THE FALL OF JERUSALEM JEHOIACHIN IN EXILE JEREMIAH 52:1...

www.biblestudyworkshop.org 1 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell

THE FALL OF JERUSALEM

JEHOIACHIN IN EXILE

JEREMIAH 52:1-34

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Street, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

http://www.biblestudyworkshop.org/


THE FALL OF JERUSALEM

JEHOIACHIN IN EXILE Text: Jeremiah 52:1-34, 1. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. 2. He did what displeased the Lord just as Jehoiakim had done. 3. What follows is a record of what happened to Jerusalem and Judah because of the Lord’s anger when he drove them out of his sight. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year that Zedekiah ruled over Judah. 5. The city remained under siege until Zedekiah’s eleventh year. 6. By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city was so severe the residents had no food. 7. They broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king’s garden. (The Babylonians had the city surrounded.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley.



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 3 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell 8. But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his entire army deserted him. 9. They captured him and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the territory of Hamath and he passed sentence on him there. 10. The king of Babylon had Zedekiah’s sons put to death while Zedekiah was forced to watch. He also had all the nobles of Judah put to death there at Riblah. 11. He had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains. Then the king of Babylon had him led off to Babylon and he was imprisoned there until the day he died. 12. On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard who served the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem. 13. He burned down the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house. 14. The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem. 15. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took into exile some of the poor, the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the rest of the craftsmen. 16. But he left behind some of the poor and gave them fields and vineyards. 17. The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the temple of the Lord, as well as the movable stands and the



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 4 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell large bronze basin called “The Sea.” They took all the bronze to Babylon. 18. They also took the pots, shovels, trimming shears, basins, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests. 19. The captain of the royal guard took the gold and silver bowls, censers, basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and vessels. 20. The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple (including the two pillars, the large bronze basin called “The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,” and the movable stands) was too heavy to be weighed. 21. Each of the pillars was about 27 feet high, about 18 feet in circumference, three inches thick, and hollow. 22. The bronze top of one pillar was about seven and one-half feet high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate--shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its pomegranate-shaped ornaments was like it. 23. There were ninety-six pomegranate-shaped orna-ments on the sides; in all there were one hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments over the latticework that went around it. 24. The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers. 25. From the city he took an official who was in charge of the soldiers, seven of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizens for military service, and sixty citizens who were discovered in the middle of the city.



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 5 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell 26. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27. The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile away from its land. 28. Here is the official record of the number of people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: In the seventh year, 3,023 Jews; 29. in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem; 30. in Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, carried into exile 745 Judeans. In all 4,600 people went into exile. 31. In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, Evil-Merodach, in the first year of his reign, pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison. 32. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 33. Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life. 34. He was given daily provisions by the king of Babylon for the rest of his life until the day he died. (NET) Introduction: I. The account of The Fall of Jerusalem as recorded in Jeremiah 52:1-34 is essentially the same as that recorded in 2 Kings 24:18-20 and 2 Kings 25:1-30. (See Hamilton and Willis.)




A. Willis wrote that Jeremiah 52:1-30, introducing King Zedekiah, focuses on the fate of: . . .

1. the king and his family (verses 4-11), . . .

2. Jerusalem (verses 12-16), . . .

3. the temple and its furnishings (17-23), . . .

4. Jerusalem’s leading officials (verses 24-27), and concludes with an . . .

5. accounting of those taken prisoner (verses 28-30).

B. Jeremiah 42:31-34 speaks of the good fortune which befell King Jehoiachin in Babylon following his release from prison.

II. Smith suggested Baruch may have written this appendix to vindicate Jeremiah as God’s true prophet, the fall of Jerusalem being a major part of Jeremiah’s prophecy. III. Clarke regarded Jeremiah 52 as having been written by someone other than Jeremiah.

A. Jeremiah 52 is altogether historical and is very similar to Jeremiah 24:18 – Jeremiah 25:30. (See Clarke.)

1. 2 Kings 24:18-20, Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah.




He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Jehoiakim had done. What follows is a record of what happened to Jerusalem and Judah because of the Lord’s anger; he finally threw them out of his presence. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. (NET)

2. 2 Kings 25:1-30, So King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign. The city remained under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year. By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city was so severe the residents had no food. The enemy broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king’s garden. (The Babylonians were all around the city.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley. But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with him in the plains of Jericho, and his entire army deserted him. They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where he passed sentence on him. Zedekiah’s sons were executed while Zedekiah was forced to watch. The king of Babylon then had Zedekiah’s eyes put out, bound him in bronze chains, and carried him off to Babylon. On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth




year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard who served the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem. He burned down the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house. The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, deported the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. But he left behind some of the poor of the land and gave them fields and vineyards. The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the Lord’s temple, as well as the movable stands and the big bronze basin called “The Sea.” They took the bronze to Babylon. They also took the pots, shovels, trimming shears, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests. The captain of the royal guard took the golden and silver censers and basins. The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple—including the two pillars, the big bronze basin called “The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,” and the movable stands—was too heavy to be weighed. Each of the pillars was about twenty-seven feet high. The bronze top of one pillar was about four and a half feet high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its latticework was like it.




The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah, the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers. From the city he took a eunuch who was in charge of the soldiers, five of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizens for military service, and sixty citizens from the people of the land who were discovered in the city. Nebuzaradan, captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was deported from its land. Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over the people whom he allowed to remain in the land of Judah. All of the officers of the Judahite army and their troops heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to govern. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The officers who came were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhu-meth the Netopha-thite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite. Gedaliah took an oath so as to give them and their troops some assurance of safety. He said, “You don’t need to be afraid to submit to the Babylonian officials. Settle down in the land and submit to the king of Babylon. Then things will go well for you.” But in the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family,




came with ten of his men and murdered Gedaliah, as well as the Judeans and Babylon-ians who were with him at Mizpah. Then all the people, from the youngest to the oldest, as well as the army officers, left for Egypt, because they were afraid of what the Babylonians might do. In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, King Evil-Merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who were with him in Babylon. Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life. He was given daily provisions by the king for the rest of his life until the day he died. (NET)

B. It is not known with certainty who wrote Jeremiah 52, but it is agreed that it was not Jeremiah, the writings of Jeremiah having ended with Jeremiah 51:64, “the prophecies of Jeremiah end here.” (See Clarke.)

