The Meaning of Jeremiah 39:4 Explained

Jeremiah 39:4

KJV: 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.

YLT: And 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.

Darby: And 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.

ASV: And 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 39:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

When Zedekiah saw the invaders within the city, he and many of the Judean soldiers tried to escape by night, exiting Jerusalem by a gate in the king"s garden. This was perhaps the Fountain Gate near the Pool of Siloam (cf. Nehemiah 2:14; Nehemiah 3:15; Nehemiah 12:37) or the Horse Gate (cf. Nehemiah 3:28). [1] They took a passageway between the two walls of the city there (cf. Isaiah 22:11) and headed east toward the Arabah (Jordan Valley). Zedekiah evidently wanted to escape to Ammon, an ally of Judah at this time (cf. Ezekiel 21:18-23).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 39

1  Jerusalem is taken
4  Zedekiah is made blind and sent to Babylon
8  The city laid in ruins,
9  and the people captivated
11  Nebuchadrezzar's charge for the good usage of Jeremiah
15  God's promise to Ebed Melech

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 39:4 mean?

So it was when saw them Zedekiah the king of Judah and all men of the war that they fled and went by night out of the city by way of garden of the king by the gate between the two walls and he went out of the plain
וַיְהִ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָ֠אָם צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־ יְהוּדָ֜ה וְכֹ֣ל ׀ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וַֽ֠יִּבְרְחוּ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ לַ֤יְלָה מִן־ הָעִיר֙ דֶּ֚רֶךְ גַּ֣ן הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ בְּשַׁ֖עַר בֵּ֣ין הַחֹמֹתָ֑יִם וַיֵּצֵ֖א הָעֲרָבָֽה

וַיְהִ֡י  So  it  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
רָ֠אָם  saw  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ  Zedekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִדְקִיָּה 
Sense: the last king of Judah renamed from ‘Mattaniah’ by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָ֜ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וְכֹ֣ל ׀  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אַנְשֵׁ֣י  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה  of  the  war 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
וַֽ֠יִּבְרְחוּ  that  they  fled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּרַח 
Sense: to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away.
וַיֵּצְא֨וּ  and  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
לַ֤יְלָה  by  night 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
מִן־  out 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הָעִיר֙  of  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
דֶּ֚רֶךְ  by  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
גַּ֣ן  of  garden 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: גַּן 
Sense: garden, enclosure.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בְּשַׁ֖עַר  by  the  gate 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
בֵּ֣ין  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
הַחֹמֹתָ֑יִם  the  two  walls 
Parse: Article, Noun, fd
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
וַיֵּצֵ֖א  and  he  went  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הָעֲרָבָֽה  of  the  plain 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲרָבָה  
Sense: desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness.