Jeremiah / Chapter 52

Jeremiah 52

34 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex 1 tradition available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Jeremiah 52 is the historical appendix to the book, closely paralleling 2 Kings 24:18-25:30. It narrates the final events of Judah's kingdom: Zedekiah's rebellion, the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the city's breach, Zedekiah's capture and blinding, the destruction of the temple and city walls, the deportation of the population, and the appointment of officials over the remnant. The chapter includes a unique three-part deportation census (vv. 28-30) not found in 2 Kings, providing specific numbers for three separate deportations. The book closes with the release of King Jehoiachin from Babylonian prison by Evil-Merodach (Amel-Marduk) — a quiet note of hope at the end of catastrophe.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

This chapter functions as the historical verification of everything Jeremiah prophesied. The prophet warned of siege, destruction, exile, and the fall of the Davidic monarchy — chapter 52 shows it all fulfilled. The deportation numbers in verses 28-30 (3,023 + 832 + 745 = 4,600 total) are significantly lower than the round numbers in 2 Kings 24:14-16 (10,000 + 8,000), likely because Jeremiah's count records only adult males while Kings includes families, or because they count different deportation events. The discrepancy is historically significant and we note it without resolving it. The final scene — Jehoiachin eating at the king's table in Babylon — echoes the covenant meals of the patriarchs and provides the book's only forward-looking moment: the Davidic line survives. We preserve the matter-of-fact prose register of this chapter, which reads like royal annals rather than prophetic poetry.

Translation Friction

The parallel with 2 Kings 25 required constant cross-referencing to identify where Jeremiah 52 diverges — the deportation numbers (vv. 28-30) are the most significant unique material. The dating formulas use both regnal years and calendar months, requiring careful rendering. The word pinnah ('corner') in verse 23 is traditionally rendered 'on a side' but may indicate a specific architectural feature of the temple pillars. The name Evil-Merodach (v. 31) is the Hebrew rendering of the Babylonian name Amel-Marduk ('man of Marduk') — we retain the biblical form with a note on the original. Throughout the chapter, the prose is deliberately spare and archival, and we resisted the temptation to add rhetorical color that the Hebrew does not contain.

Connections

This chapter parallels 2 Kings 24:18-25:30 almost word for word, with key differences. It also reprises Jeremiah's own prophecies: the siege fulfills 21:3-10 and 34:1-5; the burning of the temple fulfills 7:14; Zedekiah's capture fulfills 32:3-5 and 34:3; the exile fulfills 25:11. Jehoiachin's release connects to 22:24-30 (the signet-ring oracle) and forward to Zerubbabel, Jehoiachin's grandson, who leads the return (Haggai 2:23, where God reverses the signet-ring image). The deportation numbers provide data found nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. **Tradition comparisons:** The Septuagint preserves a significantly different text tradition for Jeremiah. MT ch. 52 = LXX ch. 52. Both traditions end with this historical appendix. The chapter was probably added by an editor (not Jeremiah himself) as indicated by the colophon at 51:64b. See the [LXX Jeremiah comparison](/lxx-jeremiah/52).

Jeremiah 52:1

בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְאַחַ֤ת שָׁנָה֙ צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ בְמָלְכ֔וֹ וְאַחַ֤ת עֶשְׂרֵה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ חֲמוּטַ֥ל בַּת־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מִלִּבְנָֽה׃

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

KJV Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This is the standard regnal formula used for Judean kings. Hamutal was also the mother of Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:31), making Zedekiah and Jehoahaz full brothers. The 'Jeremiah of Libnah' here is not the prophet — it is a common name. Libnah was a Judean city in the Shephelah near Lachish.
Jeremiah 52:2

וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה יְהוֹיָקִֽים׃

He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done.

KJV And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The evaluation formula 'he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD' (vayyaas hara be'einei YHWH) is the standard negative verdict used for Judean and Israelite kings throughout Kings and Chronicles. Comparing Zedekiah to Jehoiakim rather than to his father Josiah makes the judgment sharper — he followed the worst recent model rather than the best.
Jeremiah 52:3

כִּ֣י ׀ עַל־אַ֣ף יְהוָ֗ה הָיְתָ֤ה בִירוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ וִֽיהוּדָ֔ה עַד־הִשְׁלִיכ֥וֹ אוֹתָ֖ם מֵעַ֣ל פָּנָ֑יו וַיִּמְרֹ֥ד צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ בְּמֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל׃

For because of the anger of the LORD, things reached the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

KJV For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase hishlikho otam me'al panav ('he cast them out from his presence') is the theological thesis of the entire chapter: exile is expulsion from God's presence. The verb hishlikh ('cast, hurl') is violent — not a gentle dismissal but a forcible ejection. Zedekiah's rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar was the proximate political cause of the siege, but the text frames it as occurring within God's anger — the political act is embedded in a theological framework.
Jeremiah 52:4

וַיְהִ֣י בַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַתְּשִׁעִ֣ית לְמָלְכ֡וֹ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי֩ בֶּעָשׂ֨וֹר לַחֹ֜דֶשׁ בָּ֣א נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֧ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל ה֥וּא וְכָל־חֵיל֖וֹ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ֑͏ִם וַֽיַּחֲנ֣וּ עָלֶ֔יהָ וַיִּבְנ֥וּ עָלֶ֖יהָ דָּיֵ֥ק סָבִֽיב׃

In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his entire army against Jerusalem. They encamped against it and built siege works all around it.

KJV And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The date — the tenth of Tevet, 588 BCE — became a permanent Jewish fast day (Zechariah 8:19) commemorating the beginning of the siege. The word dayeq ('siege works, siege wall') refers to the earthen ramps and wooden fortifications used to encircle and starve a besieged city. The precision of the dating reflects annalistic record-keeping — the scribes knew the exact day the siege began.
Jeremiah 52:5

וַתָּבֹ֥א הָעִ֖יר בַּמָּצ֑וֹר עַ֚ד עַשְׁתֵּ֣י עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּֽהוּ׃

The city remained under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

KJV So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The siege lasted approximately eighteen months — from January 588 to July 586 BCE. The brevity of this verse belies the catastrophic suffering: famine, disease, and social collapse are documented in Lamentations 2:11-12, 4:4-10 and Ezekiel 4:9-17. The terse style is characteristic of annalistic prose.
Jeremiah 52:6

בַּחֹ֤דֶשׁ הָֽרְבִיעִי֙ בְּתִשְׁעָ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ וַיֶּחֱזַ֥ק הָרָעָ֖ב בָּעִ֑יר וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה לֶ֖חֶם לְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃

In the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine in the city was so severe that there was no bread for the people of the land.

KJV And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The ninth of Tammuz (July 586 BCE) is the date of the famine's extremity — later tradition associates this with the seventeenth of Tammuz, another fast day. The phrase am ha'arets ('people of the land') here refers to the common population of Jerusalem, the civilian non-elite who suffered most from the siege. The verb chazaq ('was strong, severe') describes the famine as an overwhelming force.
Jeremiah 52:7

וַתִּבָּקַ֖ע הָעִ֑יר וְכָל־אַנְשֵׁ֨י הַמִּלְחָמָ֜ה יִבְרְח֗וּ וַיֵּצְא֣וּ מֵהָעִיר֮ לַ֒יְלָה֒ דֶּ֜רֶךְ שַׁ֣עַר ׀ בֵּין־הַחֹמֹתַ֗יִם אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־גַּ֣ן הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְכַשְׂדִּ֖ים עַל־הָעִ֣יר סָבִ֑יב וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ דֶּ֥רֶךְ הָעֲרָבָֽה׃

Then the city wall was breached. All the soldiers fled, leaving the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. They made their way toward the Arabah.

KJV Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb tivvaqa ('was breached, broken through') is the technical military term for a wall being pierced by siege operations. The gate 'between the two walls' (bein hachmotayim) was in the southeastern corner of the city, near the Kidron Valley — it offered a narrow escape route toward the Jordan Rift Valley. The Arabah is the Jordan Valley depression extending south to the Dead Sea. The nighttime escape reveals the desperation of the defenders.
Jeremiah 52:8

וַיִּרְדְּפ֤וּ חֵיל־כַּשְׂדִּים֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיַּשִּׂ֥יגוּ אֶת־צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ בְּעַרְבֹ֣ת יְרֵח֑וֹ וְכָל־חֵיל֖וֹ נָפֹ֥צוּ מֵעָלָֽיו׃

The Chaldean army pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. His entire army scattered away from him.

KJV But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The plains of Jericho (arvot yericho) are about fifteen miles east of Jerusalem — Zedekiah did not get far. The verb nafotsu ('scattered') uses the same root as mappets ('war-hammer') in 51:20 — a bitter irony: the nation that shattered others is itself shattered. The king is abandoned by his own army, left alone to face capture.
Jeremiah 52:9

וַיִּתְפְּשׂ֣וּ אֶת־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וַיַּעֲל֨וּ אֹת֜וֹ אֶל־מֶ֧לֶךְ בָּבֶ֛ל רִבְלָ֖תָה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חֲמָ֑ת וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ מִשְׁפָּטִֽים׃

They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he passed sentence on him.

KJV Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Riblah was Nebuchadnezzar's military headquarters in central Syria (modern Lebanon/Syria border region), strategically located on the Orontes River. The phrase vayedabber itto mishpatim ('he spoke judgments with him') means Nebuchadnezzar held a formal judicial proceeding — this was not summary execution but a vassal trial for treaty violation. Zedekiah had sworn loyalty by oath (2 Chronicles 36:13, Ezekiel 17:13-19), and his rebellion was legally prosecutable under ancient Near Eastern treaty law.
Jeremiah 52:10

וַיִּשְׁחַ֤ט מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י צִדְקִיָּ֔הוּ לְעֵינָ֖יו וְגַ֛ם אֶת־כָּל־שָׂרֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה שָׁחַ֥ט בְּרִבְלָֽתָה׃

The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. He also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.

KJV And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb shachat ('slaughtered') is the same verb used for sacrificial slaughter — the execution of Zedekiah's sons is described with deliberate brutality. The phrase le'einav ('before his eyes') emphasizes that this was designed as psychological torture — the last sight Zedekiah would ever see (v. 11). Killing the royal sons eliminated potential future claimants to the throne — a standard practice in ancient Near Eastern political punishment.
Jeremiah 52:11

וְאֶת־עֵינֵ֥י צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ עִוֵּ֑ר וַיַּאַסְרֵ֣הוּ בַנְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם וַיְבִאֵ֤הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ בָּבֶ֔לָה וַיִּתְּנֵ֥הוּ בְבֵית־הַפְּקֻדֹּ֖ת עַד־י֥וֹם מוֹתֽוֹ׃

Then he blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze shackles, and the king of Babylon brought him to Babylon and put him in the house of custody until the day of his death.

KJV Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb ivver ('blinded') describes the physical mutilation of gouging out the eyes — a punishment attested in Assyrian and Babylonian records for rebellious vassals. The detail fulfills both Jeremiah's prophecy that Zedekiah would 'see the king of Babylon's eyes' (32:4, 34:3) and Ezekiel's seemingly contradictory prophecy that Zedekiah would go to Babylon but not 'see' it (Ezekiel 12:13). The bronze shackles (nechushtayim) may echo Samson's fate (Judges 16:21), another blinded prisoner. The 'house of custody' (beit ha-pequddot) is a Babylonian prison.
Jeremiah 52:12

וּבַחֹ֤דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי֙ בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ הִ֗יא שְׁנַ֛ת תְּשַׁע־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֑ר מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל בָּ֗א נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֛ן רַב־טַבָּחִ֥ים עָמַ֛ד לִפְנֵ֥י מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month — the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon — Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.

