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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 52
Jerusalem besieged and taken by the Chaldeans—Many people and the
vessels of the house of the Lord carried into Babylon.
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A Historical Summary of Jerusalem being besieged and taken by the
Chaldeans—In recounts the events of the destruction of Jerusalem, what
happened to the people, the temple and the city of Jerusalem, and what was
taken to Babylon—It also recounts the eventual the eventual fate of
Jehoiachin in Babylon.
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Appendix
This chapter is certainly not the work of Jeremiah but that of
the compiler of the record of the Jews. It could will be Ezekiel's summary
added to the book of Jeremiah to summarize and clarify variuos details.
Jeremiah could not have written it as he ended up in Egypt and would have been
unaware of the fate of Jehoiachin as would Ezekiel. Further Ezekiel is the one
given commandment to prepare the 'Stick of Judah' (see Ezekiel 37).
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1 aZEDEKIAH
was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2 And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in
Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that
aZedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
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4 ¶ And it came to pass in the
aninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth
day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he
and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built
bforts against it round about.
5 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
6 And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of
the month, the afamine was sore in the city, so that there
was no bbread for the people of the land.
7 Then the acity was broken up, and
all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way
of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden;
(now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the
way of the plain.
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8 ¶ But the army of the Chaldeans
apursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the
plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
9 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.
10 And the king of Babylon slew the
asons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he
bslew also all the princes of
Judaha in Riblah.
11 Then he put out the aeyes of
Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and
bcarried him to cBabylon, and put him in
prison till the day of his death.
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10a he slew also all the princes of
Judah These were the members of the 'great Sanhedrin', the 'Rulers
of the Law of Moses'. King Nebuchadnezzar understood well the order of the
government of the Jews, that is was not just the head of state, the king,
who did rule and govern the people in Judah. Certainly these 'princes' did not
refer to the sons of king Zedekiah just mentioned. If one studies the writings
of Jeremiah throughout there is no question that these 'princes' are the
rulers of the people, the 'elders of Israel' who did rule the people through
their interpretation and application of the Law of Moses. And at this point in
time these members of this rulling council were most corrupt and wicked, these
are they who reniged on obeying the Covenant of God in that they first postponed
the release of the Hebrew servants and then didn't release them at all as
charged by Jeremiah's voice of condemnation from the Lord (Jeremiah 34).
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12 ¶ Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,
13 And aburned the house of the
LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the
houses of the great men, bburned he with fire:
14 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were
with the captain of the guard, brake down all the awalls
of Jerusalem round about.
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15 Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard
acarried away captive certain of the poor of the
people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those
that bfell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the
rest of the multitude.
16 But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.
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17 Also the apillars of brass that
were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen
bsea that was in the house of the LORD, the
Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.
18 The acaldrons also, and the
shovels, and the bsnuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
19 And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.
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20 The two pillars, one asea, and
btwelve brasen cbulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
21 And concerning the pillars, the height of
one pillar was eighteen cubits; and aa fillet of
twelve bcubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof
was four fingers: it was hollow.
22 And a achapiter of brass
was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits,
with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of
brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto
these.
23 And there were aninety and six
pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network
were an hundred round about.
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24 ¶ And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
25 He took also out of the city an
aeunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven
bmen of them that were near the king's person, which were
found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the
people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were
found in the midst of the city.
26 So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
27 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them
to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away
acaptive out of his own land.
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28 This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:
29 In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:
30 In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar
Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away acaptive
of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were
four thousand and six hundred.
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31 ¶ And it came to pass in the seven and
thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth
month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that
Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up
the head of aJehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him
forth out of prison,
32 And spake akindly unto him, and
set his throne above the throne of the bkings that
were with him in Babylon,
33 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.
34 And for his diet, there was a continual
adiet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion
until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
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