Samgarnebo is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Samgarnebo was a Babylonian official who was present at the siege of Jerusalem, mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. He is identified in the source note as one of the princes of the king of Babylon. He appears in the biblical record at a decisive moment in the history of Judah: the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian army. The prophet Jeremiah, who had long warned that the city would be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, records the arrival of these officials as the fulfillment of that judgment began to unfold.
According to Jeremiah 39:3, “all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate,” and Samgarnebo is named among them, together with Nergalsharezer, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, and Rabmag. These men took their seats in the middle gate of Jerusalem, a position of authority and conquest. Their sitting in the gate signified that the city had passed into Babylonian control and that its administration now belonged to a foreign power. Samgarnebo is listed as one of these princes, a participant in the occupying authority that took charge once Jerusalem was breached.
Scripture says nothing further about Samgarnebo beyond this single appearance. He is not recorded as speaking, acting, or making any decision; he is simply named as one of the Babylonian princes who entered and sat in the middle gate. The text presents him as part of the group through whom God’s declared judgment came upon Jerusalem. His presence in the account is a historical marker of the city’s fall, and his name stands in the record as one of the officials who presided over that moment. Nothing is said of his later life, his fate, or his character.
The Name
The name Samgarnebo is not clearly recoverable in meaning from the Hebrew text as it stands. It is generally understood to be a Babylonian name, and it appears to combine elements that may relate to a Babylonian deity, possibly Nebo, a god prominent in Babylonian naming conventions. However, because the name comes to us through the Hebrew text as a foreign name transliterated into it, the precise meaning is uncertain. It is best to say plainly that the meaning of this name is not well established, and no confident definition can be given.
A Closing Thought
Samgarnebo appears only once, named among the princes who sat in Jerusalem’s gate as the city fell. He did not seek God, did not repent, and left no record of faith. Yet his brief mention reminds us that even those who seem incidental to the story are seen by God and recorded in His Word. It is a sobering thought that a man may be remembered forever for standing on the wrong side of a fulfilled prophecy. May we instead be found among those who heed God’s warnings while there is still time.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Jeremiah 39:3 — And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.