KJV Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The date is the tenth of Av (August 586 BCE). Second Kings 25:8 gives the seventh of Av — the discrepancy of three days is unexplained and likely reflects different records or different stages of the destruction. The ninth of Av (Tisha B'Av) became the traditional fast day, splitting the difference. Nebuzaradan's title rav tabbachim (literally 'chief of the butchers/slaughterers') was the standard title for the commander of the royal bodyguard — an Akkadian administrative title, not a description of his actions, though the literal meaning is grimly appropriate.
Jeremiah 52:13

וַיִּשְׂרֹ֥ף אֶת־בֵּית־יְהוָ֖ה וְאֶת־בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־בָּתֵּ֧י יְרוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם וְאֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֥ית הַגָּד֖וֹל שָׂרַ֥ף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃

He burned the house of the LORD, the king's palace, and every house in Jerusalem — every large building he burned with fire.

KJV And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The house of the LORD (beit YHWH) is Solomon's temple, which had stood for approximately 370 years. The systematic nature of the burning — temple, palace, private houses, and all major structures — indicates deliberate demolition, not collateral damage. The phrase kol beit hagadol ('every large building') may mean 'every house of a great person' (i.e., the aristocratic houses) or 'every great house' in terms of size. This verse fulfills Jeremiah 7:14 — 'I will do to this house what I did to Shiloh.'
Jeremiah 52:14

וְאֶת־כָּל־חֹמ֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם סָבִ֑יב נָֽתְצ֖וּ כָּל־חֵ֥יל כַּשְׂדִּ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶת־רַב־טַבָּחִֽים׃

The entire Chaldean army that was with the captain of the guard tore down all the walls of Jerusalem on every side.

KJV And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb natsetsu ('tore down, demolished') indicates systematic dismantling, not mere breaching. City walls were symbols of identity and security — their destruction left Jerusalem defenseless and politically nullified. Archaeological evidence confirms massive destruction layers in Jerusalem dating to this period.
Jeremiah 52:15

וּמִדַּלּ֣וֹת הָעָ֗ם וְאֶת־יֶ֙תֶר֙ הָעָ֔ם הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בָּעִ֔יר וְאֶת־הַנֹּפְלִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָפְלוּ֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל וְאֵ֖ת יֶ֣תֶר הָאָמ֑וֹן הֶגְלָ֕ה נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֖ן רַב־טַבָּחִֽים׃

Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard deported some of the poorest people, the rest of the population remaining in the city, the deserters who had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.

KJV Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The deportees fall into categories: the poor (dallot ha'am), the remaining residents, the defectors (nofelim, literally 'those who fell' to the Babylonian side), and the craftsmen (amon, 'artisans, skilled workers'). Babylon's deportation policy targeted skilled laborers and potential leaders while leaving subsistence farmers to work the land (v. 16). The word nofelim for defectors is loaded — those who 'fell to' Babylon during the siege may have followed Jeremiah's counsel (21:9, 38:2).
Jeremiah 52:16

וּמִדַּלּ֣וֹת הָאָ֗רֶץ הִשְׁאִ֛יר נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֥ן רַב־טַבָּחִ֖ים לְכֹרְמִ֥ים וּלְיֹגְבִֽים׃

But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest people of the land as vine-workers and field-laborers.

KJV But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The words koremim ('vine-workers') and yogevim ('field-laborers, plowmen') indicate that the Babylonians maintained agricultural production in Judah — the land was not abandoned but worked by a remnant of impoverished farmers. This economic calculation — deport the skilled, keep the unskilled to work the soil — was standard Babylonian imperial policy.
Jeremiah 52:17

וְאֶת־עַמּוּדֵ֨י הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְבֵית־יְהוָ֗ה וְאֶת־הַמְּכֹנ֛וֹת וְאֶת־יָ֥ם הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּבֵית־יְהוָ֑ה שִׁבְּר֣וּ כַשְׂדִּ֔ים וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־כָּל־נְחֻשְׁתָּ֖ם בָּבֶֽלָה׃

The Chaldeans broke apart the bronze pillars of the house of the LORD, the stands, and the bronze sea that was in the house of the LORD, and carried all their bronze to Babylon.

