Jeremiah 52:15

15 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.

Jeremiah 52:15 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 52:15

Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive
[certain] of the poor of the people
That is, of the city, as distinct from the poor of the land of Judea he left, afterwards observed: and the residue of the people that remained in the city;
that died not by the sword or famine, and fled not with Zedekiah: or "even the residue of the people"; and so are the same with the poor people in the former clause; though Kimchi explains it thus,

``some of the poor of the people he carried captive, and some of them he left:''

and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon;
that fell off from the Jews, and surrendered to the king of Babylon during the siege; or that voluntarily came in, and put themselves into the hands of the captain of the guard: and the rest of the multitude;
of the people, both in city and country.

Jeremiah 52:15 In-Context

13 He burned down the Temple of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city.

14 Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side.

15 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.

16 But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind to care for the vineyards and fields.

17 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the LORD ’s Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon.