Verses 1-11
Jeremiah 52:1-11. Zedekiah was
one and twenty years old — The
first three verses of this
chapter are word for word the
same with 2 Kings 24:18-20,
where see the notes; and for the
six following verses, see those
on 2 Kings 25:1-6. Where he gave
judgment upon him — Namely, for
rebelling against him when he
had taken an oath of allegiance
to him. Of Nebuchadnezzar’s
slaying the sons of Zedekiah,
putting out his eyes, binding
him with chains, &c., see note
on 2 Kings 25:7.
Verse 12-13
Jeremiah 52:12-13. Now in the
fifth month — This gave occasion
to that solemn fast of the fifth
month, observed in the times of
the captivity: see Zechariah
7:3-5; Zechariah 8:19. In the
tenth day of the month — In the
parallel place, 2 Kings 25:8, we
read, on the seventh day. This
difference some attempt to
reconcile, by supposing that the
one place may speak of the day
Nebuzar-adan set out from Riblah,
and the other of the day that he
arrived at Jerusalem; or else,
that he came on the seventh, but
did not set fire to the building
till the tenth. “But it is more
likely,” says Blaney,” to have
arisen from some mistake of the
transcriber, perhaps, in setting
down the numbers at full length,
which were expressed by numeral
letters in the old copies. And
in this instance such a mistake
might easily happen between the
זand the י, of which the first
stands for seven, the latter for
ten.” And burned the house of
the Lord — After it had stood,
says Josephus, four hundred and
seventy years; but Archbishop
Usher reckons it only four
hundred and twenty-four years
from the laying of the first
foundation by Solomon: see note
on 2 Kings 25:9.
Verses 17-20
Jeremiah 52:17-20. Also the
pillars of brass, &c., the
Chaldeans brake — See note on 2
Kings 25:13. The temple was
rifled of its riches and
furniture at several times. The
first was when Nebuchadnezzar
came up against Jehoiakim,
Daniel 1:2. The second time was
at the captivity of Jechoniah,
Jeremiah 27:19; 2 Kings 24:13;
and now at the final destruction
of the city and temple they made
a clear riddance of all its
ornaments. And twelve brazen
bulls that were under the bases
— Or rather, which were instead
of bases, to support the brazen
sea, (1 Kings 7:25,) the Hebrew
word תחת, in other places,
signifying instead, or, in the
place of another. So the LXX.
understand it here.
Verses 21-23
Jeremiah 52:21-23. The height of
one pillar was eighteen cubits —
The same account is given of the
height of these pillars, 1 Kings
7:15 : but in 2 Chronicles 3:15,
it is said, that both the
pillars made thirty-five cubits;
which two texts may be easily
reconciled by allowing one cubit
for the basis. And a fillet of
twelve cubits — So that the
diameter was almost four cubits.
The thickness whereof was four
fingers — The pillar being
hollow, the thickness of the
work that encompassed the hollow
space was four fingers over.
There were ninety and six
pomegranates on a side — Or,
toward every wind, as Blaney
very properly renders רוחה. “In
1 Kings 7:42, and 2 Chronicles
4:13, it is said, there were
four hundred pomegranates for
each net-work or wreath. The
mode of expression here is
different, but amounts to
exactly the same. For divide the
two pillars into four quarters,
according to the four winds; and
let ninety-six pomegranates
stand opposite to each of the
four winds upon the two pillars;
the whole number in front of the
four winds, taken together, will
be three hundred and
eighty-four. But they were in
four rows, two on each pillar,
and in each row must have been
four angular pomegranates, that
could not be said to be opposite
to any of the four winds,
consequently, sixteen angular
ones in the four rows; which
sixteen being added to three
hundred and eighty-four, make up
the number of pomegranates in
all four hundred; that is, a
hundred in a row of wreathen
work round about.”
Verse 24-25
Jeremiah 52:24-25. And the
captain of the guard took
Seraiah the chief priest — 1
Chronicles 6:14, he was the
father of Ezra; Ezra 7:1. And
Zephaniah the second priest —
See note on Jeremiah 29:26; 2
Kings 25:18. And the three
keepers of the door — These were
not the ordinary porters, who
were taken from among the
Levites, but were priests who
stood at the door to receive the
offerings of the people, and
thus were keepers of the sacred
treasury, an office of high
trust and consideration: see 2
Kings 12:9; 2 Kings 23:4. He
took also out of the city a
eunuch —
An officer: so it is in the
parallel place, 2 Kings 25:19,
where, instead of seven men, we
read five. Josephus agrees with
the reading here. And the
principal scribe of the host —
The muster-master-general, as we
style him, or secretary of war.
And threescore men that were in
the midst of the city — Of whom
see note on 2 Kings 25:19.
