Jeremiah 52:6-7
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This verse highlights a specific date, the ninth day of the fourth month, marking a famine so severe that it left no food for the common people, not just the soldiers but the general population. This precise detail isn't just historical record; it became a somber annual fast day for remembrance, underscoring the depth of this devastating moment.
On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of a gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage details the devastating final days of Jerusalem's siege, following King Zedekiah's failed escape attempt. The relentless Babylonian assault has reached its peak, creating an unbearable famine within the city walls that has left no food for the common people. This grim description sets the stage for the city's ultimate fall and the destruction of the Temple.
Some days are etched in history not for triumphs, but for utter devastation. This verse pinpoints one such day.
Jeremiah 52:6 doesn't just tell us about a famine; it gives us a specific date: the ninth day of the fourth month. This detail is crucial. For Jewish tradition, this date became a somber commemoration, a fast day, marking not just the siege of Jerusalem but the crushing reality of starvation that preceded its fall.
The Weight of a Date
When a city's food runs out, it's not just hunger; it's the unraveling of society itself. This verse shows us that breaking point.
The phrase 'famine was so severe... that there was no food' paints a grim picture. This wasn't just a scarcity; it was a complete depletion of sustenance for the majority.
The Desperate State
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Understand the original words
ra'ab · Hebrew Noun
A state of extreme scarcity of food, often used in Scripture as a sign of divine judgment against a nation or individual for disobedience or covenant unfaithfulness.
beqia' · Hebrew Noun
A break, gap, or opening, often resulting from a collapse or military siege; biblically, it can symbolize the vulnerability that comes when God's protective hedge is removed due to persistent sin.
Kasdim · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to the Neo-Babylonian people; in the prophetic context, they serve as the instruments of God's sovereign judgment upon Judah for their refusal to repent.
'Arabah · Hebrew Noun
A geological term for the deep rift valley of the Jordan River; biblically, it is a place of transit but also a place where the glory of the land is contrasted with the desolation brought by judgment.
This verse pinpoints a specific, agonizing day during the brutal siege of Jerusalem, highlighting the catastrophic famine that preceded its final fall and the Babylonian exile. This memory was so significant that it became a fast day, reminding future generations of the dire consequences of national disobedience.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his campaigns against Judah, deporting some of the royal family and educated elite. This marked the beginning of increasing Babylonian influence and control over the region.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion by King Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar exiled more of Jerusalem's population, including prominent citizens and craftsmen, and installed Zedekiah as a puppet king.
c. 588 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
King Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon for the third time. Nebuchadnezzar responded by laying siege to Jerusalem, cutting off its supplies and isolating the city.
July c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Famine Grips Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege, the devastating effects of famine became unbearable. Food ran out completely, leading to extreme suffering and weakening the city's ability to resist.
July c. 587/586 BC
Babylonians Breach Jerusalem Walls
The Babylonian army finally broke through the walls of Jerusalem after a devastating siege marked by starvation and disease. The city was on the verge of collapse.
July c. 587/586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar's forces captured Jerusalem, looted the Temple, and deported the remaining population, including King Zedekiah, to Babylon, leaving only the poorest to cultivate the land.
This passage vividly describes the same devastating famine during the siege of Jerusalem, emphasizing the suffering and desperation that gripped the city's inhabitants.
Ezekiel 4:16Ezekiel's prophecy directly parallels Jeremiah's account by predicting a severe famine in Jerusalem, highlighting the scarcity of food as a divine judgment.
Zechariah 8:19This verse establishes a historical fast day in remembrance of the destruction of the temple and the severe famine, directly linking back to the specific date mentioned in Jeremiah 52:6.
Jeremiah 38:9This earlier prophecy from Jeremiah himself warns of the impending famine and the dire consequences of disobedience, foreshadowing the reality described in chapter 52.
clarkeJeremiah 52:6: "And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land."
And in the fourth month - See the notes on Jeremiah 39:1 , etc. The fourth month answers nearly to our July.
ellicottJeremiah 52:6: "And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land."
(6) And in the fourth month. —Omitted in the Hebrew of 2Kings 25:3 , but supplied in the English version.
This verse highlights a specific date, the ninth day of the fourth month, marking a famine so severe that it left no food for the common people, not just the soldiers but the general population. This precise detail isn't just historical record; it became a somber annual fast day for remembrance, underscoring the depth of this devastating moment.
This passage details the devastating final days of Jerusalem's siege, following King Zedekiah's failed escape attempt. The relentless Babylonian assault has reached its peak, creating an unbearable famine within the city walls that has left no food for the common people. This grim description sets the stage for the city's ultimate fall and the destruction of the Temple.
This passage details the devastating final days of Jerusalem's siege, following King Zedekiah's failed escape attempt. The relentless Babylonian assault has reached its peak, creating an unbearable famine within the city walls that has left no food for the common people. This grim description sets the stage for the city's ultimate fall and the destruction of the Temple.
"On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of…" — This verse highlights a specific date, the ninth day of the fourth month, marking a famine so severe that it left no food for the common people, not just the soldiers but the general population. Th…
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Last reviewed October 2026
