Jeremiah 52
CHAPTER 52
Jeremiah 52:1-34 . WRITTEN BY SOME OTHER THAN JEREMIAH (PROBABLY EZRA) AS AN HISTORICAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE PREVIOUS PROPHECIES
Jeremiah, having already (thirty-ninth and fortieth chapters) given the history in the proper place, was not likely to repeat it here. Its canonical authority as inspired is shown by its being in the Septuagint version. It contains the capture and burning of Jerusalem, &c., Zedekiah's punishment, and the better treatment of Jehoiachin under Evil-merodach, down to his death. These last events were probably subsequent to Jeremiah's time.3. through . . . anger of . . . Lord . . . Zedekiah rebelled--His "anger" against Jerusalem, determining Him to "cast out" His people "from His presence" heretofore manifested there, led Him to permit Zedekiah to rebel ( 2 Kings 23:26 2 Kings 23:27 ; compare Exodus 9:12 , 10:1 , Romans 9:18 ). That rebellion, being in violation of his oath "by God," was sure to bring down God's vengeance ( 2 Chronicles 36:13 , Ezekiel 17:15 Ezekiel 17:16 Ezekiel 17:18 ).
4. forts--rather, towers of wood [KIMCHI], for watching the movements of the besieged from the height and annoying them with missiles.
9. gave judgment upon him--as guilty of rebellion and perjury ( Jeremiah 52:3 ; compare Ezekiel 23:24 ).
11. Ezekiel 12:13 : "I will bring him to Babylon . . . yet shall he not see it."
prison--literally, "the house of visitations," or "punishments," that is, where there was penal work enforced on the prisoners, such as grinding. Hence the Septuagint renders it "the house of the mill." So Samson, after his eyes were put out, "ground" in the Philistine prison-house ( Judges 16:21 ).
12. tenth day--But in 2 Kings 25:8 , it is said "the seventh day." Nebuzara-dan started from Riblah on the "seventh" day and arrived in Jerusalem on the "tenth" day. Seeming discrepancies, when cleared up, confirm the genuineness of Scripture; for they show there was no collusion between the writers; as in all God's works there is latent harmony under outward varieties.
13. all the houses . . . and all the houses of the great--the "and" defines what houses especially are meant, namely, the houses of the great men.
15. poor of . . . people--added to the account in 2 Kings 25:11 . "The poor of the people" are of the city, as distinguished from "the poor of the land," that is, of the country.
17. brake--that they might be more portable. Fulfilling the prophecy ( Jeremiah 27:19 ). See 1 Kings 7:15 1 Kings 7:23 1 Kings 7:27 1 Kings 7:50 . Nothing is so particularly related here as the carrying away of the articles in the temple. The remembrance of their beauty and preciousness heightens the bitterness of their loss and the evil of sin which caused it.
brass . . . brazen--rather "copper . . . of copper."
18. ( Exodus 27:3 ).
19. of gold in gold--implying that the articles were of solid gold and silver respectively, not of a different metal inside, or alloyed [GROTIUS]. Whole: not breaking them as was done to the "brass" ( Jeremiah 52:17 ).