Jeremias 52

1 It was the twenty-first year of Sedekias, when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Amitaal, the daughter of Jeremias, of Lobena.

4 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the ninth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and they made a rampart round it, and built a wall round about it with large stones.

5 So the city was besieged, until the eleventh year of king Sedekias,

6 on the ninth day of the month, and the famine was severe in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

7 And the city was broken up, and all the men of war went out by night by the way of the gate, between the wall and the outworks, which were by the king's garden; and the Chaldeans were by the city round about; and they went by the way to the wilderness.

8 But the host of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the beyond Jericho; and all his servants were dispersed from him.

9 And they took the king, and brought him to the king of Babylon to Deblatha, and he judged him.

10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Sedekias before his eyes; and he slew all the princes of Juda in Deblatha.

11 And he put out the eyes of Sedekias, and bound him in fetters; and the king of Babylon brought him to Babylon, and put him into the grinding-house, until the day when he died.

12 And in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nabuzardan the captain of the guard, who waited on the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem;

13 and he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house; and all the houses of the city, and every great house he burnt with fire.

14 And the host of the Chaldeans that was with the captain of the guard pulled down all the wall of Jerusalem round about.

16 But the captain of the guard left the remnant of the people to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

17 And the Chaldeans broke in pieces the brazen pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the Lord, and they took the brass thereof, and carried it away to Babylon.

18 Also the rim, and the bowls, and the flesh-hooks, and all the brazen vessels, wherewith they ministered;

19 and the basons, and the snuffers, and the oil-funnels, and the candlesticks, and the censers, and the cups, the golden, of gold, and the silver, of silver, the captain of the guard took away.

20 And the two pillars, and the one sea, and the twelve brazen oxen under the sea, which king Solomon made for the house of the Lord; the brass of which was without weight.

21 And as for the pillars, the height of one pillar was thirty-five cubits; and a line of twelve cubits compassed it round; and the thickness of it round was four fingers.

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.

27 And the king of Babylon smote them in Deblatha, in the land of Aemath.

31 And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year after that Joakim king of Juda had been carried away captive, in the twelfth month, on the four and twentieth of the month, Ulaemadachar king of Babylon, in the year in which he began to reign, raised the head of Joakim king of Juda, and shaved him, and brought him out of the house where he was kept,

32 and spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the kings that were with him in Babylon,

33 and changed his prison garments: and he ate bread continually before him all the days that he lived.

34 And his appointed portion was given him continually by the king of Babylon from day to day, until the day when he died.

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Jeremias 52 Commentary

Chapter 52

The fate of Zedekiah. (1-11) The destruction of Jerusalem. (12-23) The captivities. (24-30) The advancement of Jehoiachin. (31-34)

Verses 1-11 This fruit of sin we should pray against above any thing; Cast me not away from thy presence, ( Psalms 51:11 ) . None are cast out of God's presence but those who by sin have first thrown themselves out. Zedekiah's flight was in vain, for there is no escaping the judgments of God; they come upon the sinner, and overtake him, let him flee where he will.

Verses 12-23 The Chaldean army made woful havoc. But nothing is so particularly related here, as the carrying away of the articles in the temple. The remembrance of their beauty and value shows us the more the evil of sin.

Verses 24-30 The leaders of the Jews caused them to err; but now they are, in particular, made monuments of Divine justice. Here is an account of two earlier captivities. This people often were wonders both of judgment and mercy.

Verses 31-34 ( 2 Kings. 25:27-30 ) Those under oppression will find it is not in vain for them to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord. Our times are in God's hand, for the hearts of all we have to deal with are so. May we be enabled, more and more, to rest on the Rock of Ages, and to look forward with holy faith to that hour, when the Lord will bring again Zion, and overthrow all the enemies of the church.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

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.