Free group study handout
Jeremiah 39: Group Study Handout
How to use: read Jeremiah 39 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.
Overview
In the ninth year of Zedekiah, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem and besieged it (vv. 1-2). By the eleventh year, a breach was made in the city.
Key verse
“But I will deliver you in that day,” says Yahweh; “and you will not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid.”
Jeremiah 39:17 (WEB)
Outline
- Jeremiah 39:1–2 The Siege and Breach of Jerusalem
- Jeremiah 39:3–4 Zedekiah's Escape Attempt
- Jeremiah 39:5–7 Zedekiah Captured and Judged
- Jeremiah 39:8–10 Destruction of Jerusalem
- Jeremiah 39:11–14 Jeremiah's Release
- Jeremiah 39:15–18 God's Assurance to Ebed-melech
Discussion questions
- In v2, what significant event occurs in the eleventh year of Zedekiah?
- What happens to Zedekiah in v5 when he attempts to flee?
- Zedekiah's punishment in vv. 6-7: what is the meaning of blinding him?
- In v10, why are the poor of the people left in Judah while others are taken?
- When have you felt protected like Ebed-melech in v17 despite difficult circumstances?
Go deeper
Passages that echo Jeremiah 39: Jeremiah 38, Jeremiah 52, 2 Kings 25.
Before next time: read Jeremiah 40.