Jeremias 52:24

24 And the captain of the guard took the chief priest, and the second priest, and those that kept the way;

Jeremias 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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

Jeremias 52:24 In-Context

22 And a brazen chapiter upon them, and the length was five cubits, the height of one chapiter; and on the chapiter round about network and pomegranates, all of brass: and correspondingly the second pillar eight pomegranates to a cubit for the twelve cubits.

23 And the pomegranates were ninety-six on a side; and all the pomegranates on the network round about were a hundred.

24 And the captain of the guard took the chief priest, and the second priest, and those that kept the way;

25 and one eunuch, who was over the men of war, and seven men of renown, who were in the king's presence that were found in the city; and the scribe of the forces, who did the part of a scribe to 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 Nabuzardan the captain of the king's guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Deblatha.