Jeremiah 39:1-14

The Fall of Jerusalem: Jeremiah Spared. This paragraph well illustrates the growth of the OT text; cf. 2 Kings 25:1 (also reproduced in Jeremiah 52:4, from which Jeremiah 39:1 f. and Jeremiah 39:4; Jeremiah 39:13 have been here interpolated. The former verses (Jeremiah 39:1 f., bracketed in RV) break the Hebrew connexion, and refer back to the time prior to the capture of the city; the latter (Jeremiah 39:4 are omitted in LXX) include events connected with Nebuzaradan, who arrived a month later than the capture (2 Kings 25:8; Jeremiah 52:12). Jeremiah 39:14 properly connects with Jeremiah 39:3. For the interpolated verses, see on 2 Kings. The special instructions as to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 39:11 f.; not in 2 Kings or Jeremiah 52) would be due to his known policy of surrender. The closing words of Jeremiah 38, as continued in Jeremiah 39:3; Jeremiah 39:14, describe what happened to Jeremiah on the fall of the city. The Babylonian officers held a court (sat in the middle gate, Jeremiah 39:3), and directed Gedaliah (son of Jeremiah's friend Ahikam, Jeremiah 26:24) to take the prophet home, where he was set at liberty.

Jeremiah 39:3. The personal names (note mg.) are probably a corrupt expansion of the two names correctly given in Jeremiah 39:13. [On the meaning of Rab-mag, see J. H. Moulton, Early Zoroastrianism, pp. 187f., 430. He argues for the view that it means chief of the Magi; if this is correct there was apparently a priestly caste of Magi in Babylonia at this date. For the presence of Magi at Jerusalem cf. Ezekiel 8:17 *. A. S. P.]