Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Jerusalem is taken, Zedekiah flees; but dragged back from flight, he sees his sons slaughtered before him; he himself is blinded and led away to Babylon; the Jewish nobles are killed; Jeremiah, verse 11, is freed and kindly treated by the Chaldeans, and, verse 15, he promises Ebed-Melech safety, because he had hoped in God.
Vulgate Text: Jeremiah 39:1-17
1. In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2. And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, the city was breached. 3. And all the princes of the king of Babylon entered, and sat in the middle gate: Nergal, Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal, Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon. 4. And when Zedekiah king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled: and went out at night from the city by the way of the king's garden, and through the gate that was between the two walls, and they went out toward the way of the wilderness. 5. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them: and they seized Zedekiah in the plains of the desert of Jericho, and having taken him, brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah, which is in the land of Hamath: and he pronounced judgment upon him. 6. And the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes: and the king of Babylon killed all the nobles of Judah. 7. He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah: and bound him with fetters to be led to Babylon. 8. And the Chaldeans burned the king's house and the house of the people with fire, and tore down the wall of Jerusalem. 9. And the remnant of the people who had remained in the city, and the deserters who had come over to him, and the rest of the common people who had remained, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away to Babylon. 10. And of the poor of the people, who had absolutely nothing, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah: and he gave them vineyards and cisterns on that day. 11. Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders about Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying: 12. Take him, and set your eyes upon him, and do him no harm: but as he wishes, so do for him. 13. So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushazban, and Rabsaris, and Nergal, and Sharezer, and Rabmag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon, 14. they sent, and took Jeremiah from the court of the prison, and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he might go into his house, and dwell among the people. 15. Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying: 16. Go, and say to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold I will bring My words upon this city for evil, and not for good: and they shall come to pass in your sight on that day. 17. And I will deliver you on that day, says the Lord: and you shall not be delivered into the hands of the men whom you fear: 18. But I will surely rescue you, and you shall not fall by the sword: but your life shall be saved, because you have put your trust in Me, says the Lord.
Verse 1
1. Nebuchadnezzar came; but during the siege, which lasted eighteen months, he withdrew to Epiphaneia, a most pleasant city of Syria; whence Zedekiah was brought to him there, and there, after his sons had been slaughtered, he was blinded, 4 Kings 25:6.
2. The fifth of the month. So it should be read with the Hebrew, the Septuagint and the Roman editions, not the ninth of the month, as some read: then therefore the city was captured; but after a month, namely on the seventh day of the fifth month, it was burned, as is clear from 4 Kings 25:8. For the Chaldeans spent the fourth month plundering the city, and searching out the Jews. This is what Zephaniah predicted, chapter 1, verse 12: 'I will search Jerusalem with lamps;' and Josephus, book 7 of the War, chapters 16 and 20, says the Romans dragged out Jews hiding in tombs and caves.
The city was breached. In Hebrew hobkea, that is, the city was broken open, that is, the walls of the city, so that through this breach the Chaldeans invaded and occupied the city. It was broken open, I say, by the frequent blows of battering rams, which the Chaldeans hurled against the walls. So Abulensis and Vatablus, although Cajetan, on 4 Kings 25, holds that the wall was broken by Zedekiah and the citizens, to open a way for themselves to flee the long famine and war.
3. They sat in the middle gate, they occupied the middle gate, namely the one which was between the two gates, that is, between the gate of the outer wall and the gate of the temple. For the city was surrounded by two walls, and the Chaldeans had penetrated through the first to the gate of the second, which was between the gate of the first and the gate of the temple. So Maldonatus.
