Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 39:9
Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.
9. Nebuzaradan ] He did not, however, arrive (Jer 52:12; 2Ki 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.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 9. Those that fell away] That deserted to the Chaldeans during the siege.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. remnantexcepting thepoorest (Jer 39:10), whocaused Nebuchadnezzar no apprehensions.
those . . . that fell tohimthe deserters were distrusted; or they may have beenremoved at their own request, lest the people should vent their rageon them as traitors, after the departure of the Chaldeans.
rest . . . thatremaineddistinct from the previous “remnant”; therehe means the remnant of those besieged in the city, whomNebuchadnezzar spared; here, those scattered through variousdistricts of the country which had not been besieged [CALVIN].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Vs. 9-10: THE VINDICATION OF JEREMIAH’S FAITHFUL MESSAGE
1. Nebuzar-adan, commander of the Imperial guard, took with him to Babylon: the captives of Jerusalem, those who had already deserted the city and gone over to him, and all the skilled craftsmen that remained in the land, (vs. 9; Jer 52:29).
2. Since there would be no advantage in leaving the land totally deserted, he left behind a peasant population to be vinedressers and farmers, (vs. 10; Jer 52:16).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
The Prophet now relates also what happened to others, even those who remained in the city, and whom Nebuchadnezzar and his army had spared: he says that they were brought to Babylon. There were those who had fled and went over to the Chaldeans before the city was taken; for we have seen that so great was the despair of many, that they revolted, and those were they whom Zedekiah chiefly feared, lest he should be, as we have seen, an object of mockery to them, had he gone to the Chaldeans and made a willing surrender. Jeremiah now says that those also were led into Chaldea. Nebuchadnezzar might have removed them on this account, because he could not confide in traitors. He had found out their inconstancy, for they had revolted from their own real and legitimate king. As then they had. thus once violated their faith, he could not but regard them with suspicion, and therefore removed them, lest they should afterwards attempt something new, and create disturbance; or, it may be, that it was done according to their request, because they feared lest, after the departure of the Chal-deans, the common people should rage against them, as they had helped the enemies, and thus had become perfidious and ungrateful towards their own country. It might then be, that they themselves had made this request, and that it was granted them: they might then live quietly in a far country, but they could not be safe in Judea. However, whatever may have been the reason, Jeremiah tells us, that they were led with the rest into Babylon and Chaldea.
he afterwards names the head or general of the army, even Nebuzaradan, whom he calls the prince of the killers, or of the cooks. The Greek translators have rendered it ἀρχιμάγειρον, the prince of the cooks, who at this day is called Grand Master in the courts of princes. But their opinion is more probable, who render the words, the prince of the killers. The verb טבח, thebech, means to slay, to kill, and to kill men as well as to slay beasts; and for this reason some have applied it to cookery. But as Nebuzaradan is mentioned here as the chief among military men, the probability is that he was the judge of all capital offenses in the army. (118) Hence Jeremiah names him when he says that they were removed who remained in the city.
But there seems to be here an unnecessary repetition, as he mentions twice, the rest of the people which remained There is, however, a difference, for in the first clause he says, in the city He then means those who had been besieged, and whom Nebuchadnezzar had pardoned so as not to put them to death. The last clause embraces more, even all the inhabitants of the land; for there were many scattered abroad, on whom Nebuchadnezzar might have vented his rage, but he removed them as slaves into Chaldea. Then our Prophet speaks here of these two parties, for he says that there were some remaining in the city, and that others were remaining, even those who were found scattered through various parts of the country, and had not been besieged by the Chaldean army. He afterwards adds, —
(118) The Vulg. is, “the chief of the soldiers — magister militum ;” the Targum., “the prince of the slayers;” the Syriac., “the prince of the attendants, or guards.” The best rendering would be, “the chief of the executioners.” The guards, the royal attendants, were commonly the executioners. See 1Sa 22:17; Mar 6:27. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard.Here again the title in the HebrewBab-tab-bachimtakes a form like that of Rab-saris and Rab-shaken, and means literally, chief of the slaughterers The title is given to Potiphar in Gen. 37:36, and probably answered to our commander of the kings 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 (Jer. 52:12) to direct, even in its minute details, the work of destruction (2Ki. 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 (2Ki. 15:29), Shalmaneser (2Ki. 17:6), Esar-haddon (2Ki. 17:24), and Sennacherib (2Ki. 18:32), this wholesale deportation was part of the systematic policy of the great Assyrian and Babylonian monarchs. So Darius carried off the Ponians 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.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Nebuzar-adan seems to have been the highest officer under Nebuchadnezzar the commander in chief of his army and his secretary of state. He was not at the capture of Jerusalem, but was sent there immediately upon its downfall. He decided as to the booty to be carried away; he appointed the governor to be left in charge; he released Jeremiah from his confinement, making to him at the same time a speech, which, as coming from a heathen man, was certainly most remarkable. From all we know of him he certainly stands in a very attractive light.
Captain of the guard Literally, chief of the executioners a phrase fearfully suggestive of the bloody and cruel nature of oriental administration.
Those that fell to him That is, deserters.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 39:9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.
Ver. 9. See on 2Ki 25:11-12 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Nebuzar-adan = the prince favoured by Nebo.
the guard = the executioners (2Ki 25:8). Compare Gen 37:36; Gen 39:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Nebuzaradan: Jer 39:13, Jer 40:1, Jer 52:12-16, Jer 52:26, 2Ki 25:11, 2Ki 25:20
captain of the guard: or, chief marshal, Heb. chief of the executioners, or slaughter-men, and so, Jer 39:10, Jer 39:11-14, Gen 37:36
carried: Jer 10:18, Jer 16:13, Jer 20:4-6, Jer 52:28-30, Lev 26:33, Deu 4:27, 2Ki 20:18, Isa 5:13
Reciprocal: 2Ki 25:8 – Nebuzaradan 1Ch 6:15 – when the Lord 1Ch 9:1 – carried Jer 13:19 – Judah Jer 52:13 – the king’s Jer 52:16 – certain Jer 52:29 – the eighteenth Lam 1:3 – gone Lam 1:5 – her children Dan 2:14 – captain of the king’s guard Mat 1:11 – about
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 39:9. There were still some people left in Jerusalem who had not been taken in the previous attacks. These were taken as captives to Babylon by the captain of the guard or commander- in-chief.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Nebuzaradan (lit. the chief butcher, an archaic title), the captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard, was in charge of deporting the Jerusalemites to Babylon. He deported almost everyone who was left in the city, plus the Judahites who had defected to the Babylonians. The only native inhabitants that he left behind were some of the poorest of the people, to whom he gave vineyards and fields. It was in Babylon’s best interests to maintain the agricultural productivity of Canaan.