Nergal-sar-ezer נֵרְגַּל שַׁרְאֶ֫צֶר

Who is Nergal-sar-ezer in the Bible?

Nergal-sar-ezer was a high-ranking Babylonian official who participated in the siege and capture of Jerusalem in 587 BC, as recorded in Jeremiah 39:3. He likely went on to become Neriglissar, who would eventually usurp the Babylonian throne from Amel-Marduk, the son of Nebuchadnezzar II. At the time of Jerusalem's fall, Nergal-sar-ezer served as a representative of King Nebuchadnezzar and, along with other Babylonian officials, took up position at the Middle Gate of Jerusalem to oversee the destruction of the city, the burning of the temple, and the deportation of its inhabitants (2 Kings 25:8-21). His presence at this pivotal moment connects him to one of the most significant events in Old Testament history, the fall of Jerusalem and the beginning of the Babylonian exile.