Jeremiah 52:12-23

12 On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

13 He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.

14 The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

15 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen^[a] and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.

16 But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

17 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.

18 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.

19 The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings—all that were made of pure gold or silver.

20 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed.

21 Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference^[b] ; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.

22 The bronze capital on top of one pillar was five cubits^[c] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar.

23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates above the surrounding network was a hundred.

Jeremiah 52:12-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 52

This chapter contains the history of the besieging, taking, and destroying of Jerusalem; the moving cause of it, the wicked reign of Zedekiah, Jer 52:1-3; the instruments of it, the king of Babylon and his army, which besieged and took it, Jer 52:4-7; into whose hands the king of Judah, his sons, and the princes of Judah, fell; and were very barbarously and cruelly used by them, Jer 52:8-11. Then follows an account of the burning of the temple, the king's palace, and the houses in Jerusalem, and the breaking down of the walls of it, Jer 52:12-14; and of those that were carried captive, and of those that were left in the land by Nebuzaradan, Jer 52:15,16; and of the several vessels and valuable things in the temple, of gold, silver, and brass, it was plundered of, and carried to Babylon, Jer 52:17-23; and of the murder of several persons of dignity and character, Jer 52:24-27; and of the number of those that were carried captive at three different times, Jer 52:28-30; and the chapter is concluded with the exaltation of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and of the good treatment he met with from the king of Babylon to the day of his death, Jer 52:31-34.

Cross References

• 1. Zechariah 7:5; Zechariah 8:19
• 2. ver 26; Jeremiah 39:9
• 3. S 2 Chronicles 36:19; S Psalms 74:8; Lamentations 2:6
• 4. S Deuteronomy 29:24; Psalms 79:1; Micah 3:12
• 5. S Deuteronomy 13:16; S Jeremiah 19:13
• 6. S Nehemiah 1:3; Lamentations 2:8
• 7. S 2 Kings 24:1; S Jeremiah 1:3
• 8. S Jeremiah 38:19
• 9. Jeremiah 40:6
• 10. S 1 Kings 7:15
• 11. 1 Kings 7:27-37
• 12. S 1 Kings 7:23
• 13. Jeremiah 27:19-22
• 14. S Numbers 4:14
• 15. S Exodus 27:3; 1 Kings 7:45
• 16. S Leviticus 10:1; S 1 Kings 7:50
• 17. S Numbers 3:31
• 18. Exodus 25:29
• 19. S Numbers 4:7
• 20. S Ezra 1:7; Daniel 5:2
• 21. 1 Kings 7:25
• 22. S 1 Kings 7:47
• 23. S 1 Kings 7:15
• 24. S 1 Kings 7:16
• 25. S Exodus 28:33
• 26. 1 Kings 7:20
• 27. S ver 17; S Jeremiah 27:19

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "the populace"
• [b]. That is, about 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference or about 8.1 meters high and 5.4 meters in circumference
• [c]. That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters