Jeremiah 52:23 Komentář

History is the best expositor of prophecy; and therefore, for the better understanding of the prophecies of this book which relate to the destruction of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah, we are here furnished with an account of that sad event. It is much he same with the history we had 2 Kings 24 and 25, and many of the particulars we had before in that book, but the matter is here repeated and put together, to give light to the book of the Lamentations, which follows next, and to serve as a key to it. That article in the close concerning the advancement of Jehoiachin in his captivity, which happened after Jeremiah's time, gives colour to the conjecture of those who suppose that this chapter was not written by Jeremiah himself, but by some man divinely inspired among those in captivity, for a constant memorandum to those who in Babylon preferred Jerusalem above their chief joy. In this chapter we have, I. The bad reign of Zedekiah, very bad in regard both of sin and of punishment (Jer 52:1-3). II. The besieging and taking of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans (Jer 52:4-7). III. The severe usage which Zedekiah and the princes met with (Jer 52:8-11). IV. The destruction of the temple and the city (Jer 52:12-14). V. The captivity of the people (Jer 52:15, Jer 52:16) and the numbers of those that were carried away into captivity (Jer 52:28-30). VI. The carrying off of the plunder of the temple (Jer 52:17-23). VII. The slaughter of the priests, and some other great men, in cold blood (Jer 52:24-27). VIII. The better days which king Jehoiachin lived to see in the latter end of his time, after the death of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 52:31-34).

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; the instruments of it, the king of Babylon and his army, which besieged and took it, Jer 52:4; 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. 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; and of those that were carried captive, and of those that were left in the land by Nebuzaradan, Jer 52:15; 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; and of the murder of several persons of dignity and character, Jer 52:24; and of the number of those that were carried captive at three different times, Jer 52:28; 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.

And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest,.... That is, out of the temple, where he was ministering, or fled for safety; this is supposed to be the father of Ezra, Ch1 6:14; 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 (f); this man is thought to be the same with Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, Jer 21:1; 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" (g). (f) Yoma, c. 1. sect. 1. (g) Misn. Shekalim, c. 5. sect. 2.

WRITTEN BY SOME OTHER THAN JEREMIAH (PROBABLY EZRA) AS AN HISTORICAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE PREVIOUS PROPHECIES (Jer. 52:1-34) through . . . anger of . . . Lord . . . Zedekiah rebelled--His "anger" against Jerusalem, determining Him to "cast out" His people "from His presence" heretofore manifested there, led Him to permit Zedekiah to rebel (Kg2 23:26-27; compare Exo 9:12; Exo 10:1; Rom 9:18). That rebellion, being in violation of his oath "by God," was sure to bring down God's vengeance (Ch2 36:13; Eze 17:15-16, Eze 17:18).

on a side--literally, (on the side) towards the air or wind, that is, the outside of the capitals of the pillars conspicuous to the eye, opposed to the four remaining pomegranates which were not seen from the outside. The pomegranates here are ninety-six; but in Kg1 7:20 they are two hundred on each chapiter, and four hundred on the two (Ch2 4:13). It seems there were two rows of them, one above the other, and in each row a hundred. They are here said to be ninety-six, but immediately following one hundred, and so in Kg1 7:20. Four seem to have been unseen to one looking from one point; and the ninety-six are only those that could be seen [VATABLUS]; or, the four omitted here are those separating the four sides, one pomegranate at each point of separation (or at the four corners) between the four sides [GROTIUS].