Jeremiah 39:6
New International Version
There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah.

New Living Translation
The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons at Riblah. The king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.

English Standard Version
The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.

Berean Standard Bible
There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah.

King James Bible
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

New King James Version
Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah.

New American Standard Bible
Then the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.

NASB 1995
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slew all the nobles of Judah.

NASB 1977
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slew all the nobles of Judah.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.

Amplified Bible
Then at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; the king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah.

Christian Standard Bible
At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all Judah’s nobles.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all Judah’s nobles.

American Standard Version
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

Contemporary English Version
and gave orders for him to be punished. Zedekiah's sons were killed there in front of him, and so were the leaders of Judah's ruling families.

English Revised Version
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons as Zedekiah watched at Riblah. He also slaughtered all the leaders of Judah.

Good News Translation
At Riblah he put Zedekiah's sons to death while Zedekiah was looking on, and he also had the officials of Judah executed.

International Standard Version
At Riblah, the king of Babylon executed Zedekiah's sons right before his eyes. He also executed all the nobles of Judah.

Majority Standard Bible
There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah.

NET Bible
There at Riblah the king of Babylon had Zedekiah's sons put to death while Zedekiah was forced to watch. The king of Babylon also had all the nobles of Judah put to death.

New Heart English Bible
Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon killed all the nobles of Judah.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

World English Bible
Then the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah’s sons in Riblah before his eyes. The king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the king of Babylon slaughters the sons of Zedekiah, in Riblah, before his eyes, indeed, the king of Babylon has slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.

Young's Literal Translation
And the king of Babylon slaughtereth the sons of Zedekiah, in Riblah, before his eyes, yea, all the freemen of Judah hath the king of Babylon slaughtered.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the king of Babel will slaughter the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: and all the nobles of Judah the king of Babel slaughtered.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Sedecias, in Reblatha, before his eyes: and the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Juda.

Catholic Public Domain Version
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.

New American Bible
The king of Babylon executed the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his very eyes; the king of Babylon also executed all the nobles of Judah.

New Revised Standard Version
The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes; also the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Diblath before his eyes; also the king of Babylon slew all the princes of Judah.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the King of Babel slaughtered the sons of Tsedeqiah in Deblath before his eyes, and the King of Babel slaughtered all the freemen the Princes of Judea
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes; also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
Audio Bible



Context
The Fall of Jerusalem
5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. 6There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon.…

Cross References
2 Kings 25:7
And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

Jeremiah 52:10-11
There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the officials of Judah. / Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.

2 Kings 25:6
The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him.

Lamentations 4:20
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”

Ezekiel 12:13
But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, and there he will die.

2 Chronicles 36:17
So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar,

Isaiah 39:7
And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, will be taken away to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Daniel 1:1-2
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. / And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.

2 Kings 24:14
He carried into exile all Jerusalem—all the commanders and mighty men of valor, all the craftsmen and metalsmiths—ten thousand captives in all. Only the poorest people of the land remained.

Ezekiel 17:12-21
“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon. / He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land, / so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant. ...

Jeremiah 21:7
‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will not spare them or show pity or compassion.’

Jeremiah 34:21
And I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon that had withdrawn from you.

Jeremiah 38:18
But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”

Jeremiah 52:9
The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on Zedekiah.

2 Kings 24:12
Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials all surrendered to the king of Babylon. So in the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon took him captive.


Treasury of Scripture

Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

slew the.

Jeremiah 52:10
And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

2 Kings 25:7
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.

before.

Genesis 21:16
And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

Genesis 44:34
For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Deuteronomy 28:34
So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

slew all.

Jeremiah 21:7
And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

Jeremiah 24:8-10
And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: …

Jeremiah 34:19-21
The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf; …

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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.














There at Riblah
Riblah was a significant location during the Babylonian conquest, serving as a military headquarters for Nebuchadnezzar. Situated in modern-day Syria, Riblah's strategic position on the Orontes River made it a vital point for controlling the region. Historically, it was a place of judgment and decision-making, as seen in 2 Kings 25:6, where Zedekiah was brought before Nebuchadnezzar. The mention of Riblah underscores the gravity of the events unfolding, as it was here that the fate of Judah's leadership was sealed.

the king of Babylon
This phrase refers to Nebuchadnezzar II, one of the most powerful monarchs of the ancient world. His reign marked the height of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, known for its military conquests and architectural achievements, such as the Hanging Gardens. In the biblical narrative, Nebuchadnezzar is often seen as an instrument of God's judgment against Judah for their disobedience and idolatry, as prophesied by Jeremiah. His role in the capture and destruction of Jerusalem fulfills the warnings given by the prophets.

slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes
This brutal act was a common practice in ancient times to ensure the complete eradication of a royal line and to serve as a psychological punishment. Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, witnessed the execution of his sons, which was intended to break his spirit and eliminate any hope of a future rebellion. The Hebrew root for "slaughtered" (שָׁחַט, shachat) conveys a sense of ruthless killing, emphasizing the severity of the judgment against Zedekiah and his lineage. This event fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy that Zedekiah would see the king of Babylon and be taken to Babylon (Jeremiah 34:3).

and he also killed all the nobles of Judah
The nobles of Judah represented the leadership and governance of the nation. Their execution signified the dismantling of Judah's political and social structure. Historically, the removal of a nation's leaders was a tactic to prevent any organized resistance and to establish control over the conquered territory. This act fulfilled the prophecies of Jeremiah, who warned that Judah's leaders would face severe consequences for their unfaithfulness and failure to heed God's warnings. The Hebrew term for "nobles" (חֹרִים, chorim) can also imply the elite or freeborn, highlighting the complete overthrow of Judah's societal hierarchy.

(6) The sons of Zedekiah.--The history of Eastern monarchies presents us with many examples of this refinement of cruelty, notably in the case of (Eobazus under Darius (Herod. Iv. 84), and Pythius under Xerxes (Herod, vii. 39). The slaughter of the "nobles" probably included most of those whom we have seen in Jeremiah 36:12, and elsewhere.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
There at Riblah
בְּרִבְלָ֖ה (bə·riḇ·lāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7247: Riblah -- a city in Hamath, also one on southeast border of Israel

the king
מֶ֨לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Babylon
בָּבֶ֜ל (bā·ḇel)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

slaughtered
וַיִּשְׁחַט֩ (way·yiš·ḥaṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7819: To slaughter, beat

the sons
בְּנֵ֧י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Zedekiah
צִדְקִיָּ֛הוּ (ṣiḏ·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6667: Zedekiah -- 'Yah is righteousness', six Israelites

before his eyes,
לְעֵינָ֑יו (lə·‘ê·nāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

and he
מֶ֥לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

also killed
שָׁחַ֖ט (šā·ḥaṭ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7819: To slaughter, beat

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the nobles
חֹרֵ֣י (ḥō·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2715: White, pure, noble

of Judah.
יְהוּדָ֔ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 39:6 Then the king of Babylon killed (Jer.)
Jeremiah 39:5
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