Nergal-sharezer

At a Glance

Babylonian official named in Jeremiah’s account of Jerusalem’s fall.

Key Points

• Proper name, not a doctrine term
• appears in Jeremiah 39
• tied to the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem
• identification details are historically uncertain.

Description

Nergal-sharezer is a Babylonian proper name appearing in Jeremiah 39 among the officials associated with the capture of Jerusalem. The biblical text places the name within the historical judgment on Judah and the fall of the city to Babylon. Interpreters differ on whether the references point to one person or more than one official with the same name, and some proposals connect the name with other known Babylonian figures; however, such identifications should be held cautiously. Scripture uses the name as part of the historical narrative, not as a theological category, so the entry belongs more naturally under biblical person/name than theological term.

Biblical Context

Jeremiah 39 records the capture of Jerusalem and names Babylonian officials in that setting. Nergal-sharezer appears there as part of the historical account surrounding Judah’s defeat and exile.

Historical Context

The name belongs to the Neo-Babylonian period and reflects the world of Babylonian court and military officials. Historical attempts to identify the person behind the name are possible but not certain, so the safest approach is to treat the biblical data as primary.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Jeremiah presents the fall of Jerusalem as a real historical judgment within the life of the nation. Ancient readers would have understood the name as one more marker that the prophecy was fulfilled in ordinary political and military history.

Primary Key Texts

• Jeremiah 39:3, 13

Secondary Key Texts

• Jeremiah 52:25-27

Original Language Note

A transliterated Babylonian name preserved in Hebrew form in Jeremiah. The exact historical reconstruction is debated, so the name should be handled cautiously.

Theological Significance

Nergal-sharezer has indirect theological value because it appears in the account of God’s judgment on Judah through Babylon. It helps anchor Jeremiah’s prophecy in concrete history.

Philosophical Explanation

This entry illustrates how Scripture uses real names and events, not abstract ideas alone, to communicate divine truth. Historical particulars matter because revelation is given in history.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not treat Nergal-sharezer as a theological concept. The same name may refer to more than one Babylonian official, and later historical identifications are not certain.

Major Views

Most discussion concerns historical identification: one official or multiple officials with the same name, and whether the biblical figure can be linked with a known Babylonian ruler or officer. The text itself does not require a definitive reconstruction.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should remain a proper-name entry. It should not be expanded into speculation about chronology, hidden symbolism, or doctrinal claims beyond the historical setting of Jeremiah 39.

Practical Significance

The entry reminds readers that biblical prophecy addresses real history and named people. It also encourages humility when later historical identifications are uncertain.

Related Entries

• Babylon
• Jeremiah
• Nebuchadnezzar
• Jerusalem
• Zedekiah

See Also

• Babylon
• Jeremiah 39
• Jeremiah 52
• Nebuchadnezzar