Jeremiah 52:25

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.)

Jeremiah 52:25 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 52:25

He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge
of the men of war
The master-master-general of the army: and seven men of them which were near the king's person which were
found in the city;
or, "saw the face of the king": or rather, "made to see [his] face" ^F8; these were ministers of state, who were always at court, and assisted in councils of state, and introduced persons into the king's presence; in ( 2 Kings 25:19 ) ; they are said to be but "five"; but Josephus ^F9 has seven, as here; perhaps two of them were of less note, and so not reckoned, as Jarchi observes: some will have it, that the two scribes of the judges are left out; but others, more probably, Jeremiah and Baruch, who were first taken, and afterwards dismissed: and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the
land;
or the scribe of the prince of the army, as the Targum; the general's secretary: and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the
midst of the city:
persons of prime note, who, upon the invasion, betook themselves from the country to the city of Jerusalem with their effects, and to defend it. Josephus ^F11 calls them rulers or governors.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 (Klmh ynp yarm) "ex videntibus facies, [vel] faciem regis", Montanus, Piscator; "de videre facientibus facies regis", Schmidt.
F9 Antiqu. l. 10. c. 8. sect. 5.
F11 Ibid.

Jeremiah 52:25 In-Context

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.)