Jeremiah 39:9-10

Jeremiah 39:9-10

[9] Then Nebuzaradan  the captain  of the guard  carried away captive  into Babylon  the remnant  of the people  that remained  in the city,  and those that fell away,  to him, with the rest  of the people  that remained.  [10] But Nebuzaradan  the captain  of the guard  left  of the poor  of the people,  which had nothing,  in the land  of Judah,  and gave  them vineyards  and fields  at the same time. 

What does Jeremiah 39:9-10 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Nebuzaradan (lit. the chief butcher, an archaic title), the captain of Nebuchadnezzar"s bodyguard, was in charge of deporting the Jerusalemites to Babylon. He deported almost everyone who was left in the city, plus the Judahites who had defected to the Babylonians. The only native inhabitants that he left behind were some of the poorest of the people, to whom he gave vineyards and fields. It was in Babylon"s best interests to maintain the agricultural productivity of Canaan.