KJV Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The bronze pillars (Jachin and Boaz, cf. 1 Kings 7:15-22), the movable stands (mekhonot, cf. 1 Kings 7:27-37), and the bronze sea (yam hanechoshet, cf. 1 Kings 7:23-26) were the major bronze furnishings of Solomon's temple. The verb shibberu ('they broke apart') indicates they were too large to transport whole — the Babylonians dismantled them for the metal. The temple was not merely burned but systematically stripped of its valuable metals.
Jeremiah 52:18

וְאֶת־הַסִּיר֤וֹת וְאֶת־הַיָּעִים֙ וְאֶת־הַֽמְזַמְּר֣וֹת וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָק֗וֹת וְאֶת־הַכַּפּ֛וֹת וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־כְּלֵ֧י הַנְּחֹ֛שֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־יְשָׁרְת֥וּ בָהֶ֖ם לָקָֽחוּ׃

They also took the pots, the shovels, the wick-trimmers, the basins, the ladles, and all the bronze implements used in the service.

KJV The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The inventory of temple vessels catalogues the items used in daily sacrificial service: sirot ('pots' for boiling offerings), ya'im ('shovels' for ash removal), mezammerot ('wick-trimmers' for the lampstand), mizraqot ('basins' for catching and throwing sacrificial blood), and kappot ('ladles' or 'pans' for incense). The detailed listing emphasizes the completeness of the plunder — every implement of worship was confiscated.
Jeremiah 52:19

וְאֶת־הַ֠סִּפִּים וְאֶת־הַמַּחְתּ֨וֹת וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָק֜וֹת וְאֶת־הַסִּיר֣וֹת וְאֶת־הַמְּנֹר֗וֹת וְאֶת־הַכַּפּוֹת֙ וְאֶת־הַמְּנַקִיּ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֤ר זָהָב֙ זָהָ֔ב וַאֲשֶׁר־כֶּ֖סֶף כָּ֑סֶף לָקַ֖ח רַב־טַבָּחִֽים׃

The captain of the guard also took the thresholds, the fire pans, the basins, the pots, the lampstands, the ladles, and the drink-offering bowls — whatever was gold, as gold, and whatever was silver, as silver.

KJV And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase asher zahav zahav va'asher kesef kasef ('what was gold as gold, what was silver as silver') indicates that the metals were catalogued and collected by type — the Babylonians were meticulous in their plunder. The sippim may be 'thresholds' or 'bowls' (the Hebrew is ambiguous). The menaqiyyot ('drink-offering bowls') were used for libation offerings.
Jeremiah 52:20

הָעַמּוּדִ֣ים שְׁנַ֗יִם הַיָּ֤ם אֶחָד֙ וְהַבָּקָ֞ר שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֤ר נְחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ אֲשֶׁר־תַּ֣חַת הַמְּכֹנ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֛ה הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה לֹא־הָיָ֣ה מִשְׁקָ֔ל לִנְחֻשְׁתָּ֖ם כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were beneath it, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD — the bronze of all these items was beyond weighing.

KJV The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The twelve bronze bulls (baqar, literally 'oxen, cattle') supported the bronze sea on their backs (1 Kings 7:25). The phrase lo hayah mishqal ('there was no weight,' i.e., 'beyond weighing') indicates the quantity of bronze was so vast it could not be practically measured. According to 1 Kings 7:47, Solomon's bronze work was 'exceedingly great' in quantity. The mention of Solomon by name connects the destruction to its builder, completing the arc from construction to demolition.
Jeremiah 52:21

וְהָעַמּוּדִ֗ים שְׁמֹנֶ֨ה עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה אַמָּ֛ה קוֹמַ֖ת הָעַמּ֣וּד הָאֶחָ֑ד וְח֗וּט שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה אַמָּה֙ יְסֻבֶּ֔נּוּ וְעָבְי֛וֹ אַרְבַּ֥ע אֶצְבָּע֖וֹת נָבֽוּב׃

As for the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, its circumference twelve cubits, its thickness four fingers — it was hollow.

