Jeremiah 52:12-23

The Temple Destroyed

12 On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. ¹

13 He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building.

14 And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

15 Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the craftsmen.

16 But Nebuzaradan captain of the guard left behind some of the poorest of the land to tend the vineyards and fields.

17 Moreover, the Chaldeans broke up the bronze pillars and stands and the bronze Sea in the house 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 articles of bronze used in the temple service.

19 The captain of the guard also took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, pans, and drink offering bowls—anything made of pure gold or fine silver.

20 As for the two pillars, the Sea, the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands that King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.

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

22 The bronze capital atop one pillar was five cubits high, ^[c] with a network of bronze pomegranates all around. The second pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar.

23 Each capital had ninety-six pomegranates on the sides, and a total of a hundred pomegranates were above the surrounding network.

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. (2 Kings 25:8–17)

Footnotes

• [a] Each pillar was approximately 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference (8.2 meters high and 5.5 meters in circumference).
• [b] 4 fingers is approximately 2.9 inches or 7.4 centimeters.
• [c] 5 cubits is approximately 7.5 feet or 2.3 meters.