God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 39:4
4When King Zedekiah 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 took the road to the plain ⌞of Jericho⌟.
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
2On the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year as king, they broke into the city. 3Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came in and sat in Middle Gate: Nergal (the quartermaster), Samgar Nebo (the chief officer), Nergal (the quartermaster and the chief fortuneteller), and all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon. When King Zedekiah 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 took the road to the plain ⌞of Jericho⌟. 5The Babylonian army pursued them and caught up with Zedekiah in the plain of Jericho. They arrested him and brought him to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. The king of Babylon passed sentence on him. 6The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons as Zedekiah watched at Riblah. He also slaughtered all the leaders of Judah.
Read all of Jeremiah 39Jeremiah 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- when Zedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּtsidqîyâh tsidqîyâhû · ZedekiahH6667
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- them, and all the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- then they fledבָּרַחbârach · to fleeH1272
- and went forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- out of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- by the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- gardenגַּןgan · gardenH1588
- by the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- betwixt the two wallsחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- of the plainעֲרָבָה‛ărâbâh · ArabahH6160
Cross-references for Jeremiah 39:4
- Jeremiah 38:18But if you don’t surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians. They will burn it down, and you will not escape from them.”
- Leviticus 26:17I will condemn you so that you will go down in defeat in front of your enemies. Those who hate you will be your rulers. You will run away even when no one is chasing you.
- Deuteronomy 28:25The Lord will let your enemies defeat you. You will attack them from one direction but run away from them in seven directions. You will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms in the world.
- Deuteronomy 32:24They will be starved by famines and ravaged by pestilence and deadly epidemics. I will send vicious animals against them along with poisonous animals that crawl on the ground.
- 2 Kings 25:4The enemy broke through the city walls that night. All Judah’s soldiers left on the road of the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden. While the Babylonians were attacking the city from all sides, the king took the road to the plain ⌞of Jericho⌟.
- Isaiah 30:15This is what the Almighty Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: You can be saved by returning to me. You can have rest. You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting me. But you don’t want that.
- Ezekiel 12:12The prince who is among you will put his bags on his shoulders in the dark and leave. People will dig holes in the wall to go through. The prince will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.
- Amos 2:14Runners will not be able to escape. Strong men will find that their strength is useless. Soldiers will not be able to save themselves.
- Jeremiah 52:7The enemy broke through the city walls, and all Judah’s soldiers fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden. While the Babylonians were attacking the city from all sides, they took the road to the plain ⌞of Jericho⌟.
- 2 Chronicles 32:5Hezekiah worked hard. He rebuilt all the broken sections of the wall, made the towers taller, built another wall outside ⌞the city wall⌟, strengthened the Millo in the City of David, and made plenty 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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries