Jeremiah 52:24

The People Exiled to Babylon

24 And the captain of the guard took ¹Seraiah the chief priest, and ²Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold;

Jeremiah 52:24 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 52:24

And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest,
&c.] That is, out of the temple, where he was ministering, or fled for safety; this is supposed to be the father of Ezra, ( 1 Chronicles 6:14 ) ( Ezra 7:1 ) ; and Zephaniah the second priest:
or deputy priest: the "sagan" of the priests, as the Targum calls him, who was deputed to minister for the high priest, in case anything happened which hindered him from officiating; such an one there always was in later times on the day of atonement, as appears from the Misna ^F6; this man is thought to be the same with Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, ( Jeremiah 21:1 ) ( 29:25 ) ; and the three keepers of the door;
that is, of the temple. The Targum calls them three "amarcalin"; who had, as Jarchi says, the keys of the court committed to them. The number seems better to agree with the "gizbarim" or treasurers; of whom, it is said, they never appoint less than three treasurers, and seven "amarcalin" ^F7.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Yoma, c. 1. sect. 1.
F7 Misn. Shekalim, c. 5. sect. 2.

Jeremiah 52:24 In-Context

22 On it was a capital of bronze. The height of the one capital was five cubits. A network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with pomegranates.

23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around.

24 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold;

25 and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and seven men of the king's council, who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the midst of the city.

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

Cross References

• 1. [1 Chronicles 6:14, 15]
• 2. [Jeremiah 29:25]