Verses 28-30
Jeremiah 52:28-30. This is the
people whom Nebuchadnezzar
carried away captive — “These
verses are not inserted in 2
Kings 25. Nor are they to be
found here, according to the
Roman and Alexandrian editions
of the LXX.; but in the
Complutensian they are, and in
two MSS. collated by Dr. Grabe;
also in Theodotion’s version in
the Hexapla. All the other
ancient versions acknowledge
them; and they are not omitted
in any of the collated Hebrew
MSS.; so that there is no doubt
of their being genuine. But are
we to conclude from them, that
the whole number of the Jews,
whom Nebuchadnezzar, in all his
expeditions, carried into
captivity, was no more than four
thousand six hundred? This
cannot be true, for he carried
away more than twice that number
at one time; which is expressly
said to have been in the eighth
year of his reign, 2 Kings
24:12-16. Before that time he
had carried off a number of
captives from Jerusalem in the
first year of his reign, among
whom were Daniel and his
companions, Daniel 1:3-6. And of
these Berosus, the Chaldean
historian, speaks, as cited by
Josephus, Ant., lib. 10. cap.
11. These are confessedly not
taken notice of here. And as the
taking and burning of Jerusalem
are in this very chapter said to
have been in the fourth and
fifth months of the 19th year of
Nebuchadnezzar, those who were
carried into captivity, at the
date of those events, cannot
possibly be the same with those
that are said to be carried away
either in the 18th or 23d year
of that prince. Nor indeed is it
credible, that the number
carried away at the time the
city was taken, and the whole
country reduced, could be so few
as eight hundred and thirty-two.
Here then we have three
deportations, and those the most
considerable ones, in the 1st,
the 8th, and 19th years of
Nebuchadnezzar, sufficiently
distinguished from those in his
7th, 18th, and 23d years. So
that it seems most reasonable to
conclude, with Archbishop Usher,
that by the latter three the
historian meant to point out
deportations of a lesser kind,
not elsewhere noticed in direct
terms in Scripture.” — Blaney.
Verse 31-32
Jeremiah 52:31-32. In the seven
and thirtieth year of the
captivity of Jehoiachin, &c. —
This note of time confirms the
observation formerly made,
namely, that the Scripture
computation of the beginning of
Nebuchadnezzar’s reign
anticipates that of the
Babylonians by two years, which
two years he reigned with his
father: see note on Jeremiah
25:1. In the five and twentieth
day of the month, Evil-merodach
lifted up the head of Jehoiachin
— Released him out of prison,
where he had lain thirty-seven
years, and advanced him. In the
parallel place, 2 Kings 25:27,
where see the notes, we read,
the seven and twentieth day of
the month, which difference
between the two passages, Lowth
thinks may be reconciled, by
supposing that his advancement
was resolved upon the 25th day,
but not brought to pass till the
27th. In the first year of his
reign — Hebrew, בשׁנת מלכתו,
literally, in the year of his
reign, or kingdom, that is, the
year coincident with the
beginning of it, from whence the
date is taken. So that the word
first is virtually implied in
the phrase. Spake kindly unto
him, and set his throne above
the throne of kings — See 2
Kings 25:28-30. This clause may
perhaps be more properly
rendered, Set his seat above the
seat of the kings, which may
easily be understood to signify,
that the king of Babylon showed
him more respect and honour than
he did to any of the other
captive princes, by placing him
nearest to himself: see Esther
3:1. “It is probable,” says
Blaney, “the phrase may have
proceeded from the custom of
placing cushions for persons of
more than ordinary distinction
in the place allotted them to
sit in.” See Harmer, chap. 6.
observ. 26.
Verse 33-34
Jeremiah 52:33-34. And changed
his prison garments — This has
been considered by some an act
of generosity in Evil-merodach,
giving the captive king new
garments, more suitable to his
royal dignity than those he wore
in prison. But Blaney thinks “it
was rather the act of Jehoiachin
himself, who, out of respect to
the king of Babylon’s presence,
and to mark his just sense of
the favour shown him, no longer
neglected his person and dress,
as when a prisoner, and in
affliction: but put on new
apparel more adapted to the
change in his circumstances. So
Joseph, when he was sent for out
of prison to appear before
Pharaoh, first shaved himself,
and changed his raiment, Genesis
41:14. David did the same after
he had ceased mourning for his
child, before he went into the
house of God, 2 Samuel 12:20.
Mr. Harmer, (chap. 6. obs. 44,
45,) observes, both that to
change the garments often is in
the East a mark of respect in
visiting; and also that the
putting on of new clothes is
thought by those people to be
very requisite, and indeed
almost necessary, for the due
solemnization of a time of
rejoicing.” And there was a
continual diet given him of the
king — As it appears from the
preceding verse that Jehoiachin
himself sat at the king of
Babylon’s own table, this seems
to have been an allowance for
the maintenance of his
attendants and family. |