Sharezer. Vatablus thinks some of these names are titles of offices, as those which begin with rab or ser, that is, lord, so that the first was Nergal Sharezer, that is Nergal, who was the lord or prefect of the treasures: for otsar in Hebrew also means treasure, and sar or ser or sir means lord; the second, Samgar-Nebo Sarsechim, that is Samgar-Nebo, who was the prefect of perfumers, and he was also Rabsaris, that is, prefect of the eunuchs; the third, Nergal, who was Sharezer, that is, prince of the treasury just as the first, and he was also Rabmag, that is, prince of liquor: so that tropologically you may see who they are that profane the sacred city and temple, namely those who are devoted to the pleasures of this world; and hold princely rank in those things.
But others take these names as proper names: they can however be taken in both ways, namely as proper names derived from office, or signifying the office of each one, just as when we say Constable, Admiral, Marshal of France, etc., we designate and describe a certain prince by his office.
Verse 4
4. And when he saw them not already having entered, but about to enter the city. This is clear from 4 Kings 25:4.
By the way of the king's garden. The king's garden was between the two walls of the city already mentioned, and through the gate of the garden, which seems to have been in the outermost wall of the city, the king fled.
Verse 5
5. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them, who had learned from the report of sentinels or citizens, or deserters, that he had fled.
Rabbi Solomon relates, or rather fabricates, that Zedekiah with his companions had fled through a certain underground passage, which extended from the city far outside the city: where there was another opening, through which they emerged into the open field. But since God had now devoted him to the servitude and mockery of the Chaldeans, He had roused from the midst of their camp a wild goat, which fled above ground at the same pace and over the same distance as Zedekiah and his companions below; and this goat in its flight arrived at the other opening of the cave at the same time that the king was emerging from it, and thus he was captured by the Chaldean hunters. So Rabbi Solomon, which Abulensis refutes at length, book 4 Kings chapter 25, question 49, and Lyranus in the same place. And, to pass over other points, Scripture sufficiently refutes this, which
says that the Chaldeans, having learned of Zedekiah's flight, pursued him; and Josephus explicitly says, book 10 of the Antiquities, chapter 11, where he asserts that the Chaldeans learned of the king's flight from the report of deserters.
Riblah. This is a province of Syria, in which was the city of Lesser Hamath, which was later called Epiphaneia after Antiochus Epiphanes. So St. Jerome on Amos 6:2. There therefore Nebuchadnezzar had established himself, so that he might watch the progress of the Jewish war from a distance, and be closer to Chaldea, and from there send reinforcements to his troops against the Jews.
Note: Zedekiah was blinded by Nebuchadnezzar at Epiphaneia, and as it were shut up in a cage like a wild beast, was led to Babylon, and entered it, though he did not see it, because he had already been blinded, as Ezekiel had predicted in chapter 12, verse 13.
He spoke judgments to him, that is, Nebuchadnezzar sharply and justly reproached Zedekiah for his infidelity and ingratitude, according to his deserts, namely that, having been made king by him in place of Jeconiah, he had violated the treaty made with him. So Theodoret, Josephus and others. Lyranus adds that Zedekiah had sworn fidelity to Nebuchadnezzar by God, who therefore instead of Mattaniah called him Zedekiah, that is, the justice of God, so that his name might remind him of faith and justice to be kept holy and constant, and that he would be injurious, faithless and perjured not only to him, but also to God, if he violated it. This therefore Nebuchadnezzar reproached him with.
Hence first he killed his sons before his eyes: then he took out his eyes, with which he had looked up to heaven and called God to witness his fidelity, and because he had followed the blind counsels of his people, he blinded him. This reproach stung the Jews: therefore they proclaimed an annual fast on the sixth day of the eighth month, that is, October, because of the blinding of Zedekiah, as is clear from the Hebrew Menology.
Tropologically Blessed Peter Damian, book 2, letter 4 to Hildebrand, who later as Pontiff was called Gregory VII: 'The king of Babylon, he says, is the ancient enemy, possessor of deepest confusion, who first slaughters the sons before the watching father's eyes: because he often so destroys good works that the one who is captive grieves to see himself losing them. Then he puts out the eyes of Zedekiah; because the evil spirit, having first taken away good works, afterwards takes away the light of understanding. Zedekiah suffers this at Riblah, which is interpreted as many things. For the light of reason is rightly shut off from one who, having set aside the rigor of holy rest, is carried away by worldly affairs, when having despised the one thing, the restless and impatient soul is scattered among many things.'
Verse 8
8. The house of the people, the common or popular houses. So Vatablus. Or rather, the house of the people was the public building, in which public games, weddings, banquets, javelin contests, etc. were held. So Adrichomius and from him Sanchez.
9. The rest of the people, the Jews who survived the sword, famine and plague. Better, Sanchez thinks that three classes of Jews are listed here, who were carried off to Babylon: the first, the remnant of the people who had survived the disaster and remained in the city; the second, those who, already before fearing the destruction, had deserted to the Chaldeans; the third, those who during the time of war, being unfit for arms, had been sent out of the city, or not enduring the tumult of war and going out voluntarily, were living in nearby places: these are called the surplus of the common people.
The captain of the guard. In Hebrew rab hattabbachim, which the Septuagint translates as the prefect of the cooks, because he was the prefect of the royal kitchen, says Theodoret. Pagninus translates, the prefect of the slaughterers; Vatablus, the prefect of executioners or capital matters; but most aptly Josephus translates, the commander of soldiers. Literally rab hattabbachim means the prince of those who slaughter, such as are, first, butchers; second, cooks; third, soldiers: and that third meaning fits best here, for it deals with war; yet it could have been that Nebuzardan was both commander of soldiers and steward, or mayordomo, as we commonly say, who is in charge of the kitchen. Hence St. Gregory mystically understands by him gluttony and gluttons.
Verse 10
10. And cisterns, that is, fields or gardens, which could be irrigated from cisterns. So the Hebrew, the Septuagint and others. For the Jews used to dig these, to collect in them water, which they lacked. Therefore Nebuzaradan left those poor people in Judea, and assigned to them the fields and vineyards of the rich, to cultivate them, and from them pay tribute to the Chaldeans. Among these poor people left behind, the Rechabites are also thought to have been, according to the Scholastic History and Abulensis, book 4 Kings 25, question 19, who also cites Josephus as a witness.
Verse 12
12. Set your eyes upon him, favor him, have care of him, look after him.
14. Gedaliah. He was a leading Jewish man, who had deserted to the Chaldeans before the city was captured, according to the advice of Jeremiah; whence he was appointed by them as governor of Judea, but was soon killed by jealous Jews.
That he might enter his house, and dwell among the people, that is, that he might move freely in the midst of the people and in his own house. Note: Jeremiah, destined for death by his own people, but taken in by the Chaldeans, was a type of Christ, whom the Jews killed, but the Gentiles received.
16. Say to Ebed-Melech, who freed Jeremiah from the pit, chapter 38, verse 12, whose reward for mercy he now receives.
And they shall be (namely My words, that is, My oracles about the destruction of Jerusalem) in your sight, that is: You shall see and behold in reality the disaster which I have threatened upon the city.
Note: In 2 Maccabees 2, the commentaries or descriptions of Jeremiah are cited, in which he himself wrote down those things which happened immediately after the destruction of the city, before the people were led captive to Babylon, namely first, concerning the laws which Jeremiah prescribed for the people who were to dwell in Babylon; second, concerning the perpetual fire which the priests took from the altar and hid in a secret well, which afterwards the descendants returning from Babylon seek-
ing, found not fire, but thick water, which when poured upon the victims was miraculously changed into fire, as is stated in 2 Maccabees 1:21 and following; third, concerning the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant and the altar of incense, which Jeremiah carried out of the city, and set aside in a cave of Mount Nebo, saying: 'The place shall be unknown, until God gathers together the assembly of the people,' etc.
Learn from this chapter how faith must be kept even with an enemy, and how God is the avenger of its violation. For Zedekiah overthrew himself and his family and his kingdom; because he broke the faith given to the Chaldean, as is clear from verse 5. So the family of Saul was hanged and extinguished because of the Gibeonites, to whom Joshua had given and kept faith, although they had been deceitful, who had been slain by him, 1 Samuel chapter 21.
