Jeremiah 52:20-30

20 The master of chivalry took (the) two pillars, and (the) one washing vessel, and [the] twelve brazen calves, that were under the foundaments, which king Solomon had made in the house of the Lord. No weight was of the metal of all these vessels. (And the weight of the metal of the two pillars, and the one washing vessel, and the twelve bronze calves, that were under the bases, which King Solomon had made for the House of the Lord, was beyond measure.)
21 Forsooth of the pillars, eighteen cubits of height were in one pillar, and a rope of twelve cubits compassed it; certainly the thickness thereof was of four fingers, and was hollow within. (And concerning the pillars, each pillar was eighteen cubits in height, and a rope, twelve cubits long, was needed to go all around it; its metal was four fingers thick, and it was hollow within.)
22 And brazen pommels were on ever either; and the height of one pommel was of five cubits; and works like nets and pomegranates were on the crown in compass, [(and) all was brazen. Like manner was the second pillar, and the pomegranates; and they were upon the head in compass, all brazen, like manner of the tother pillar.] (And a bronze crown, or a bronze capital, was upon each pillar; and each crown was five cubits in height; and all around the crown was a network arrayed with pomegranates, and all was bronze. In like manner was the second pillar, and its pomegranates; and they went all around its crown, and all was bronze, just like the other pillar.)
23 And the pomegranates were ninety and six hanging down, and all [the] pomegranates were compassed with an hundred works like nets. (And ninety-six pomegranates could be seen hanging down, and altogether there were a hundred pomegranates on the network, all around each crown.)
24 And the master of the chivalry took Seraiah, the first priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and [the] three keepers of the vestiary. (And the captain of the guard took hold of Seraiah, the first priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three door-keepers, or the three guards.)
25 And of the city he took one chaste servant and honest, that was sovereign on the men warriors; and seven men of them that saw the face of the king, which were found in the cities; and a scribe, prince of knights, that proved [the] young knights; and sixty men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city. (And he also took away from the city one honest and chaste servant, that is, a eunuch, who was the ruler over the warriors; and seven men of them who saw the face of the king, who were found in the city; and a writer, or a secretary, who was the leader of the horsemen, who assayed, or mustered, the young horsemen; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were also found in the midst of the city.)
26 Forsooth Nebuzaradan, the master of [the] chivalry (And Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard), took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon in Riblah.
27 And the king of Babylon smote them, and killed them in Riblah, in the land of Hamath; and Judah was translated from his land. (And the king of Babylon struck them down, and killed them in Riblah, in the land of Hamath. And so the people of Judah were carried away captive from their land.)
28 This is the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar translated in the seventh year; Jews, three thousand and three and twenty. (These be the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive in the seventeenth year; three thousand and twenty-three Jews.)
29 In the eighteenth year, Nebuchadnezzar translated from Jerusalem eight hundred and two and thirty persons. (In the eighteenth year, Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive eight hundred and thirty-two people from Jerusalem.)
30 In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the master of [the] chivalry, translated seven hundred and five and forty persons of Jews. Therefore all the persons were four thousand and six hundred. (In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried away captive seven hundred and forty-five people of the Jews. And so all the people taken captive were four thousand and six hundred.)

Jeremiah 52:20-30 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.