Jeremiah 39 · Verse 3

Jeremiah 39:3

And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal–sharezer, Samgar–nebo, Sarsechim, Rab–saris, Nergal–sharezer, Rab–mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.
Jeremiah 39:3, King James Version

Jeremiah 39:3 in other translations

BSBThen all the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-sarsekim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.
WEBAll the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate: Nergal Sharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim the Rabsaris, Nergal Sharezer the Rabmag, with all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
ASVthat all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, to wit, Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
YLTand come in do all the heads of the king of Babylon, and they sit at the middle gate, Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, chief of the eunuchs, Nergal-Sharezer, chief of the Mages, and all the rest of the heads of the king of Babylon.
DARBYand all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebu, Sarsechim, chief chamberlain, Nergal-sharezer, chief magian, and all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
BBEAll the captains of the king of Babylon came in and took their places in the middle doorway of the town, Nergal-shar-ezer, ruler of Sin-magir, the Rabmag, and Nebushazban, the Rab-saris, and all the captains of the king of Babylon.
WebsterAnd all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

What does Jeremiah 39:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. sat--expressing military occupation or encampment. middle gate--the gate from the upper city (comprehending Mount Zion) to the lower city (north of the former and much lower); it was into the latter (the north side) that the Chaldeans forced an entry and took up their position opposite the gate of the "middle" wall, between the lower and upper city. Zedekiah fled in the opposite, that is, the south direction (Jr 39:4). Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo--proper names formed from those of the idols, Nergal and Nebo (2Ki 17:30; Is 46:1). Rab-saris--meaning "chief of the eunuchs." Rab-mag--chief of the magi; brought with the expedition in order that its issue might be foreknown through his astrological skill. Mag is a Persian word, meaning "great," "powerful." The magi were a sacerdotal caste among the Medes, and supported the Zoroastrian religion.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Sat in the middle gate - The city of Jerusalem stood upon two hills, Sion to the south, and Acra to the north, with a deep valley between them. The gate of the center, as the term seems plainly to import, was a gate of communication in the middle of the valley, between the two parts of the city, sometimes called the higher and the lower city. The Chaldeans entered the city on the north side by a breach in the walls, and rushing forward and posting themselves in this gate, in the very heart or center of the city, became thereby masters at will of the whole. Zedekiah with his troop, perceiving this, fled out of the opposite gate on the south side. See Blayney. This is likely; but we know nothing positively on this subject. Nergal-sharezer - These were the principal commanders; but Dr. Blayney thinks that instead of six persons, we have in reality but three, as the name that follows each is a title of office. Thus, Nergal-sharezer, who was Samgar; Nebusarsechim, who was Rab-saris; and Nergal-sharezer, who was Rab-mag. As Nergal-sharezer occurs twice here, and we know that Nebuzaradan was general-in-chief, the first Nergal-sharezer is probably a mistake for Nebuzar-adan, or some other of the commanders. But these things are as uncertain as they are unimportant.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 39:1-10

The taking of Jerusalem. (Jr 39:1-10) Jeremiah used well. (Jr 39:11-14) Promises of safety to Ebed-melech. (Jr 39:15-18) Verses 1-10 Jerusalem was so strong, that the inhabitants believed the enemy could never enter it. But sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities. Zedekiah had his eyes put out; so he was condemned to darkness who had shut his eyes against the clear light…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 39:1-10 →

Jeremiah 39:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיָּבֹ֗אוּvai.ya.Vo.'uand they cameH935
כֹּ֚לkolallH3605
שָׂרֵ֣יsa.Rei[the] officials ofH8269
מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428
בָּבֶ֔לba.VelBabylonH894
וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּvai.ye.she.Vuand they satH3427
בְּשַׁ֣עַרbe.Sha.'arin [the] gate ofH8179
הַתָּ֑וֶךְha.Ta.vekhthe middleH8432
נֵרְגַ֣לne.re.GalNergal-H5371
שַׂר\־sar-Shar-H5371
אֶ֠צֶר'E.tzerezerH5371
סַֽמְגַּר\־sam.gar-SamgarH5562
נְב֞וּne.VuNebuH5562
שַׂר\־sar-Sar-H8310
סְכִ֣יםse.Khim-sekimH8310
רַב\־rav-[the] Rab-H7249
סָרִ֗יסsa.RissarisH7249
נֵרְגַ֤לne.re.GalNergal-H5371
שַׂר\־sar-Shar-H5371
אֶ֙צֶר֙'e.tzerezerH5371
רַב\־rav-[the] Rab-H7248
מָ֔גMagmagH7248
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
שְׁאֵרִ֔יתshe.'e.Rit[the] rest ofH7611
שָׂרֵ֖יsa.Rei[the] officials ofH8269
מֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king ofH4428
בָּבֶֽל\׃ba.VelBabylonH894

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 39:3

  • Jeremiah 21:4

    Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

  • Jeremiah 38:17

    Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

  • Jeremiah 39:13

    So Nebuzar–adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rab–saris, and Nergal–sharezer, Rab–mag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;

  • Jeremiah 1:15

    For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

  • 2 Kings 17:30

    And the men of Babylon made Succoth–benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
all the.
1:15; 21:4; 38:17
Nergalsharezer.
13; 2Ki 17:30
Sarsechim.These were the principal commanders; but Dr. Blayney thinks that, instead of six persons, we have in reality but three, as the name that follows each is the title of the office. Thus Nergal-Sharezer, who was Samgar-nebo, or keeper, i.e., priest of Nebo; Sarsechim, who was Rab-saris, or chief eunuch; and Nergal-sharezer, who was Rab-mag, or chief magi; as the words {mog} in Persian, {magoos} in Arabic, {magooshai} in Syriac, and [magos ,] in Greek, signify; and we learn from Justin and Curtius that the magi attended the king in war.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 39:2

    And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.

  • Jeremiah 39:3

    And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal–sharezer, Samgar–nebo, Sarsechim, Rab–saris, Nergal–sharezer, Rab–mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

  • Jeremiah 39:4

    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.

Read all of Jeremiah 39

Jeremiah 39:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y entraron todos los príncipes del rey de Babilonia, y asentaron á la puerta del medio: Nergal-sarezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, y Rabsaris, Nergal-sarezer, Rabmag, y todos los demás príncipes del rey de Babilonia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tous les princes du roi de Babylone entrèrent, et s’assirent dans la porte intérieure: Nergal-Sharétser, Samgar-Nebu, Sarsekim, chef des eunuques, Nergal-Sharétser, chef des mages, et tout le reste des princes du roi de Babylone.
German
Elberfelder 1871		da zogen alle Fürsten des Königs von Babel ein und besetzten das Mitteltor: Nergal-Scharezer, Samgar-Nebusarsekim, der Oberkämmerer, Nergal-Scharezer, der Obermagier, und alle übrigen Fürsten des Königs von Babel.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et ingressi sunt omnes principes regis Babylonis, et sederunt in porta media: Neregel, Sereser, Semegarnabu, Sarsachim, Rabsares, Neregel, Sereser, Rebmag, et omnes reliqui principes regis Babylonis.