Bible Word Study
נֵרְגַּל שַׁרְאֶצֶר
Nêrᵉgal Sharʼetser · Nergal-Sharetser, the name of two Babylonians
נֵרְגַּל שַׁרְאֶצֶר
Nergal-Sharetser, the name of two Babylonians
Definition
Nergal-Sharetser is a compound Babylonian name borne by two distinct officials in the Book of Jeremiah. The name combines the Mesopotamian god 'Nergal' with the title 'Sharetser,' likely meaning 'protect the king.' The first Nergal-Sharetser was a high-ranking military officer, a 'Rab-mag' (chief of the magi), present at the fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 39:3). The second was a 'Rab-saris' (chief eunuch/official) who protected the prophet Jeremiah after the city's capture (Jeremiah 39:13). Both men represent the Babylonian imperial administration that executed God's judgment on Judah.
Biblical Usage
This proper name appears only twice in the Old Testament, both times in Jeremiah 39. It is used to identify specific Babylonian officials involved in the siege and capture of Jerusalem in 586 BC. In Jeremiah 39:3, Nergal-Sharetser the Rab-mag is listed among the princes who entered the city. In Jeremiah 39:13, Nergal-Sharetser the Rab-saris is named among those who ensured Jeremiah's safety, showing a pattern of the name being associated with high court titles and military-political authority.
Etymology
The name is a direct Hebrew transliteration of the Akkadian (Babylonian) name 'Nergal-šar-uṣur.' It is a compound of two elements: 'Nergal' (H5370), the Mesopotamian god of war, plague, and the underworld, and 'Sharetser,' derived from the Akkadian 'šar-uṣur,' meaning 'protect the king.' The name thus means 'May Nergal protect the king.' Its presence in the Hebrew text reflects direct cultural and linguistic contact with Babylon.
Semantic Range
This name is theologically significant as it appears in the narrative of God's covenantal judgment on Judah. The bearers of this pagan name are instruments of divine wrath (Jeremiah 39), yet one also becomes an agent of God's mercy by protecting His prophet. It underscores God's sovereignty over pagan nations and their gods, using even officials named after foreign deities to accomplish His purposes of judgment and preservation. The name is deeply embedded in Babylonian culture, invoking the god Nergal and expressing loyalty to the monarchy. Its use in Jeremiah authenticates the historical setting of the exile. For an Israelite reader, hearing this name would evoke the power and religious worldview of the empire that conquered them, making the prophet's message about God's control over Babylon all the more striking.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]