C. The literary style of Jeremiah 52:1-34 is distinctly different than that of Jeremiah 1-51 which indicates chapters 1-51 and 52 were written by different people. (Clarke)

D. Clarke was of the opinion that Jeremiah 52 would better be placed as the first chapter of Lamentations rather than as the last chapter of Jeremiah.



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 11 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell IV. The Pulpit Commentary states that Jeremiah 52 is not an independent narrative, but the concluding part of the history of the kings of Judah.

A. Jeremiah 52 agrees almost word for word with 2 Kings 24:18-25:30.

1. Some differences in content do exist; for example, Gedaliah is not addressed in Jeremiah 52 although Gedaliah is mentioned in 2 Kings 25:22-26.

2. Gedaliah was mentioned previously in Jeremiah 40-42 and this may have been the reason he was not again addressed in Jeremiah 52.

B. “It is most improbable that Jeremiah was the author” of Jeremiah 52, The Pulpit Commentary further states.

Commentary:

The Fall of Jerusalem

The Reign of Zedekiah Jeremiah 52:1, Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. (NET) I. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years.




A. Zedekiah was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar as his regent in 597 B.C. (Smith)

B. 2 Kings 24:18, Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. (NET)

Note: Compare Jeremiah 52:1-16 with Jeremiah 39:1-9.

C. Zedekiah (Mattaniah) was the last king of Judah (597-586 B.C.). The son of Josiah, Zedekiah, was successor to Jehoiachin as king. Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah on the throne as a puppet king and made him swear an oath that he would remain loyal. Although Zedekiah reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years, he was never fully accepted as their king by the people of Judah. In the ninth year of his reign he revolted against Babylonia. King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem. In 586 B.C. the wall of Jerusalem was breached, and Zedekiah fled the city. The Babylonian army overtook him in the plains of Jordan. The Babylonians took him to Nebuchadnezzar in Riblah. There he witnessed the death of his sons, was blinded, and carried to Babylon where he was imprisoned until the day he died. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

II. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah.

A. Hamutal was a daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, one of King Josiah’s wives, and the mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. (Nelson’s New Illustrated bible Dictionary)




B. Jeremiah of Libnah was father of Hamutal, Josiah’s wife, and hence the grandfather of king Jehoahaz and King Zedekiah. (Bromiley)

C. Libnah was a town in the Shephelah of Judah that Joshua captured. It became a Levitical city. The people of Libnah revolted against Jehoram king of Judah. Sennacherib king of Assyria besieged Libnah during the reign of Hezekiah. Libnah was the home of Jeremiah, the father of Hamutal, mother of Zedekiah. (Bromiley)

Jeremiah 52:2, He did what displeased the Lord just as Jehoiakim had done. (NET) I. He did what displeased the Lord just as Jehoiakim had done.

A. Jehoiakim was Zedekiah’s wicked brother who had been king, immediately before Zedekiah’s appointment. (See Smith.)

B. Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar in his ninth year as king.

1. Nebuchadnezzar responded by laying siege to Jerusalem which continued for eighteen months. (See Smith.)

C. 2 Kings 24:19, He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Jehoiakim had done. (NET)




D. Jehoiakim was an evil, wicked, arrogant king of Judah whose downfall was predicted by the prophet Jeremiah. Jehoiakim was a son of the good king Josiah. He was 25 years of age when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem 11 years from 609 B.C. to 598 B.C. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, was captured, bound with bronze fetters, and evidently was in the process of being transported to Babylon but, according to Jeremiah, was “dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem” and “buried with the burial of a donkey.” (Jeremiah 22:19) (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Jeremiah 52:3, What follows is a record of what happened to Jerusalem and Judah because of the Lord’s anger when he drove them out of his sight. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. (NET) I. What follows is a record of what happened to Jerusalem and Judah because of the Lord’s anger when he drove them out of his sight.

A. What happened to Jerusalem was not because of God’s lack of ability to protect Jerusalem nor his lack of concern, but because of their sins he was compelled to punish his disobedient children. (See Willis.)

1. Jeremiah 1:12, Then the Lord said, “You have observed correctly. This means I am watching to make sure my threats are carried out.” (NET)




2. Jeremiah 31:28, In the past I saw to it that they were uprooted and torn down, that they were destroyed and demolished. But now I will see to it that they are built up and firmly planted. I, the Lord, affirm it!” (NET)

3. Jeremiah 44:27, I will indeed see to it that disaster, not prosperity, happens to them. All the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will die in war or from starvation until not one of them is left. (NET)

4. Jeremiah 7:15, And I will drive you out of my sight just like I drove out your relatives, the people of Israel.’” (NET)

5. 2 Kings 17:20, So the Lord rejected all of Israel’s descendants; he humiliated them and handed them over to robbers, until he had thrown them from his presence. (NET)

6. Jeremiah 5:23, But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone their own way. (NET)

7. Jeremiah 27:12-15, I told King Zedekiah of Judah the same thing. I said, “Submit to the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon. Be subject to him and his people. Then you will continue to live. There is no reason why you and your people should die in war or from starvation or disease! That’s what the Lord says will happen




to any nation that will not be subject to the king of Babylon. Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you. For I, the Lord, affirm that I did not send them. They are prophesying lies to you. If you listen to them, I will drive you and the prophets who are prophesying lies out of the land and you will all die in exile.” (NET)

B. The wickedness of Judah caused God to be very angry with them. God’s righteous anger then led to the punishment which befell Judah and Jerusalem. (See Coffman.)

II. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

A. This was the immediate political precipitating cause of Jerusalem’s destruction at the hands of the Babylonians.

B. Remember that Zedekiah also did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, rebelled against the Lord.

Jeremiah 52:4, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year that Zedekiah ruled over Judah. (NET) I. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside it.*




A. *NET Footnote: Or – against it.

B. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 605-562 B.C. who captured Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple and carried the people of Judah into captivity in Babylon. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible dictionary)

II. They built siege ramps all around it.

A. These allowed the attacking Babylonian soldiers to reach the top of the city walls to facilitate invasion of the city.

III. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year that Zedekiah ruled over Judah.

