Nergal-Sharezer

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Another of the "princes," who bore the title of "Rabmag." He was one of those who were sent to release Jeremiah from prison ( Jeremiah 39:13 ) by "the captain of the guard." He was a Babylonian grandee of high rank. From profane history and the inscriptions, we are led to conclude that he was the Neriglissar who murdered Evil-merodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, and succeeded him on the throne of Babylon (B.C. 559-556). He was married to a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. The ruins of a palace, the only one on the right bank of the Euphrates, bear inscriptions denoting that it was built by this king. He was succeeded by his son, a mere boy, who was murdered after a reign of some nine months by a conspiracy of the nobles, one of whom, Nabonadius, ascended the vacant throne, and reigned for a period of seventeen years (B.C. 555-538), at the close of which period Babylon was taken by Cyrus. Belshazzar, who comes into notice in connection with the taking of Babylon, was by some supposed to have been the same as Nabonadius, who was called Nebuchadnezzar's son ( Daniel 5:11,18,22 ), because he had married his daughter. But it is known from the inscriptions that Nabonadius had a son called Belshazzar, who may have been his father's associate on the throne at the time of the fall of Babylon, and who therefore would be the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews had only one word, usually rendered "father," to represent also such a relationship as that of "grandfather" or "great-grandfather."

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Nergal-Sharezer'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/n/nergal-sharezer.html. 1897.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ner'gal-share'zer. (Prince Of Fire). Nergalsharezer occurs only in  Jeremiah 39:3 and  Jeremiah 39:13. There appear to have been two persons in the name among the "princes of the king of Babylon," who accompanied Nebuchadnezzar, on his last expedition against Jerusalem.

One of these is not marked by any additional title; but the other has the honorable distinction of Rab-mag , probably, meaning Chief Of The Magi , See Rab-Mag , and it is to him alone that any particular interest attaches. In sacred Scripture, he appears among the persons who, by command of Nebuchadnezzar, released Jeremiah from prison.

Profane history gives us reason to believe that, he was a personage of great importance, who not long afterward, mounted the Babylonian throne. He is the same as the monarch called, Neriglissar or Neriglissor , who murdered Evil-merodach , the son of Nebuchadnezzar and succeeded him upon the throne. His reign lasted from B.C. 559, to B.C. 556.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(See Nergal ; BABYLON.) Sharezer, in Zend, would mean "prince of fire." Two are mentioned ( Jeremiah 39:3;  Jeremiah 39:13) as accompanying Nebuchadnezzar at the capture of Jerusalem, and as releasing Jeremiah: one has the title (For It Is Not A Distinct Person) Rubmag, "chief priest." On Babylonian bricks he is called Nergal-shar-uzar, Rubuemga; the same as Neriglissar (Josephus, Ap. 1:20) who murdered his brother-in-law, Evil Merodach, Nebuchadnezzar's son, and succeeded to the throne as having married Nebuchadnezzar's daughter.

Intemperance, lawlessness, and his elevation of Jehoiachin above the other kings at Babylon, disgusted the Babylonians, so that they deposed Evil Merodach. Nergal-sharezer reigned three or four years, 559-556 B.C., and was succeeded by his son Laborosoarchod, who was murdered after reigning nine months. The palace of Nergal-sharezer is the only large building discovered on the Euphrates' right bank. The bricks state he was "son of Belzikkariskun, king of Babylon," possibly the "chief Chaldaean" (Berosus) who kept the throne for Nebuchadnezzar at Nabopolassar's death, until his arrival at Babylon.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Nergal-Sharezer The Bab. [Note: Babylonian.] Nçrgal-shar-uzur ‘Nergal preserve the king,’ the Rab-mag (wh. see), who, with Nebuzaradan and Nebushazban, released Jeremiah from prison (  Jeremiah 39:3;   Jeremiah 39:13 ). It is tempting to suppose that he was the Nçrgal-shar-uzur who married a daughter of Nebuchadrezzar, and later came to the throne of Babylon, and is known from classical writers as Neriglissar (b.c. 559 556).

