Jeremiah 39:9

39:1-10 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.

Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard,.... The Targum is, "the captain of those that kill;'' of the soldiers, of the militia. Some render it, the captain of the "cooks"; others, of the "butchers" (l); but no doubt it was a military office he bore; he was captain of the forces that were left in Jerusalem, after the other part went in pursuit of the king and those with him; or the captain of a company, being sent by the king of Babylon to execute a commission of his: the same carried away into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city; that were left of the pestilence, famine, and sword; and who were found in it when it was taken: and those that fell away, that fell to him; that fell to the Chaldean army during the siege of the city; and those that betook themselves to Nebuzaradan, and voluntarily surrendered themselves to him afterwards: with the rest of the people that remained; in other cities in the land of Judah. (l) "praefectus coquorum"; so some in Vatablus; "magister laniorum", Pagninus, Montanus.

9 . Nebuzaradan ] He did not, however, arrive ( Jeremiah 52:12 ; 2 Kings 25:8 ) till a month later. captain of the guard ] Heb. chief of the executioners . that fell away to him ] i.e. that went over to the Chaldaeans, and so were under Nebuzaradan from such time as he appeared in command.

(9) Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard. —Here again the title in the Hebrew— Bab-tab-bachim —takes a form like that of Rab-saris and Rab-shaken, and means literally, “chief of the slaughterers” The title is given to Potiphar in Genesis 37:36 , and probably answered to our “commander of the king’s body-guard.” The name has been interpreted as “the prince-lord, or the worshipper, of Nebo,” but the etymology of the last three syllables is uncertain, He does not appear as taking part with the other generals in the siege of Jerusalem, but comes on the capture of the city, arriving a month afterwards ( Jeremiah 52:12 ) to direct, even in its minute details, the work of destruction ( 2Kings 25:9 ). The defenders and deserters were involved in the same doom of exile. It need scarcely be said that, as in the case of the conquests of Tiglath-pileser ( 2Kings 15:29 ), Shalmaneser ( 2Kings 17:6 ), Esar-haddon ( 2Kings 17:24 ), and Sennacherib ( 2Kings 18:32 ), this wholesale deportation was part of the systematic policy of the great Assyrian and Babylonian monarchs. So Darius carried off the Pæonians from Thrace (Herod. v. 14). To distribute the lands of the exiles thus dispossessed among “the poor of the people,” was, it was thought, likely to enlist their interests on the side of the conqueror; and, by keeping up the cultivation of the soil, secured the payment of tribute.

This Nebuzar-adan was in that place which we call the provost-marshal , with them it was called the captain of the guard; and here are two sorts of prisoners reckoned up whom he carried away: 1. Such as, after the armies were come into Judea, had yielded themselves. 2. Such as, when they took the city, remained in it, not being before consumed by the sword, famine, and pestilence; and so were taken upon the storming or surprisal of the city. Both sorts were carried away prisoners, although it is probable that the conqueror treated the former much more gently than he treated the latter, as is usual in those cases.

9. remnant—excepting the poorest (Jer 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].

"And the rest of the people that had remained in the city, and the deserters who had deserted to him, and the rest of the people that remained, Nebuzaradan, the chief of the body-guards, led captive to Babylon. Jeremiah 39:10 . But of the poorest of the people, who had nothing, Nebuzaradan left some in the country, and he gave them vineyards and arable fields at the same time." עליו after נפלוּ refers, ad sensum, to the king of Babylon; his name, certainly, is not given in the immediate context, but it is readily suggested by it. In Jeremiah 52:15 we find אל־מלך בּבל instead of עליו; yet we might also refer this last-named word to the following subject, Nebuzaradan, as the representative of the king. רב־טבּחים, properly, chief of the slayers, i.e., of the executioners, is the chief of the king's body-guard, who occupied the first place among the royal attendants; see on Genesis 37:36 . By the addition of the words בּיום ההוּא, on that day, i.e., then, the more general account regarding Jerusalem and its inhabitants is concluded, for the purpose of attaching to it the notice regarding the fate of the prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah 39:11-14 .

Daniel's willingness to declare his dream to the king; his prayer for a revelation of the secret, and the answer to his prayer; his explanation before the king. Daniel 2:14 Through Daniel's judicious interview of Arioch, the further execution of the royal edict was interrupted. וּטעם עטא התיב, he answered, replied, counsel and understanding, i.e., the words of counsel and understanding; cf. Proverbs 26:16. The name Arioch appears in Genesis 14:1 as the name of the king of Ellasar, along with the kings of Elam and Shinar. It is derived not from the Sanscr. ârjaka, venerabilis, but is probably formed from ארי, a lion, as נסרך from nisr equals נשׁר. רב־טבּחיּא is the chief of the bodyguard, which was regarded as the highest office of the kingdom (cf. Jeremiah 39:9, Jeremiah 39:11; Jeremiah 40:1.). It was his business to see to the execution of the king's commands; see 1 Kings 2:25; 2 Kings 25:8.

36 . Midianites ] Heb. Medanites . This verse, from E, resumes the narrative from Genesis 37:29-30 . Potiphar ] An Egyptian name, denoting “the gift of Ra,” the sun-god. It appears as “Potiphera,” Genesis 41:45 , Genesis 46:20 . LXX Πετεφρῆς , Lat. Putiphar , reproducing the Egyptian Pedephrç = “he whom the sun-god gives.” officer ] Lit. “eunuch.” Probably a word used to denote an official about the court. Heb. saris , LXX σπάδων , Lat. eunuchus . Some Assyriologists prefer the derivation from ša rêši = “he who is the head.” But there seems to be no sufficient reason to call in question the meaning which the word has in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic. The class to which the saris belonged has always infested Oriental courts, and the name was therefore likely to acquire a general significance as “a court official.” Cf. 2 Kings 18:17 (Rab-saris); Jeremiah 39:3 ; Jeremiah 39:13 ; Daniel 1:3 . Pharaoh ] i.e. the king of Egypt. The title, but not the personal name, of the sovereign: see note on Genesis 12:15 . captain of the guard ] Heb. chief of the executioners , and, as such, having charge of the prisoners ( Genesis 40:3-4 , Genesis 41:12 ). Cf. “captain of the guard,” 2 Kings 25:8 ; Jeremiah 39:9 ; Jeremiah 41:10 ; Jeremiah 43:6 ; Jeremiah 52:12 ; Daniel 2:14 . Another very possible rendering is “chief of the butchers” (cf.