A. Clarke placed this as occurring approximately in our January.

Jeremiah 52:5, The city remained under siege until Zedekiah’s eleventh year. (NET) I. The city remained under siege until Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

A. The siege lasted for eighteen months, from the Fall of 588 B.C. to the spring of 586 B.C. ending when the people of Jerusalem were starving, and had run out of food, Willis advised.

Jeremiah 52:6, By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city was so severe the residents had no food. (NET)



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 18 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell I. By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city was so severe the residents had no food.

A. No food supplies could be brought into the city because of the Babylonian blockade.

1. By the end of eighteen months, starvation ravaged Jerusalem.

2. This occurred approximately in our July. (Clarke)

B. Related references: . . .

1. Lamentations 1:19-20, I called for my lovers, but they had deceived me. My priests and my elders perished in the city. Truly they had searched for food to keep themselves alive. Look, O Lord! I am distressed; my stomach is in knots! My heart is pounding inside me. Yes, I was terribly rebellious! Out in the street the sword bereaves a mother of her children; Inside the house death is present. (NET)

2. Lamentations 2:11, 12, 20, My eyes are worn out from weeping; my stomach is in knots. My heart is poured out on the ground due to the destruction of my helpless people; children and infants faint in the town squares. Children say to their mothers, “Where are food and drink?” They faint like a wounded warrior in the city squares. They die slowly in their mothers’ arms. Look, O




Lord! Consider! Whom have you ever afflicted like this? Should women eat their offspring, their healthy infants? Should priest and prophet be killed in the Lord’s sanctuary? (NET)

3. Lamentations 4:9-10, Those who died by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, those who waste away, struck down from lack of food. The hands of tenderhearted women cooked their own children, who became their food, when my people were destroyed. (NET)

Jeremiah 52:7, They broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king’s garden. (The Babylonians had the city surrounded.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley. (NET) I. They broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night.

A. When all hope was gone that Jerusalem could longer survive, Zedekiah and the soldiers fled the city. (See Smith.)

II. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king’s garden. (The Babylonians had the city surrounded.)

A. We have limited knowledge about this gate or the two walls near the king’s garden.




1. Jeremiah 39:4, When King Zedekiah of Judah and all his soldiers saw them, they tried to escape. They departed from the city during the night. They took a path through the king’s garden and passed out through the gate between the two walls. Then they headed for the Jordan Valley. (NET)

2. There was a gate located between two walls near the king’s garden which provided an exit for the king’s attempt to escape.

III. Then they headed for the Jordan Valley.*

A. *NET Footnote: Hebrew – headed toward the Arabah (the rift valley north and south of the Dead Sea).

B. The Hebrew has “the Arabah”, the name given the depression in the midst of which the Jordan River flows. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

C. Zedekiah headed toward the Jordan Valley, but was overtaken on what was called a plain.

Jeremiah 52:8, But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his entire army deserted him. (NET) I. But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his entire army deserted him.




A. The Babylonians caught Zedekiah in the plains of Jordan.

1. Zedekiah’s army deserted their king.

B. Jeremiah 39:5-7, But the Babylonian army chased after them. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho and captured him. They took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at Riblah in the territory of Hamath and Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him there. There at Riblah the king of Babylon had Zedekiah’s sons put to death while Zedekiah was forced to watch. The king of Babylon also had all the nobles of Judah put to death. Then he had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains to be led off to Babylon. (NET)

C. 2 Kings 25:5, But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with him in the plains of Jericho, and his entire army deserted him. (NET)

Jeremiah 52:9, They captured him and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the territory of Hamath and he passed sentence on him there. (NET) I. They captured him and brought him up to the king of Babylon in Riblah* in the territory of Hamath and he passed sentence on him there.

A. *NET Footnote: Riblah was a strategic town on the Orontes River in Syria.




1. Smith noted that Riblah was in the land of Hamath.

B. Jeremiah 39:5, But the Babylonian army chased after them. They caught up with Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho and captured him. They took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at Riblah in the territory of Hamath and Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him there. (NET)

C. Riblah was a Syrian city in the land of Hamath. Situated at the headwaters of the Orontes River in the broad plain between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains, Riblah was approximately sixty-five miles north of Damascus and about thirty-five miles northeast of Baalbek. The area was blessed with abundant water, fertile lands, and the famous cedar forests of the nearby Lebanon Mountains. It was an ideal campsite for armies that regularly invaded the land. Riblah was easy to defend, and it commanded a main route from Egypt to the Euphrates. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary) D. Hamath was the name of a city and the name of the territory that surrounded that city in ancient Syria. Hamath the city was situated on the Orontes River about 125 miles north of Damascus on the main trade route that connected Mesopotamia to the east with Egypt to the south. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Jeremiah 52:10, The king of Babylon had Zedekiah’s sons put to death while Zedekiah was forced to watch. He also had all the nobles of Judah put to death there at Riblah. (NET)



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 23 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell I. The king of Babylon had Zedekiah’s sons put to death while Zedekiah was forced to watch.

A. What a horrible punishment! But how horrible was the suffering of the people of Jerusalem because of Zedekiah’s rebellion against Babylon!

II. He also had all the nobles of Judah put to death there at Riblah.

A. Those who had participated in Zedekiah’s rebellion or those who could possibly mount another rebellion against Babylon were executed.

Jeremiah 52:11, He had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains. Then the king of Babylon had him led off to Babylon and he was imprisoned there until the day he died. (NET) I. He had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him led off to Babylon. He was imprisoned there until the day he died.

A. The last thing Zedekiah ever saw was the execution of his sons and perhaps his nobles.

1. Jeremiah 39:7, Then he had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains to be led off to Babylon. (NET)

B. The fact that Zedekiah remained a prisoner until the day of his death is found nowhere else in the Bible, Coffman noted.




The Destruction of Jerusalem Jeremiah 52:12, On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzara-dan, the captain of the royal guard who served the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem. (NET) I. On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard who served the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem.

A. “A month after the capture of the city, a staff officer (Nebuzaradan) arrived from Riblah with orders concerning the fate of Jerusalem. He was to destroy Jerusalem and to prepare its inhabitants for deportation to Babylon,” Smith explained.

B. Jeremiah 39:8-10, The Babylonians burned down the royal palace, the temple of the Lord, and the people’s homes, and they tore down the wall of Jerusalem. Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took captive the rest of the people who were left in the city. He carried them off to Babylon along with the people who had deserted to him. But he left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing. He gave them fields and vineyards at that time. (NET)

C. The nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in verse 12 is counted as his eighteenth year in verse 29.




1. “One mode of reckoning counted the year of accession to the throne, and the other did not. There is no contradiction,” Coffman wrote.

D. This occurred approximately in our August. (Clarke)

E. Nebuzaradan was the captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard who played an important part in the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. He was also in charge of deporting the Israelites to Babylonia. Nebuzaradan showed kindness to Jeremiah. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Jeremiah 52:13, He burned down the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house. (NET) I. He burned down the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house.

A. Clarke observed, “Thus perished this magnificent structure, after it had stood four-hundred and twenty-four years, three months and eight days.”

1. Isaiah 64:11, Our holy temple, our pride and joy, the place where our ancestors praised you, has been burned with fire; all our prized possessions have been destroyed. (NET)

Jeremiah 52:14, The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem. (NET)



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 26 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell I. The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.

A. The defensive walls were torn down to prevent the city’s again being used in another revolt against Babylon.

1. Isaiah 25:2, Indeed, you have made the city into a heap of rubble, the fortified town into a heap of ruins; the fortress of foreigners is no longer a city, it will never be rebuilt. (NET)

2. The walls remained a rubble until years later. Nehemiah returned and, under adverse condition, rebuilt the walls.

a. They said to me, “The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!” (Nehemiah 1:3) NET

Jeremiah 52:15, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took into exile some of the poor, the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the rest of the craftsmen. (NET) I. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took into exile some of the poor, the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the rest of the craftsmen.




A. Clarke identified “those who had deserted to him” as those Jews who had deserted to the Chaldeans during the siege.

B. Matthew Henry wrote that there were two previous captivities, one in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the other in the first year of Jeconiah.

Jeremiah 52:16, But he left behind some of the poor and gave them fields and vineyards. (NET) I. But he left behind some of the poor and gave them fields and vineyards.

A. Jeremiah 39:10, But he left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing. He gave them fields and vineyards at that time. (NET)

B. Some of the poor were taken as exiles to Babylon while others of the poor were permitted to remain in the land.

The Plunder of the Temple

Jeremiah 52:17, The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the temple of the Lord, as well as the movable stands and the large bronze basin called “The Sea.” They took all the bronze to Babylon. (NET)



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 28 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell I. The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the temple of the Lord, as well as the movable stands and the large bronze basin called “The Sea.” They took all the bronze to Babylon.

A. Smith explained, “The larger items of Temple furnishings were broken up to facilitate transportation to Babylon while smaller Temple vessels of bronze, gold and silver became trophies of victory in the temples of the gods of Babylon.”

B. 1 Kings 7:15-37, He fashioned two bronze pillars; each pillar was 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference. He made two bronze tops for the pillars; each was seven-and-a-half feet high. The latticework on the tops of the pillars was adorned with ornamental wreaths and chains; the top of each pillar had seven groupings of ornaments. When he made the pillars, there were two rows of pomegranate-shaped ornaments around the latticework covering the top of each pillar. The tops of the two pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies and were six feet high. On the top of each pillar, right above the bulge beside the latticework, there were two hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments arranged in rows all the way around. He set up the pillars on the porch in front of the main hall. He erected one pillar on the right side and called it Yakin; he erected the other pillar on the left side and called it Boaz. The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the construction of the pillars was completed. He also made the large bronze basin called “The Sea.” It measured 15 feet from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood seven-and-a-




half feet high. Its circumference was 45 feet. Under the rim all the way around it were round ornaments arranged in settings 15 feet long. The ornaments were in two rows and had been cast with “The Sea.” “The Sea” stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. “The Sea” was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward. It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold about 12,000 gallons. He also made ten bronze movable stands. Each stand was six feet long, six feet wide, and four-and-a-half feet high. The stands were constructed with frames between the joints. On these frames and joints were ornamental lions, bulls, and cherubim. Under the lions and bulls were decorative wreaths. Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles and four supports. Under the basin the supports were fashioned on each side with wreaths. Inside the stand was a round opening that was a foot-and-a-half deep; it had a support that was two and one-quarter feet long. On the edge of the opening were carvings in square frames. The four wheels were under the frames and the crossbars of the axles were connected to the stand. Each wheel was two and one-quarter feet high. The wheels were constructed like chariot wheels; their crossbars, rims, spokes, and hubs were made of cast metal. Each stand had four supports, one per side projecting out from the stand. On top of each stand was a round opening three-quarters of a foot deep; there were also supports and frames on top of the stands. He engraved ornamental




cherubim, lions, and palm trees on the plates of the supports and frames wherever there was room, with wreaths all around. He made the ten stands in this way. All of them were cast in one mold and were identical in measurements and shape. (NET)

C. “The vessels which were still in the temple were looted. All that were of great value had been carried away before, the vessels of silver and gold, yet some remained,” Matthew Henry advised.

D. Most of what was carried to Babylon this time was made of bronze which was of less value than silver and gold and was consequently confiscated last. (See Matthew Henry.)

E. The bronze pillars were pillars used for ornament and were named Jachin (He will establish.) and Boaz (In turn is strength.). The destruction of these pillars indicated the removable of God’s establishing the temple with his strength. (See Matthew Henry.)

1. 1 Kings 7:15, He fashioned two bronze pillars; each pillar was 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference. (NET)

Jeremiah 52:18, They also took the pots, shovels, trimming shears, basins, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests. (NET) I. They also took the pots, shovels, trimming shears, basins, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests.




A. All of these utensils were used by the priests in sacrifices.

1. The Babylonians had no respect for the temple worship.

a. They were on this occasion totally sacrilegious.

2. They were concerned only for the monetary value of these utensils.

Jeremiah 50:19, The captain of the royal guard took the gold and silver bowls, censers, basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and vessels. (NET) I. The captain of the royal guard took the gold and silver bowls, censers, basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and vessels.

A. All the vessels made of gold and silver that had not been previously taken to Babylon were melted down and carried away as precious metal, Coffman explained.

Jeremiah 52:20, The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple (including the two pillars, the large bronze basin called “The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,” and the movable stands) was too heavy to be weighed. (NET) I. The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple (including the two pillars, the large bronze basin called “The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,” and the movable stands)* was too heavy to be weighed.




A. *NET Footnote: So LXX (following 1 Kings 7:25-26, “The Sea” stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. “The Sea” was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward. It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold about 12,000 gallons. (NET); MT reads “the twelve bronze bulls under the moveable stands.”

B. There was too much brass/bronze to be weighed because, Coffman explained, “There were no scales in that day adequate for such a task as weighing many tons of brass.”

1. 1 Kings 7:47, Solomon left all these items unweighed; there were so many of them they did not weigh the bronze. (NET)

2. 2 Chronicles 4:18, Solomon made so many of these items they did not weigh the bronze. (NET)

Jeremiah 52:21, Each of the pillars was about 27 feet high, about 18 feet in circumference, three inches thick, and hollow. I. Each of the pillars was about 27 feet* high, about 18 feet in circumference, three inches** thick, and hollow.

A. *NET Footnote: Hebrew – eighteen cubits; a cubit was a measurement about 1.5 feet (45 cm) long.




B. **NET Footnote: Hebrew – four fingers. Jeremiah 52:22, The bronze top of one pillar was about seven and one-half feet high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate--shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its pomegranate-shaped ornaments was like it. (NET) I. The bronze top of one pillar was about seven and one-half feet high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate-shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its pomegranate-shaped ornaments was like it.

A. Boaz and Jachin were the names of the two identical pillars that stood in front of Solomon’s magnificent temple on each side of the entrance. These pillars had only a decorative significance. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

1. 2 Chronicles 3:17, He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left. He named the one on the right Yakin, and the one on the left Boaz. (NET)

2. 2 Kings 25:13, The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the Lord’s temple, as well as the movable stands and the big bronze basin called “The Sea.” They took the bronze to Babylon. (NET)

Jeremiah 52:23, There were ninety-six pomegranate-shaped ornaments on the sides; in all there were one



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 34 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments over the latticework that went around it. (NET) I. There were ninety-six pomegranate-shaped ornaments on the sides; on all there were one-hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments over the latticework that went around it.

A. These ornaments of the brazen pillars are listed nowhere else in the Old Testament, Coffman wrote referencing Keil.

Note: Jeremiah foretold that certain things would be carried to Babylon. Many of these things are listed in Jeremiah 52:17-23 as proof that Jeremiah had spoken the truth prophetically. Jeremiah 27:16-22, I also told the priests and all the people, “The Lord says, ‘Do not listen to what your prophets are saying. They are prophesying to you that the valuable articles taken from the Lord’s temple will be brought back from Babylon very soon. But they are prophesying a lie to you. Do not listen to them. Be subject to the king of Babylon. Then you will continue to live. Why should this city be made a pile of rubble?’” I also told them, “If they are really prophets and the Lord is speaking to them, let them pray earnestly to the Lord who rules over all. Let them plead with him not to let the valuable articles that are still left in the Lord’s temple, in the royal palace, and in Jerusalem be taken away to Babylon. For the Lord who rules over all has already spoken about the two bronze pillars, the large bronze basin called ‘The Sea,’ and the movable bronze stands. He has already spoken about the rest of the valuable articles that are left in this city. He has already spoken about these things that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 35 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell take away when he carried Jehoiakim’s son King Jeconiah of Judah and the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem away as captives. Indeed, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all has already spoken about the valuable articles that are left in the Lord’s temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem. He has said, ‘They will be carried off to Babylon. They will remain there until it is time for me to show consideration for them again. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’ I, the Lord, affirm this!” (NET) This chapter verifies other prophecies of Jeremiah as well. (See Coffman.)

Events Subsequent to Jerusalem’s Fall Jeremiah 52:24, The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers. (NET) I. The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers.

A. First, Jewish leaders were executed.

1. Willis wrote, “As a group, these appear to be those who opposed Jeremiah and his message, but the ones named here are known to have been sympathic to Jeremiah.”

a. Jeremiah 1:18, I, the Lord, hereby promise to make you as strong as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You




will be able to stand up against all who live in the land, including the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and all the people of the land. (NET)

b. Jeremiah 2:26, Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught, so the people of Israel will suffer dishonor for what they have done. So will their kings and officials, their priests and their prophets. (NET)

c. Jeremiah 4:9, “When this happens,” says the Lord, “the king and his officials will lose their courage. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be speechless in astonishment.” (NET)

d. Jeremiah 5:31, The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes! (NET)

e. Jeremiah 6:13, “That is because, from the least important to the most important of them, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain. Prophets and priests alike, all of them practice deceit. (NET)

f. Jeremiah 13:13, Then tell them, ‘The Lord says, “I will soon fill all the people who live




in this land with stupor. I will also fill the kings from David’s dynasty, the priests, the prophets, and the citizens of Jerusalem with stupor. (NET)

g. Jeremiah 23:33-40, The Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, when one of these people, or a prophet, or a priest asks you, ‘What burdensome message do you have from the Lord?’ Tell them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you away. I, the Lord, affirm it! I will punish any prophet, priest, or other person who says “The Lord’s message is burdensome.” I will punish both that person and his whole family.’” So I, Jeremiah, tell you, “Each of you people should say to his friend or his relative, ‘How did the Lord answer? Or what did the Lord say?’ You must no longer say that the Lord’s message is burdensome. For what is ‘burdensome’ really pertains to what a person himself says. You are misrepresenting the words of our God, the living God, the Lord who rules over all. Each of you should merely ask the prophet, ‘What answer did the Lord give you? Or what did the Lord say?’ But just suppose you continue to say, ‘The message of the Lord is burdensome.’ Here is what the Lord says will happen: ‘I sent word to you that you must not say, “The Lord’s message is burdensome.” But you used the words “The Lord’s message is burdensome”




anyway. So I will carry you far off and throw you away. I will send both you and the city I gave to you and to your ancestors out of my sight. I will bring on you lasting shame and lasting disgrace which will never be forgotten!’” (NET)

h. Jeremiah 26:7-16, The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah say these things in the Lord’s temple. Jeremiah had just barely finished saying all the Lord had commanded him to say to all the people. All at once some of the priests, the prophets, and the people grabbed him and shouted, “You deserve to die! How dare you claim the Lord’s authority to prophesy such things! How dare you claim his authority to prophesy that this temple will become like Shiloh and that this city will become an uninhabited ruin!” Then all the people crowded around Jeremiah. However, some of the officials of Judah heard about what was happening and they rushed up to the Lord’s temple from the royal palace. They set up court at the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s temple. Then the priests and the prophets made their charges before the officials and all the people. They said, “This man should be condemned to die because he prophesied against this city. You have heard him do so with your own ears.” Then Jeremiah made his defense before all




the officials and all the people. “The Lord sent me to prophesy everything you have heard me say against this temple and against this city. But correct the way you have been living and do what is right. Obey the Lord your God. If you do, the Lord will forgo destroying you as he threatened he would. As to my case, I am in your power. Do to me what you deem fair and proper. But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!” Then the officials and all the people rendered their verdict to the priests and the prophets. They said, “This man should not be condemned to die. For he has spoken to us under the authority of the Lord our God.” (NET)

i. Jeremiah 32:32, I am determined to do so because the people of Israel and Judah have made me angry with all their wickedness—they, their kings, their officials, their priests, their prophets, and especially the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem have done this wickedness. (NET)

2. Willis further noted that this Seraiah and Zephaniah were or had been friends of Jeremiah. Even some of




Jeremiah’s friends may have been killed in the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and its aftermath.

a. Jeremiah 39:15-18, Now the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah while he was still confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse, “Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, ‘The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I will carry out against this city what I promised. It will mean disaster and not good fortune for it. When that disaster happens, you will be there to see it. But I will rescue you when it happens. I, the Lord, affirm it! You will not be handed over to those whom you fear. I will certainly save you. You will not fall victim to violence. You will escape with your life because you trust in me. I, the Lord, affirm it!”’” (NET)

b. Jeremiah 45:1-5, The prophet Jeremiah spoke to Baruch son of Neriah while he was writing down in a scroll the words that Jeremiah spoke to him. This happened in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah. “The Lord God of Israel has a message for you, Baruch. ‘You have said, “I feel so hopeless! For the Lord has added sorrow to my suffering. I am worn out from groaning. I can’t find any rest.”’” The Lord told Jeremiah, “Tell Baruch, ‘The Lord says, “I am about to tear down what I have built and to uproot what I have




planted. I will do this throughout the whole earth. Are you looking for great things for yourself? Do not look for such things. For I, the Lord, affirm that I am about to bring disaster on all humanity. But I will allow you to escape with your life wherever you go.”’” (NET)

c. Jeremiah 25:18, I made Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its officials drink it. I did it so Judah would become a ruin. I did it so Judah, its kings, and its officials would become an object of horror and of hissing scorn, an example used in curses. Such is already becoming the case! (NET)

B. Coffman explained that Jeremiah 52:23-27 deals with the execution of the priests, that is, the false priests who had pressured Zedekiah into rebellion against Babylon and threatening death to Jeremiah who opposed their views. The other important officers mentioned here were presumed to have been responsible either for urging or approving the king’s rebellious behavior.”

C. The three doorkeepers were priests who stood at the door to receive the offerings of the people.

1. 2 Kings 20:9, Isaiah replied, “This is your sign from the Lord confirming that the Lord will do what he has said. Do you want the shadow to




move ahead ten steps or to go back ten steps?” (NET)

2. 2 Kings 23:4, The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the high-ranking priests, and the guards to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the items that were used in the worship of Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of the sky. The king burned them outside of Jerusalem in the terraces of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. (NET)

D. Seraiah was a son of Azamah and chief priest at Jerusalem when this city was captured by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar executed Seraiah at Riblah. Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak, the grandfather of the high priest Jeshua; he was an ancestor of Ezra. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

E. Zephaniah was a son of Maaseiah; the second priest in rank in the days of Jeremiah. He was apparently not hostile to Jeremiah, for he received from the exiled prophet Shemaiah a letter rebuking him for not having imprisoned Jeremiah. Zephaniah read this letter to Jeremiah and did not imprison him. After the fall of Jerusalem he was among the leaders of Israel who were taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah and put to death. (Bromiley)

Jeremiah 52:25, From the city he took an official who was in charge of the soldiers, seven of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizens for military service, and sixty



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 43 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell citizens who were discovered in the middle of the city. (NET) I. From the city he took an official who was in charge of the soldiers, seven of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizens for military service, and sixty citizens who were discovered in the middle of the city.

A. These people were also thought by Coffman to have sided with the king in his rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar, this being the reason for their executions. They were executed as reprisals against Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 52:26, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. (NET) I. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

A. Riblah was the headquarters of the Babylonian army at that time and it was there that Nebuchadnezzar held court.

Jeremiah 52:27, The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile away from its land. (NET) I. The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath.




A. The Jewish leaders who had caused Babylon great trouble and who might well continue their resistance if provided an opportunity were executed.

B. Nebuchadnezzar would not have to deal with these individuals again.

II. So Judah was taken into exile away from its land.

A. Captives in great numbers were deported from Jerusalem to Babylon.

1. Several deportations took place. To get the full composite picture, everything said in 2 Kings and Jeremiah must be considered.

Jeremiah 52:28, Here is the official record of the number of people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: In the seventh year, 3,023 Jews; (NET) I. Here is the official record of the number of people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: In the seventh year, 3,023 Jews.

A. Differences in the numbers of exiles, as noted in 2 kings 24 and Jeremiah 52, DeHoff wrote, “May be a numerical error. The 1,000 in Kings may have included not only the 4,600 of Jeremiah, but also those captured on certain other occasions.”




B. Willis wrote that the one-year discrepancy in some of the chronological references may relate to how the years of a king’s reign were counted.

C. Willis further explained that differences in the number of exiles might be resolved by differences in who was counted; that is, everyone, males only, families only or which people were being counted, Judeans or people of Jerusalem.

D. Blayney via Clarke wrote that by these three deportations the historian meant to point out deportations of a minor kind, not elsewhere noticed in direct terms in scripture.

1. Most certainly these numbers did not and were not intended to reflect the total number of captives taken as exiles to Babylon.