C. H. W. Johns.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Jeremiah 39:3 39:13[[History And Religion Of Babylon]]

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Hebrew Nergal'-Sharets'er, ' נֵרְגֵלאּשִׁרְאֶצֶר ; Sept. Νηργελσασασάρ , Vat. MS. Νεριγλισσάρ v.r. Μαργανασάρ , Μαργαννασάρ , Νηργελσαρασάρ; Ναγαργᾶς v.r. Νηργέλ , all in  Jeremiah 39:3; also Νηργέ Καὶ Σαρασάρ ,  Jeremiah 39:13; Vulg. Neregel Et Sereser), the name apparently of two persons among the "princes of the king of Babylon," who accompanied Nebuchadnezzar on his last expedition against Jerusalem, B.C. 588. The first part of the name is the god Nergal (q.v.), and Sharezer is supposed from the Zend to mean Prince Of Fire (Gesen.).

1. The first of these is mentioned only in  Jeremiah 39:3, without any other designation or notice.

2. "The other has the honorable distinction of Rabmag ( רִבאּמָג ), and it is to him alone that any particular interest attaches ( Jeremiah 39:3). In sacred Scripture he appears among the persons who, by command of Nebuchadnezzar, released Jeremiah from prison ( Jeremiah 39:13); profane history gives us reason to believe that he was a personage of great importance, who not long afterwards mounted the Babylonian throne. This identification depends in part upon the exact resemblance of name which is found on Babylonian bricks in the form of Nergal-Shar-Uzur; but mainly it rests upon the title Rubu-Emga, or Rab-mag, which this king bears in his inscriptions, and on the improbability of there having been, towards the close of the Babylonian period when the monumental monarch must have lived two persons of exactly the same name holding this office. (See Rab- Mag).

Assuming on these grounds the identity of the scriptural 'Nergal- Sharezer, Rab-mag,' with the monumental Neergal-Shar-Uzur, Rab-Emga, we may learn something of the prince in question from profane authors. There cannot be a doubt that he was the monarch called Neriglissar or Neriglissoor by Berosus (Josephus, c. Ap. 1:30), who murdered Evil- Merodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, and succeeded him upon the throne. This prince was married to a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, and was thus the brother-in-law of his predecessor, whom he put to death. His reign lasted between three and four years. He appears to have died a natural death, and certainly left his crown to a young son, Laborosoarchod, who was murdered after a reign of nine months. In the Canon of Ptolemy he appears, under the designation of Nerigassolassar, as reigning four years between Illoarudamus (Evil-Merodach) and Nabonadius, his son's reign not obtaining any mention because it fell short of a year. A palace built by Neriglissar has been discovered at Babylon. It is the only building of any extent on the right bank of the Euphrates. (See Babylon).

The bricks bear the name of Nergal-shar-uzur, the title of Rab-mag, and also a statement — which is somewhat surprising — that Nergal-shar-uzur was the son of a certain 'Belzikkar-iskun, king of Babylon.' The only explanation which has been offered of this statement is a conjecture (Rawlinson's Herodotus, 1:518) that Bel-zikkar-iskun may possibly have been the 'chief Chaldnean' who (according to Berosus) kept the royal authority for Nebuchadnezzar during the interval between his father's death and his own arrival at Babylon. (See Nebuchadnezzar).

Neriglissar could scarcely have given his father the title of king without some ground; and this is at any rate a possible ground, and one compatible with the non-appearance of the name in any extant list of the later Babylonian monarchs. Neriglissars office of Rab-Mag will be further considered under that word. It is evident that he was a personage of importance before he mounted the throne. Some (as Larcher) have sought to identify him with Darius the Mede; but this view is quite untenable. There is abundant reason to believe from his name and his office that he was a native Babylonian — a grandee of high rank under Nebuchadnezzar, who regarded him as a fitting match for one of his daughters. He did not, like Darius Medus, gain Babylon by conquest, but acquired his dominion by an internal revolution. His reign lasted from B.C. 559 to B.C. 556."

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nûr - gal - sha - rē´zar ( נרגל־שׁראצר , nēreghal - shar'ecer , Hebrew form of Assyrian Nergal - sar - ušur , "O Nergal, defend the prince"): A B abylonian officer, the "Rab-mag," associated with Nebushazban in the care of Jeremiah after the fall of Jerusalem ( Jeremiah 39:3 ,  Jeremiah 39:13 ). According to Hommel (article "Babylon," Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible (five volumes)) and Sayce ( Hastings Dictionary of the Bible , under the word), Nergal-sharezer is to be identified with Neriglissar who succeeded Evil-merodach on the throne of Babylon (compare Cheyne and Johns, Encyclopedia Biblica , under the word).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Ner´gal-Share´zer (Nergal, prince of fire).

A military chieftain under Nebuchadnezzar .

The chief of the magi (Rab-mag) under the same king, and present in the same expedition .