Jerusalem is taken, 1-3. Zedekiah is made blind and sent to Babylon, 4-7. The city laid in ruins, 8, and the people taken captive, 9, 10. Nebuchadnezzar's charge for the good usage of Jeremiah, 11-14. God's promise to Ebed-melech, 15-18.
1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. 2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day 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, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, and Rab-mag, with all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon. 4 And it came to pass, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and went out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls, and he went out the way of the plain. 5 But the Chaldeans' army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at 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. The king of Babylon also 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 broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people who remained in the city and those who fell away, who fell to him, with the rest of the people who remained. 10 But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the people who had nothing in the land of Judah and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, 12 "Take him, look well to him, and do him no harm, but do to him even as he says to you." 13 So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, and all the king of Babylon's princes, 14 They even sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, so that he should carry him home. So he dwelt among the people.
15 Now the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah while he was confined in the court of the prison, saying, 16 "Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Cushite, saying, 'Thus says the LORD 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 accomplished in that day before you. 17 But I will deliver you in that day," says the LORD, "and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but your life shall be as plunder to you because you have put your trust in me," says the LORD.'"
Matthew Henry Commentary - Jeremiah, Chapter 39[➚]