In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse pinpoints the exact day Jerusalem's walls were breached, marking the devastating end of its defiance and the culmination of an eighteen-month siege. The phrase "the city was broken up" isn't just about physical destruction; it signifies the shattering of their false security and the inevitable consequence of their rebellion against God.
In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse marks a devastating turning point in Jerusalem's history, occurring after a long and brutal siege lasting eighteen months. The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar, finally breached the city walls, signaling the imminent fall of Judah. This event directly precedes the capture of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the exile of its people, fulfilling years of Jeremiah's warnings.
History is often written in broad strokes, but Scripture sometimes gives us precise details. This verse pinpoints a single day when Jerusalem's fate was sealed.
Jeremiah 39:2 provides the exact date the walls of Jerusalem were breached: 'in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month.' This wasn't a gradual decline, but a specific moment of catastrophic failure. The siege had lasted for eighteen grueling months, a testament to the city's defenses and the people's resilience, or perhaps desperation. Yet, on this precise day, the military engines of the Babylonians succeeded. The walls, once symbols of security and pride, became the very instruments of their downfall, broken open by battering rams.
Jerusalem's mighty walls were its pride and its protection. But on this day, they offered no defense. What does this tell us about true security?
The breaching of Jerusalem's walls signifies more than just a military defeat; it's a profound theological statement. For generations, Judah had relied on its fortifications and its Davidic kings, believing themselves safe. However, their sin had eroded God's protection. Henry's commentary notes, 'sin provoked God to withdraw his protection, and then it was as weak as other cities.' The physical walls failing points to a spiritual reality: ultimate security is not found in earthly defenses, however strong, but in obedience and right relationship with God. When God withdraws His favor, even the strongest walls are rendered useless.
Understand the original words
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beqiah · Hebrew Noun
A breakthrough in a defensive wall; prophetically and historically, it represents the moment of total collapse for the city's defenses against the judgment of God.
This verse pinpoints a specific, devastating moment in Jerusalem's history, marking the end of a long and brutal siege that led to the city's destruction and the exile of its people.
589 BC
Babylonian Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon and his army arrived and began the siege of Jerusalem, marking the start of a prolonged period of intense hardship for the city's inhabitants.
c. July 588 BC
Temporary Relief and Egyptian Intervention
A brief respite occurred when Pharaoh Hophra's army advanced, causing the Babylonians to temporarily withdraw their siege. However, the Egyptians were defeated, leading the Babylonians to resume their blockade.
c. July 587 BC— this verse
Babylonians Breach Jerusalem's Walls
After a siege lasting about 18 months, the Babylonian forces successfully broke through the defenses of Jerusalem. This marked the end of the city's resistance.
July 587 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonians captured Jerusalem, looted the Temple, and destroyed its sacred furnishings. This devastating event signified the end of the Davidic monarchy and Judah's sovereignty.
c. July 587 BC
Zedekiah's Capture and Punishment
King Zedekiah was captured while attempting to flee. He was taken to Babylon, forced to witness the execution of his sons, and then had his eyes gouged out before being imprisoned.
c. August 587 BC
Third Deportation of Judeans
Following the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar ordered another deportation of Judeans, sending many of the remaining skilled laborers and officials into exile in Babylon.
This passage directly parallels Jeremiah 39:2, providing the same information about the breach in the city walls on the ninth day of the fourth month in Zedekiah's eleventh year. It further specifies that this occurred after a long siege of eighteen months, emphasizing the consequence of Judah's rebellion.
2 Kings 25:4This account from the perspective of the books of Kings also records the breach of Jerusalem in the same month and year, confirming the historical event. It highlights the enemy's entry and the subsequent actions, underscoring the devastating reality of the city's fall.
Ezekiel 4:2Although not a direct event, Ezekiel's prophetic act of laying siege to a model of Jerusalem in the same year (Ezekiel's 4th year) foreshadows the literal siege and destruction described in Jeremiah 39:2. It illustrates God's judgment being graphically portrayed before the event itself.
Lamentations 1:14This verse speaks of the 'yoke of my transgressions' being bound and put upon Jerusalem, which indirectly relates to the breach in the city walls as the ultimate consequence of sin. It shows how sin led to the city's vulnerability and eventual downfall.
pooleJeremiah 39:2: "And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up."
The siege lasted a year and half, for it was the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year before it was taken: it is said here to be broken up, because their way of taking fortified places then was by beating down the walls of the besieged with iron rams and engines, as we now do with great guns. This kingdom had now held three hundred and eighty years, from Rehoboam t…
clarkeJeremiah 39:2: "And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up."
The eleventh year - in the fourth month - This month in the Hebrew calendar is called Thammuz, and commences with the first new moon of our July. The siege had lasted just eighteen months. The city was broken up - A breach was made in the wall by which the Chaldeans entered.
This verse pinpoints the exact day Jerusalem's walls were breached, marking the devastating end of its defiance and the culmination of an eighteen-month siege. The phrase "the city was broken up" isn't just about physical destruction; it signifies the shattering of their false security and the inevitable consequence of their rebellion against God.
This verse marks a devastating turning point in Jerusalem's history, occurring after a long and brutal siege lasting eighteen months. The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar, finally breached the city walls, signaling the imminent fall of Judah. This event directly precedes the capture of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the exile of its people, fulfilling years of Jeremiah's warnings.
This verse marks a devastating turning point in Jerusalem's history, occurring after a long and brutal siege lasting eighteen months. The Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar, finally breached the city walls, signaling the imminent fall of Judah. This event directly precedes the capture of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the exile of its people, fulfilling years of Jeremiah's warnings.
"In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city." — This verse pinpoints the exact day Jerusalem's walls were breached, marking the devastating end of its defiance and the culmination of an eighteen-month siege. The phrase "the city was broken up" isn…
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Last reviewed October 2026