
Jeremiah 52
Jeremiah 52 gives a historical account of the fall of Jerusalem, the capture of King Zedekiah, the destruction of the city and temple by Babylonian forces, and the exile of the remaining inhabitants of Judah. This chapter closely parallels the account in 2 Kings 25, emphasizing the fulfillment of God’s warnings through the prophets regarding Jerusalem’s destruction due to its persistent disobedience. The chapter concludes with a brief note on Jehoiachin’s release from prison, symbolizing a glimmer of hope even in exile.
Jeremiah 52:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2 He also did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3 For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, till He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4 Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.
5 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
6 By the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
7 Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were near the city all around. And they went by way of the plain.
8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him.
9 So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him.
10 Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
Zedekiah, Judah’s last king, followed the evil ways of his predecessors, provoking the Lord’s anger. Despite warnings, he rebelled against Babylon, leading to the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. The siege was long and devastating, culminating in a severe famine within the city. When the walls were breached, Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to escape but were captured in Jericho. Brought before Nebuchadnezzar, Zedekiah faced a harsh judgment: he witnessed the execution of his sons and Judah’s princes, symbolizing the end of his lineage and Judah’s leadership.
Jeremiah 52:11-16 (NKJV)
11 And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
12 Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
13 He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.
14 And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around.
15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poor people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.
16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.
After witnessing his family’s death, Zedekiah was blinded and taken to Babylon in chains, where he remained imprisoned until his death. Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian captain, carried out Nebuchadnezzar’s orders to destroy Jerusalem. The temple, palace, and other significant structures were burned, and the city walls were torn down. Many people, including skilled workers and defectors, were taken captive to Babylon, but the poorest of the land were left to tend to the vineyards and fields, a symbol of Babylon’s complete control over Judah.
Jeremiah 52:17-23 (NKJV)
17 The bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the carts and the bronze Sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all their bronze to Babylon.
18 They also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the bowls, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered.
19 The basins, the firepans, the bowls, the pots, the lampstands, the spoons, and the cups—whatever was solid gold and whatever was solid silver—the captain of the guard took away.
20 The two pillars, one Sea, the twelve bronze bulls which were under it, and the carts, which King Solomon had made for the house of the Lord—the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure.
21 Now concerning the pillars: the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, a measuring line of twelve cubits could measure its circumference, and its thickness was four fingers; it was hollow.
22 A capital of bronze was on it; and the height of one capital was five cubits, with a network and pomegranates all around the capital, all of bronze. The second pillar was the same, with pomegranates.
23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates, all around on the network, were one hundred.
The Babylonians took apart the temple’s bronze pillars, carts, and the bronze Sea, carrying these and other valuable items to Babylon. The furnishings, utensils, and treasures of the temple, many crafted by King Solomon, were symbols of Israel’s glory and devotion to God. Their removal represented not just the loss of wealth but also the severing of Israel’s connection to God’s presence, as these items had been consecrated for worship.
Jeremiah 52:24-30 (NKJV)
24 The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers.
25 He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, seven men of the king’s close associates who were found in the city, the principal scribe of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city.
26 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
27 Then the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land.
28 These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Jews;
29 in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred and thirty-two persons;
30 in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty-five persons. All the persons were four thousand six hundred.
Prominent officials, priests, and city leaders were taken by Nebuzaradan to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, where they were executed, symbolizing the collapse of Judah’s leadership. The total number of exiles taken over various deportations was recorded, amounting to 4,600, signifying the decimation of Judah’s population and the fulfillment of prophecies about exile as a consequence of disobedience.
Jeremiah 52:31-34 (NKJV)
31 Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.
32 And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon.
33 So Jehoiachin changed from his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life.
34 And as for his provisions, there was a regular ration given him by the king of Babylon, a portion for each day until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
In a turn of mercy, King Jehoiachin, held captive for 37 years, was released by Evil-Merodach, the new king of Babylon. Jehoiachin received honorable treatment, a seat among other kings in exile, and daily provisions. His release from prison is a faint sign of hope for Judah, suggesting that even in captivity, God had not forgotten His people.