throne of Babylon (B.C. 559-556). He was married to a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. The ruins of a palace, the only one on the right bank of the Euphrates, bear inscriptions denoting that it was built by this king. He was succeeded by his son, a mere boy, who was murdered after a reign of some nine months by a conspiracy of the nobles, one of whom, Nabonadius, ascended the vacant throne, and reigned for a period of seventeen years (B.C. 555-538), at the close of which period Babylon was taken by Cyrus. Belshazzar, who comes into notice in connection with the taking of Babylon, was by some supposed to have been the same as Nabonadius, who was called Nebuchadnezzar's son ( Daniel 5:11 Daniel 5:18 Daniel 5:22 ), because he had married his daughter. But it is known from the inscriptions that Nabonadius had a son called Belshazzar, who may have been his father's associate on the throne at the time of the fall of Babylon, and who therefore would be the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews had only one word, usually rendered "father," to represent also such a relationship as that of "grandfather" or "great-grandfather."

    These dictionary topics are from
    M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
    published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.
    [N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible
    [H] indicates this entry was also found in Hitchcock's Bible Names
    Bibliography Information

    Easton, Matthew George. "Entry for Nergal-sharezer". "Easton's Bible Dictionary". .

    • Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary - Nergal-sharezer

    Nergal-sharezer [N] [E]

    treasurer of Nergal
    Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names. Public Domain. Copy freely.
    [N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible
    [E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary
    Bibliography Information

    Hitchcock, Roswell D. "Entry for 'Nergal-sharezer'". "An Interpreting Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names". . New York, N.Y., 1869.

    Smith's Bible Dictionary - Nergal-sharezer

    Nergal-sharezer

    (prince of fire ) occurs only in ( Jeremiah 39:3 ) and Jere 39:13 There appear to have been two persons in the name among the "princes of the king of Babylon" who accompanied Nebuchadnezzar on his last expedition against Jerusalem. One of these is not marked by any additional title; but the other has the honorable distinction of Rab-mag, probably meaning chief of the Magi [see RAB-MAG], and it is to him alone that any particular interest attaches. In sacred Scripture he appears among the persons who, by command of Nebuchadnezzar, released Jeremiah from prison. Profane history gives us reason to believe that he was a personage of great importance, who not long afterward mounted the Babylonian throne. He is the same as the monarch called Neriglissar or Neriglissor, who murdered Evil-merodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar and succeeded him upon the throne. His reign lasted from B.C. 559, to B.C. 556.

    Bibliography Information

    Smith, William, Dr. "Entry for 'Nergalsharezer'". "Smith's Bible Dictionary". . 1901.