Jeremiah 39 · Verse 4

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.
Jeremiah 39:4, King James Version

Jeremiah 39:4 in other translations

BSBWhen 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 they went out along the route to the Arabah.
WEBWhen Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, then they fled and went out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah.
ASVAnd it came to pass that, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, through the gate betwixt the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah.
YLTAnd it cometh to pass, when Zedekiah king of Judah, and all the men of war, have seen them, that they flee and go forth by night from the city, the way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and he goeth forth the way of the plain.
DARBYAnd it came to pass when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls; and he went out the way of the plain.
BBEAnd when Zedekiah, king of Judah, and all the men of war saw it, they went in flight from the town by night, by the way of the king's garden, through the doorway between the two walls: and they went out by the Arabah.
WebsterAnd it came to pass, when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went 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.

What does Jeremiah 39:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. 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 (Eze 12:12).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Went 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 or eighteen miles from Jerusalem. He had probably intended to have passed the Jordan, in order to escape to Egypt, as the Egyptians were then his professed allies.

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 39:4 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.

וַיְהִ֡יvay.Hiand it wasH1961
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רka.'a.Sherjust whenH834
רָ֠אָםRa.'omhe saw themH7200
צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּtzid.ki.Ya.huZedekiahH6667
מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428
יְהוּדָ֜הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
וְכֹ֣ל\׀ve.Kholand allH3605
אַנְשֵׁ֣י'an.Shei[the] men ofH582
הַמִּלְחָמָ֗הha.mil.cha.Mah<the> warH4421
וַֽ֠יִּבְרְחוּVai.yiv.re.chuand they fledH1272
וַיֵּצְא֨וּvai.ye.tze.'Uand they went outH3318
לַ֤יְלָהLay.lahnightH3915
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הָעִיר֙ha.'Irthe cityH5892
דֶּ֚רֶךְDe.rekh[the] way ofH1870
גַּ֣ןgan[the] garden ofH1588
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
בְּשַׁ֖עַרbe.Sha.'arin a gateH8179
בֵּ֣יןbeinbetweenH996
הַחֹמֹתָ֑יִםha.cho.mo.Ta.yimthe two wallsH2346
וַיֵּצֵ֖אvai.ye.Tze'and he went outH3318
דֶּ֥רֶךְDe.rekh[the] way ofH1870
הָעֲרָבָֽה\׃ha.'a.ra.Vahthe ArabahH6160

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 39:4

  • 2 Chronicles 32:5

    Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.

  • Amos 2:14

    Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

  • Deuteronomy 32:24-30

    They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs. I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men: Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this. …

  • Ezekiel 12:12

    And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

  • Deuteronomy 28:25

    The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

  • Leviticus 26:17

    And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

  • 2 Kings 25:4-7

    And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

  • Isaiah 30:15-16

    For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

  • Jeremiah 52:7-11

    Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. …

  • Jeremiah 38:18-20

    But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand. And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me. But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

  • Leviticus 26:36

    And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
when
38:18-20; Le 26:17,36; De 28:25; 32:24-30; 2Ki 25:4-7
Isa 30:15,16; Eze 12:12; Am 2:14
betwixt.
52:7-11; 2Ch 32:5

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Jeremiah 39:5

    But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.

Read all of Jeremiah 39

Jeremiah 39:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y fué que viéndolos Sedechîas, rey de Judá, y todos los hombres de guerra, huyeron, y saliéronse de noche de la ciudad por el camino de la huerta del rey, por la puerta entre los dos muros: y salió el rey por el camino del desierto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il arriva que, quand Sédécias, roi de Juda, et tous les hommes de guerre les eurent vus, ils s’enfuirent, et sortirent de nuit de la ville, par le chemin du jardin du roi, par la porte qui était entre les deux murailles; et il sortit par le chemin de la plaine.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es geschah, als Zedekia, der König von Juda, und alle Kriegsleute sie sahen, da flohen sie und zogen des Nachts aus der Stadt hinaus den Weg des Königsgartens, durch das Tor zwischen den beiden Mauern; und er zog hinaus den Weg zur Ebene
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cumque vidisset eos Sedecias rex Juda, et omnes viri bellatores, fugerunt: et egressi sunt nocte de civitate per viam horti regis, et per portam quæ erat inter duos muros, et egressi sunt ad viam deserti.