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

2in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was breached. 3Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon. And when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and left the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah. 5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. 6Then the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slaughtered 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

• Zedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּtsidqîyâh tsidqîyâhû · ZedekiahH6667
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• and allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• fledבָּרַחbârach · to fleeH1272
• and leftיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• at nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• by wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• gardenגַּןgan · gardenH1588
• through the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• betweenבַּ֫יִןbêyn · betweenH996
• the two wallsחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
• 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 handed over to the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hands.’”
• Leviticus 26:17And I will set My face against you so that you will be defeated before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.
• Deuteronomy 28:25“The Lord will cause you to be defeated by your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways from their presence, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
• Deuteronomy 32:24They will be wasted by famine, and emaciated by plague And a bitter epidemic; And the teeth of beasts I will send against them, With the venom of crawling things of the dust.
• 2 Kings 25:4Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls that were beside the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.
• Isaiah 30:15For this is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing,
• Ezekiel 12:12The prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out through it. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes.
• Amos 2:14Refuge will be lost from the swift, And the strong will not strengthen his power, Nor the warrior save his life.
• Jeremiah 52:7Then the city was breached, and all the warriors fled and left the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls which was by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.
• 2 Chronicles 32:5And he resolutely set to work and rebuilt all of the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great numbers.

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