Receive similar but rare examples from all ages and nations, produced by God, the avenger of faith.
In the year of our Lord 776, the Saxons again rebelled against Charlemagne, having broken their oaths, and captured the fortress of Eresburg. But, when they were preparing further war, the glory (others read sword) of God appeared above the church, in the sight of all, among whom many still remain, who say they saw what looked like two shields of flaming red color, moving about over the church. When the pagans who were outside saw this sign, they were immediately confounded, and terrified with great fear, they began to flee to their camp, and the whole multitude of them taking flight, some were killed by others, and those who looked back were pierced by the lances of those ahead of them out of panic, and they all suffered various blows among themselves, and were punished by divine vengeance. Therefore the emboldened Franks pursued the Saxons, and slaughtered them up to the river Lippe. So from the Frankish Annals, Baronius, volume 9 of the Annals, at the year of our Lord 776.
The Emperor Justin, while waging war against the Persians, and wishing to attach to himself as military allies the Huns, a warlike people, sought help from their king: who, having received the stipends and gifts sent by the Emperor, promised aid; but, when the king of the Huns was also invited by the Persian to enter into friendship, alliance, and make war together, he went to him, enticed by the hope of greater advantage. When Justin learned of this, he informed the king of Persia of the whole matter, so that the barbarian would not trust in his promise. The Persian, having diligently investigated and discovered the truth of the matter, ordered the king and his soldiers to be killed; the former, as a most faithless man; the latter, as associates and accomplices in perjury. So John Zonaras, part 5 of the Annals of Constantinople, under Justin.
When all matters had been settled between King Vladislav and Murad, the emperor of the Turks, the king of Hungary, having violated the treaty, was the first to move war against the Turk, and when battle had been joined, the Turk, seeing his men being routed in the fight with great slaughter, in order to expiate the sin of the violated faith, to avenge the perfidy of the Christians, and to vindicate the right of the broken peace, drew from his breast the text of the most solemnly sworn treaty and unrolled it, and with eyes raised to heaven said: 'These, Jesus Christ, are the treaties which Your Christians struck with me, by Your divinity they solemnly swore, and have violated the faith given under Your name, and faithlessly denied their God: now, Christ, if You are God (as they say), and we are mistaken, avenge, I pray, Your injuries and mine: to these, who have not yet acknowledged Your holy name, show the penalties of violated faith.' He had scarcely said these things, expecting the final assault upon himself, when the battle which had long been doubtful and uncertain began to turn: for by the intervention of baggage camels, the Hungarians had turned their attention from slaughter to plunder. Finally, with King Vladislav killed, the Hungarians were put to flight, and left the noble victory to Murad. So Antonius Bonfinius, book 25 of the Deeds of the Hungarians, decade 3, and the General Chronicle of Spain, part 4. See more in Fulgosius, book 6, and Father Ribadeneira, book 2 On the Christian Prince, chapters 15 and 16.
Therefore Seneca truly said in the Thyestes:
Where there is no shame, No care for justice, sanctity, piety, faith, The kingdom is unstable.
But where these are present, a kingdom, even if weak, becomes stable. Indeed the Romans, by the faith which they continually kept intact toward both enemies and friends, drew all nations to themselves. Famous among others was the example of Marcus Atilius Regulus the consul, who after many victories and triumphs over the Carthaginians, was captured by the skill of Xanthippus, put in prison, and sent as an ambassador to Rome to negotiate the exchange of prisoners, having sworn an oath that, if he did not succeed, he would return: in the senate he dissuaded the arrangement, and having rejected his wife and children, returned to Carthage: where, thrown into a wooden box with nails driven inward, tormented by sleeplessness and piercings, he preferred to endure a cruel death rather than break the faith given to the enemy. So Pliny, in his book On Famous Men.