Jeremiah 39:4

Jeremiah 39:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.
• New International Version (NIV)When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate between the two walls; and they went toward the Arabah.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king’s garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the plain.

Context of Jeremiah 39:4

2And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city was breached. 3Then all the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-sarsekim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and they went out along the route to the Arabah. 5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. 6There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah.

Jeremiah 39:4 word by word

וַיְהִ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָ֠אָם צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֜ה וְכֹ֣ל׀ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וַֽ֠יִּבְרְחוּ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ לַ֤יְלָה מִן־הָעִיר֙ דֶּ֚רֶךְ גַּ֣ן הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ בְּשַׁ֖עַר בֵּ֣ין הַחֹמֹתָ֑יִם וַיֵּצֵ֖א דֶּ֥רֶךְ הָעֲרָבָֽה׃Read the interlinear

• ·הָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• Whenכַּאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · as whichH834
• Zedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּtsidqîyâh tsidqîyâhû · ZedekiahH6667
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• and allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the soldiersאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• the soldiersמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• saw themרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• they fledבָּרַחbârach · to fleeH1272
• They leftיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• at nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• at nightמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• by wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• gardenגַּןgan · gardenH1588
• through the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• betweenבַּ֫יִןbêyn · betweenH996
• the two wallsחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
• to the Arabahעֲרָבָה‛ărâbâh · ArabahH6160

Cross-references for Jeremiah 39:4

• Jeremiah 38:18But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”
• Leviticus 26:17And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.
• Deuteronomy 28:25The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
• Deuteronomy 32:24They will be wasted from hunger and ravaged by pestilence and bitter plague; I will send the fangs of wild beasts against them, with the venom of vipers that slither in the dust.
• 2 Kings 25:4Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
• Isaiah 30:15For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence— but you were not willing.”
• Ezekiel 12:12And at dusk the prince among them will lift his bags to his shoulder and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land.
• Amos 2:14Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life.
• Jeremiah 52:7Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
• 2 Chronicles 32:5Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David, and he produced an abundance of weapons and shields.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 39:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Went forth out of the city by night - Probably there was a private passage under ground, leading without the walls, by which Zedekiah and his followers might escape unperceived, till they had got some way from the city. The way of the plain - There were two roads from Jerusalem to Jericho. One passed over the mount of Olives; but, as this might have retarded his flight, he chose the way of the plain, and was overtaken near Jericho, perhaps about sixteen…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4-10Verses 4-10 Compare the marginal reference. The differences between the two accounts are slight.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The steep slopes of the Kidron Valley on the east and the Ben-Hinnom Valley on the west and south of Jerusalem forced the Babylonian army to focus their forces to the north. This allowed Zedekiah, his family, and his officials to escape from the south end of the city. They crossed the Kidron Valley and traveled over the Mount of Olives. Although they left after nightfall, the noise of their departure alerted Babylonian sentries, and soldiers soon chased…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 39:4

• Jerusalem
• Zedekiah

In the dictionaries

• Judah
• Zedekiah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• King's Garden
• Jerusalem
• Kings, The Books of
• Arabah
• Champaign
• Feasts and Fasts

Commentaries on Jeremiah 39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings