Jeremiah 52
The Fall of
Jerusalem
I. The
Seige of Jerusalem vs. 1-11
A.
Zedekiah's Sin vs. 1-3
“Zedekiah
was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven
years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of
Jeremiah of Libnah. [2] He did evil in the sight of the LORD
like all that Jehoiakim had done. [3] For through the anger of
the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them
out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of
Babylon.”
B.
Zedekiah's Shame vs. 4-7
“[4] Now
it came about in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the
tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his
army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all
around it. [5] So the city was under siege until the eleventh
year of King Zedekiah. [6] On the ninth day of the fourth month
the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the
people of the land. [7] Then the city was broken into, and all
the men of war fled and went forth from the city at night by way of
the gate between the two walls which was by the king's garden, though
the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the
Arabah.”
C.
Zedekiah's Suffering vs. 8-11
“[8] But
the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in
the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.
[9] Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king
of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on
him. [10] The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah
before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the princes of Judah in
Riblah. [11] Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king
of Babylon bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon
and put him in prison until the day of his death.”
II. The
Destruction of the City vs. 12-16
“[12] Now on the tenth day
of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the
bodyguard, who was in the service of the king of Babylon, came to
Jerusalem. [13] He burned the house of the LORD, the king's
house and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every large house he
burned with fire. [14] So all the army of the Chaldeans who were
with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around
Jerusalem.”
“[15] Then Nebuzaradan the
captain of the guard carried away into exile some of the poorest of
the people, the rest of the people who were left in the city, the
deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the
artisans. [16] But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left
some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.”
III. The Looting of the Temple
vs. 13-23
“[17] Now the bronze
pillars which belonged to the house of the LORD and the stands and
the bronze sea, which 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 snuffers, the basins, the
pans and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service.
[19] The captain of the guard also took away the bowls, the
firepans, the basins, the pots, the lampstands, the pans and the
drink offering bowls, what was fine gold and what was fine silver.”
“[20] The two pillars, the
one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea, and the
stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD —the
bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. [21] As for the
pillars, the height of each pillar was eighteen cubits, and it was
twelve cubits in circumference and four fingers in thickness, and
hollow. [22] Now a capital of bronze was on it; and the height
of each capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon
the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like
these, including pomegranates. [23] There were ninety-six
exposed pomegranates; all the pomegranates numbered a hundred on the
network all around.”
IV. The Replacement of the
Leadership vs. 24-34
A. Execution of the Shepherds vs.
24-27
“[24] Then the captain of
the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second
priest, with the three officers of the temple. [25] He also took
from the city one official who was overseer of the men of war, and
seven of the king's advisers who were found in the city, and the
scribe of the commander 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] Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard
took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
[27] Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to
death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into
exile from its land.”
B. Deportation of the Sheep vs.
28-30
“[28] These are the people whom
Nebuchadnezzar carried away into exile: in the seventh year 3,023
Jews; [29] in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons from
Jerusalem; [30] in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar,
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile 745 Jewish
people; there were 4,600 persons in all.”
C. Elevation of the King vs. 31-34
“[31] Now it came about in
the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in
the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, that
Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, showed
favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.
[32] Then he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the
thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. [33] So
Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and had his meals in the
king's presence regularly all the days of his life. [34] For his
allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king of Babylon,
a daily portion all the days of his life until the day of his death.”