KJV And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The dimensions are given precisely: eighteen cubits high (approximately 27 feet / 8.2 meters), twelve cubits in circumference (approximately 18 feet / 5.5 meters), and four fingers thick (approximately 3 inches / 7.6 cm). The note that the pillar was hollow (navuv) indicates it was cast as a cylinder, not solid — a significant feat of bronze-casting technology. These measurements describe the pillars Jachin and Boaz (1 Kings 7:15-22).
Jeremiah 52:22

וְכֹתֶ֨רֶת עָלָ֜יו נְחֹ֗שֶׁת וְקוֹמַ֨ת הַכֹּתֶ֥רֶת הָאַחַ֛ת חָמֵ֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת וּשְׂבָכָ֣ה וְרִמּוֹנִ֗ים עַל־הַכּוֹתֶ֛רֶת סָבִ֖יב הַכֹּ֣ל נְחֹ֑שֶׁת וְכָאֵ֛לֶּה לַעַמּ֥וּד הַשֵּׁנִ֖י וְרִמּוֹנִֽים׃

A bronze capital was on top of it, and the height of one capital was five cubits, with latticework and pomegranates all around the capital — all of bronze. The second pillar was the same, with pomegranates.

KJV And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The koteret ('capital') was the decorative crown atop each pillar, five cubits high (approximately 7.5 feet / 2.3 meters). The sevakhah ('latticework, network') and rimmonim ('pomegranates') were ornamental features — pomegranates symbolized fertility and abundance in ancient Israelite art. The description matches 1 Kings 7:17-20 with minor variations.
Jeremiah 52:23

וַיִּהְי֨וּ תִשְׁעִ֜ים וְשִׁשָּׁ֤ה רִמּוֹנִים֙ ר֔וּחָה כָּל־הָרִמּוֹנִ֥ים מֵאָ֛ה עַל־הַשְּׂבָכָ֖ה סָבִֽיב׃

There were ninety-six pomegranates facing outward; in all, there were one hundred pomegranates on the latticework all around.

KJV And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The number discrepancy — ninety-six visible ('facing outward,' ruchah, literally 'toward the wind/air') versus one hundred total — means four pomegranates were concealed at the attachment points of the latticework. This architectural detail is unique to Jeremiah 52; it does not appear in the Kings parallel. The precision of the count (even noting hidden pomegranates) reflects the archival nature of this record.
Jeremiah 52:24

וַיִּקַּ֤ח רַב־טַבָּחִים֙ אֶת־שְׂרָיָ֣ה כֹּהֵ֣ן הָרֹ֔אשׁ וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֖ה כֹּהֵ֣ן הַמִּשְׁנֶ֑ה וְאֶת־שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת שֹׁמְרֵ֥י הַסַּֽף׃

The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold.

KJV And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This Seraiah the chief priest is not the same Seraiah as in 51:59. The three ranks of priestly leadership are named: the chief priest (kohen ha-rosh), the second priest (kohen ha-mishneh), and the threshold keepers (shomrei ha-saf). These were the senior religious officials of the temple. Their arrest and execution (v. 27) eliminated the priestly leadership of Judah.
Jeremiah 52:25

וּמִן־הָעִ֡יר לָקַ֣ח סָרִ֣יס אֶחָ֡ד אֲ֠שֶׁר הָיָ֤ה פָקִיד֙ עַל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְשִׁבְעָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֜ים מֵרֹאֵ֤י פְנֵי־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצְא֣וּ בָעִ֔יר וְאֵ֗ת סֹפֵ֛ר שַׂ֥ר הַצָּבָ֖א הַמַּצְבִּ֣א אֶת־עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ וְשִׁשִּׁ֧ים אִ֛ישׁ מֵעַ֥ם הָאָ֖רֶץ הַנִּמְצְאִ֥ים בְּת֥וֹךְ הָעִֽיר׃

From the city he took a court official who had been commander over the soldiers, seven men from the king's inner circle who were found in the city, the secretary of the army commander who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found inside the city.

KJV He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The saris ('court official,' sometimes 'eunuch') was a military overseer. The 'seven men who saw the king's face' (shiv'ah anashim mero'ei fenei ha-melekh) were members of the royal privy council — only the most trusted advisors had direct access to the king. The number is seven in Jeremiah versus five in 2 Kings 25:19 — another discrepancy between the parallel accounts. The sixty men from the general population may have been civic leaders or elders.
Jeremiah 52:26

וַיִּקַּ֣ח אוֹתָ֔ם נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֖ן רַב־טַבָּחִ֑ים וַיֹּ֧לֶךְ אוֹתָ֛ם אֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל רִבְלָֽתָה׃

Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

KJV So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The prisoners are transported from Jerusalem to Riblah in Syria — a journey of approximately 200 miles — to face Nebuchadnezzar's judgment in person. The deliberate transport to the king's headquarters rather than summary execution in Jerusalem indicates these were political prisoners whose fate Nebuchadnezzar determined personally.
Jeremiah 52:27

וַיַּכֶּ֣ה אוֹתָ֗ם מֶ֧לֶךְ בָּבֶ֛ל וַיְמִיתֵ֖ם בְּרִבְלָ֣ה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חֲמָ֑ת וַיִּ֥גֶל יְהוּדָ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ׃

The king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its own soil.

KJV And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The final clause — vayyigel yehudah me'al admato ('Judah went into exile from its own soil') — is the theological summary of the entire catastrophe. The word adamah ('soil, ground') connects to adam ('human being') and to the Edenic creation narrative — exile from the land is a second expulsion from the garden. The covenant promised land; exile is the covenant's ultimate curse (Deuteronomy 28:63-64).
Jeremiah 52:28

זֶ֣ה הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶגְלָ֖ה נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֑ר בִּשְׁנַ֤ת שֶׁ֙בַע֙ יְהוּדִ֔ים שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃

This is the number of people Nebuchadnezzar deported: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans;

KJV This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This deportation census (vv. 28-30) is unique to Jeremiah 52 — it does not appear in 2 Kings 25 and is one of the most important historical records in the chapter. The 'seventh year' of Nebuchadnezzar (598/597 BCE) corresponds to the first deportation, when Jehoiachin surrendered. The number 3,023 is far lower than the 10,000 given in 2 Kings 24:14 — the discrepancy likely reflects different counting methods: Jeremiah may count only adult males, or only those from Jerusalem, while Kings includes families and surrounding territory.

Septuagint (LXX, shorter text)minor

"three thousand and twenty-three"

Deportation numbers differ slightly between MT and LXX. MT: 3,023 persons in the 7th year. LXX numbers vary by manuscript.

Jeremiah 52:29

בִּשְׁנַ֛ת שְׁמוֹנֶ֥ה עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה לִנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֑ר מִירוּשָׁלַ֕͏ִם נֶ֣פֶשׁ שְׁמֹנֶ֔ה מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃

in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, 832 people from Jerusalem;

KJV In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The 'eighteenth year' (587/586 BCE) corresponds to the siege and fall of Jerusalem. The word nefesh ('soul, person, life') is used as the counting unit — literally '832 souls.' This number seems remarkably low for the main deportation following the city's destruction, reinforcing the probability that these counts represent only a specific category (perhaps adult male citizens of Jerusalem proper, not the broader population of Judah).

Septuagint (LXX, shorter text)minor

Deportation count: MT 832 persons from Jerusalem in the 18th year. LXX has the same number in most manuscripts.

Jeremiah 52:30

בִּשְׁנַ֨ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ֮ לִנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר֒ הֶגְלָ֗ה נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֛ן רַב־טַבָּחִ֥ים יְהוּדִ֖ים נֶ֣פֶשׁ שְׁבַ֣ע מֵא֔וֹת אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑ה כָּל־נֶ֕פֶשׁ אַרְבַּ֥עַת אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשֵׁ֥שׁ מֵאֽוֹת׃

in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard deported 745 Judeans. The total number of people deported was 4,600.

KJV In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The third deportation in Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year (582/581 BCE) is otherwise unknown from biblical sources — it may relate to the aftermath of Gedaliah's assassination (Jeremiah 41) and the resulting disorder. The grand total of 4,600 (3,023 + 832 + 745) is strikingly modest compared to the tens of thousands mentioned in Kings. If these numbers are accurate and represent adult males, the total exiled community including women, children, and dependents may have been 15,000-20,000. These figures are among the most debated numbers in biblical historiography.

Septuagint (LXX, shorter text)minor

Third deportation: MT 745 persons in the 23rd year. LXX numbers agree.

Jeremiah 52:31

וַיְהִי֩ בִשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים וְשֶׁ֜בַע שָׁנָ֗ה לְגָלוּת֙ יְהוֹיָכִ֣ין מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֔ה בִּשְׁנֵ֤ים עָשָׂר֙ חֹ֔דֶשׁ בְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ נָשָׂ֡א אֱוִ֣יל מְרֹדַ֣ךְ מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֩ בִּשְׁנַ֨ת מַלְכֻת֜וֹ אֶת־רֹ֣אשׁ ׀ יְהוֹיָכִ֣ין מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיֹּצִ֥א אוֹתוֹ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית הַכְּלִ֔יא

In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year he became king, lifted the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and released him from prison.

KJV And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Evil-Merodach (Hebrew form of the Babylonian name Amel-Marduk, meaning 'man of Marduk') succeeded Nebuchadnezzar in 562 BCE. The phrase nasa rosh ('lifted the head') is an idiom meaning 'showed favor to' or 'pardoned' — it carries the sense of raising someone from a lowered, defeated posture. Jehoiachin had been imprisoned for thirty-seven years since his surrender in 597 BCE. Babylonian administrative tablets (the 'Jehoiachin rations tablets') confirm that Jehoiachin was housed and fed in Babylon, corroborating this account.
Jeremiah 52:32

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ טֹב֑וֹת וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־כִּסְא֔וֹ מִמַּ֗עַל לְכִסֵּא֙ הַמְּלָכִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בְּבָבֶֽל׃

He spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

KJV And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase dibber itto tovot ('spoke good things to him') indicates a formal change of status, not merely polite conversation. Setting Jehoiachin's throne above the other captive kings means he was given precedence — the Davidic king, though a prisoner, held the highest rank among Babylon's royal captives. The 'other kings' were rulers of various conquered nations also held in Babylon.
Jeremiah 52:33

וְשִׁנָּ֖ה אֵ֣ת בִּגְדֵ֣י כִלְא֑וֹ וְאָכַ֨ל לֶ֧חֶם לְפָנָ֛יו תָּמִ֖יד כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיָּֽיו׃

He changed out of his prison garments and ate regularly at the king's table for the rest of his life.

KJV And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The changing of garments (shinnah et bigdei kil'o) symbolizes a change of status — from prisoner to honored guest. The phrase akhal lechem lefanav tamid ('ate bread before him continually') means Jehoiachin dined at the king's own table — a mark of the highest favor, echoing Mephibosheth eating at David's table (2 Samuel 9:7). This image of a Davidic king eating at a foreign king's table is the book's final word: not triumph, but survival. The Davidic line endures.
Jeremiah 52:34

וַאֲרֻחָת֗וֹ אֲרֻחַ֨ת תָּמִ֜יד נִתְּנָה־לּ֗וֹ מֵאֵ֛ת מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל דְּבַר־י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֑וֹ עַד־י֥וֹם מוֹת֖וֹ כֹּ֥ל יְמֵ֥י חַיָּֽיו׃

His allowance was a regular allowance given to him by the king of Babylon, a daily portion, until the day of his death — all the days of his life.

KJV And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The final verse of Jeremiah ends not with a bang but with quiet sustenance: a daily food ration (aruchat tamid, 'continual allowance') given day by day (devar yom beyomo, 'the matter of a day in its day'). The repetition of 'all the days of his life' (kol yemei chayyav) from verse 33 emphasizes permanence — this provision never stopped. The book that began with the call of a prophet and moved through national catastrophe ends with a meal. The Davidic king lives; the line is not extinguished. From Jehoiachin's line will come Zerubbabel, who leads the return from exile (1 Chronicles 3:17-19, Ezra 3:2). This quiet ending is the book's final theological statement: judgment is real, but God's covenant with David's house endures beyond the ruins.
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