2. The Pulpit Commentary states “seventh” should read “seventeenth.”

3. These deportations evidently were late in times of occurences, the most talented of the people such as Daniel and Ezekiel having been exiled earlier.

Jeremiah 52:29, in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem; (NET) I. in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem; . . .




A. Leviticus 18:28, So do not make the land vomit you out because you defile it just as it has vomited out the nations that were before you. (NET)

Jeremiah 52:30, in Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, carried into exile 745 Judeans. In all 4,600 people went into exile. (NET) I. in Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, carried into exile 745 Judeans. II. In all 4,600 people went into exile.

A. Green via Coffman dated these deportations to 597 B.C., 587 B.C., and 582 B.C. Cawley and Millard dated them to 597 B.C., 586 B.C., and to 581 B.C.

B. Coffman quoting Feinberg concluded that, “the total number of exiles was far higher than the totals given here.”

1. If the correct reading in verse 28 is “seventeenth” rather than “seventh” which would require a single deportation dated 587/586 B.C., the problem of low exile numbers would be resolved, Coffman concluded.

Jehoiachin in Exile

Jeremiah 52:31, In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, Evil-Merodach, in the first year of his



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 47 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell reign, pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison. (NET) I. In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, Evil-Merodach, in the first year of his reign, pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison.

A. Hamilton wrote that Jeremiah was probably dead at the time Jehoiachin was released from prison since he would have been about ninety years old by then.

1. This corresponds to our April 25th. (Clarke)

B. “The book closes on an optimistic note. King Jehoiachin had been taken captive in 597 B.C. He remained a prisoner until the end of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. When Evil-Merodack (“stupid one of Marduk”) became king, Jehoiachin was released and given certain benefits of rank and provisions,” Smith wrote.

C. This turn of events speaks to the prophecies of Jeremiah regarding better days which were in store for the Jews.

D. Evil-Merodach was king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (562-560 B.C.) and son of Nebuchadnezzar II. When Evil-Merodach became king he released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison where he had been confined for 37 years. Evil-Merodach was put to death by his brother-in-law, Nergal-shar-usur (Neriglissar) who then became king. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)




E. Jehoiachin may have been released from prison because he was regarded by the Jews in exile as the legitimate king. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

1. Lamentations 4:20, Our very life breath—the Lord’s anointed king— was caught in their traps, of whom we thought, “Under his protection we will survive among the nations.” (NET)

2. Lamentations 2:9, Her city gates have fallen to the ground; he smashed to bits the bars that lock her gates. Her king and princes were taken into exile; there is no more guidance available. As for her prophets, they no longer receive a vision from the Lord. (NET)

Jeremiah 52:32, He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who were with him in Babylon. (NET) I. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

A. Coffman wrote, “There is a glimpse here of the life-style of Babylonian kings. The kings which they had conquered were actually seated on thrones in the Babylonian king’s dining room, no doubt as part of the flattering display of his power; but Jehoiachin did not enjoy that status for 37 years. This passage speaks of his release from prison, of his restoration to royal status, and of his receiving a throne even above those of other monarchs conquered by Babylon.” This is thought to have taken place in 561 B.C.




1. 2 Kings 25:27-30, In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, King Evil-Merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who were with him in Babylon. Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life. He was given daily provisions by the king for the rest of his life until the day he died. (NET)

Jeremiah 52:33, Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life. (NET) I. Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life.

A. Jehoiachin had been a prisoner for thirty-seven years.

B. Those of us who suffer long periods of misfortune may take encouragement in seeing in the life of Jehoiachin that adversity can be overcome.

C. Also remember Joseph who from a pit, a slave and prison, rose to be the second ruler of mighty Egypt!



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 50 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell Jeremiah 52:34, He was given daily provisions by the king of Babylon for the rest of his life until the day he died. (NET) I. He was given daily provisions by the king of Babylon for the rest of his life until the day he died.

A. The ways in which the Babylonians treated Zedekiah and Jehoiachin were markedly different. (See Willis.)

1. Nebuchadnezzar in regard to Zedekiah may be viewed as an instrument of God’s wrath.

2. Evil Merodach in regard to Jehoiachin may be viewed as an instrument of God’s mercy.

3. “Together,” Willis wrote, “they clarify the Lord’s positive intentions toward the whole nation in the years ahead. . . . Jehoiachin’s release portends a more general release of his people.”

a. Jeremiah 52:31-34, In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, Evil-Merodach, in the first year of his reign, pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who were with him in Babylon. Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life.




He was given daily provisions by the king of Babylon for the rest of his life until the day he died. (NET)

b. While 2 Kings ends on a dismal note, the book of Jeremiah concludes with a glimmer of hope. (See Willis.)

c. Both 2 Kings and Jeremiah are to be read with a hopeful view of Israel’s future. (See Willis.)

B. Jehoiachin was given for the rest of his life a continual ration provided by the king for the support of Jehoiachin’s household. (Clarke)

1. 2 Kings 25:30, He was given daily provisions by the king for the rest of his life until the day he died. (NET)

Conclusion: I. The fall of Jerusalem verifies the prophecies of Jeremiah. The release of Jehoiachin of the seed of David provided hope for the exiles in Babylon. (Hamilton) II. Jeremiah remained unwaveringly faithful to God throughout his entire life despite severe opposition from his own people, the ones he labored to save. (See Hamilton.) III. God was gracious! He would save a remnant of repentant Israelites and return them to the promised land. (Hamilton)




A. Jeremiah 52 speaks to the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecies. (Coffman)

1. Coffman wrote, “. . . it appears to this writer that the principal reason for including this chapter from a source independent of Jeremiah was for the specific purpose of demonstrating historically the fulfillment of his marvelous prophecies.”

B. The freeing of Jehoiachin from imprisonment and elevating him to a position of honor at the table of the king of Babylon would encourage the exiles to have hope that their status would also change for the better.

1. Dozens of Jeremiah’s prophecies were fulfilled in Jeremiah 52, but the exiles had not yet returned home to Judah.

2. The release of Jehoiachin from prison gave the exiles hope that they would be freed from Babylonian captivity which did indeed occur in God’s own time.

3. The word of God as spoken by Jeremiah both had been and would be fulfilled!




Questions

on

Jeremiah 52:1-34 Note: In responding to these questions, feel free to consult other references in addition to those cited in this lesson. 1. The account of _________________ _______________ of ____________________ as recorded in ____________________ ____________:____________ is essentially the same as that recorded in __________________:__________________ and ________________:________________. 2. Willis wrote that Jeremiah 52:1-30, after introducing ______________, focuses on the fate of ___________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ with an accounting of ___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Jeremiah 52:31-34 speaks of the ____________ ___________ which ________________ _______________ ____________ in ___________ following his _____________ from ____________.



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 54 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell 4. Who wrote Jeremiah 52:1-34? Why did he write Jeremiah 52:1-34? _____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Compare and/or contrast the literary style of Jeremiah 52:1-34 with the literary style of Jeremiah 1-51. ____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What differences in content exist between Jeremiah 52:1-34 and 2 Kings 24:18 – 2 Kings 25:30? ________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. ______________ was ______________ years old when he became king, and he ______________ in ______________ for ______________ years. ______________ was placed on the ______________ by ______________ as his ______________ in ______________ B.C. 8. Give as much information as possible about Zedekiah. _______



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 55 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. Who were Hamutal and Jeremiah? Locate and give as much information as possible regarding Libnah. ___________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. Give as much information as you can about Jehoiakim. Speak to his character. _______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. What did Zedekiah do in his ninth year as king? What resulted from his action? ________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12. Why was Jehovah angry with Judah and Jerusalem? _______



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 56 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13. What happened to ________________ was not because of ______________’s ______________ of ______________ to ______________ ______________ nor his ______________ of ______________, but because of their ______________ he was ______________ to ______________ his ______________ ______________. 14. What was the immediate political precipitating cause of Jerusalem’s destruction at the hands of the Babylonians? ______ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 15. Who was Nebuchadnezzar? Give as much information as possible about Nebuchadnezzar. __________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16. ______________ came against ______________ with his ______________ ______________ and set up ______________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 57 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell _____________ it. They built ______________ ______________ all around it. 17. What were the purposes of building siege ramps? _________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18. When did the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem begin? When did it end? _______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19. What caused the end of this siege of Jerusalem? __________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20. When all ______________ was gone that ______________ could ______________ ______________, ______________ and the ______________ ______________ the ______________. 21. How did the king escape Jerusalem when the city was surrounded by the Babylonian army? _______________________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 58 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 22. Where did Zedekiah plan to go? Define “Arabah”. Where did the Babylonians overtake Zedekiah? _______________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 23. What happened to Zedekiah after he was taken into custody by the Babylonians? ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 24. Locate Riblah and give as much information as possible about Riblah? ______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 25. Locate Hamath and give as much information as possible about Hamath. ________________________________________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 59 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 26. What happened at Riblah? ____________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 27. What happened to Zedekiah after he left Riblah? __________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 28. Who was Nebuzaradan? What did he do at Jerusalem? How much time elapsed between Jerusalem’s fall and Nebuzaradan’s arrival in Jerusalem? ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 29. When and by whom were the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt? ___ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 60 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 30. Whom did Nebuzaradan take into captivity? ______________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 31. Who were left behind? _______________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 32. List all the different groups of Jewish exiles taken into Babylonian captivity, the number of exiles in each group and the grand total of all exiles taken into captivity from start to finish. Consider all Bible references on this subject. _________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 33. Why did the Babylonians break the two bronze pillars in the temple as well as the movable stands and the large bronze basin called “The Sea”? ______________________________________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 61 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 34. For what were the two bronze pillars, the movable stands and “The Sea” designed to be used in the temple? _______________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 35. Identify Boaz and Jachin. _____________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 36. For what were the bronze pots, shovels, trimming shears, basins, pane, and other bronze utensils designed to be used? Be specific, give details when answering. ______________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 62 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell 37. For what were the gold and silver bowls, censers, basins, pots, lampstands, pans and vessels used? Contrast the use of the gold and silver utensils with like vessels made of brass. ________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 38. What were twelve bronze bulls doing in the temple? _______ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 39. Why could it be said that the bronze taken to Babylon was too heavy to be weighed? _______________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 40. Each of the ______________ named ______________ and ____________ was about _____________ feet ______________, about ____________ feet in ______________, ______________ inches ______________, and ______________. 41. Describe the tops of these pillars. ______________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 63 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 42. Describe the ornaments on the sides of these pillars. ______ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 43. According to Coffman, why were these temple pillars and utensils given so much emphasis in Jeremiah 52? _____________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 44. Identify and provide as much information as possible about Seraiah. What happened to Seraiah? Why did this happen to Seraiah? ______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 45. Identify and provide as much information as possible about Zephaniah. What happened to Zephaniah? Why did this happen to Zephaniah? _________________________________________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 64 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 46. What were the duties of “doorkeepers”? What happened to the doorkeepers mentioned in verse 24? Why did this happen to them? ________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 47. List the people and their duties who were taken from the city to stand before Nebuchadnezzar. (See verses 25-26.) What happened to these people? Why did this happen to these people rather than others? _____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 48. What difference does it make if “seventh” is changed to “seventeenth” in verse 28? _______________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 65 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell 49. Identify and give as much information as possible about Jehoiachin. What fortunate and unfortunate things did he experience in his life? ___________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 50. Identify and give as much information as possible about Evil-Merodach. Why did he release Jehoiachin from prison? _______ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 51. Contrast Jehoiachin’s life before and after his release from prison. Give as much information as possible. _______________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 52. What did Coffman say about the life-style of Babylonian kings? See verse 32. ___________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



www.biblestudyworkshop.org 66 Commentary and Questions by John C. Sewell __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 53. The ____________ of ___________ verifies the ___________ of ______________. The ____________ of ___________ of the ______________ of ______________ provided ______________ for the ___________ in ____________. 54. ____________ remained ______________ ______________ to ____________ throughout his ____________ _____________ despite ______________ ______________ from his own ____________, the ones he _____________ to ______________. 55. List as many things as you can which are mentioned in Jeremiah 52 that were fulfillments of Jeremiah’s prophecies. ___ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



THE FALL OF JERUSALEM JEHOIACHIN IN EXILE JEREMIAH 52:1...

Documents

Transcript of THE FALL OF JERUSALEM JEHOIACHIN IN EXILE JEREMIAH 52:1...