Dave Burnette's Commentary

Jeremiah Chapter 52

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Jeremiah
Date Penned: (627-586 BC)
Overview: To Urge God's People to Turn from Sin to God (c 1-52)
Theme: God's Judgement on the Nations (c 46-52)
Message: Details on the Fall of Jerusalem (v 1-34)


Jeremiah 52 Commentary

(52:1) The Destruction of Jerusalem - This chapter provides more detail about the destruction of Jerusalem recorded in Jeremiah 39 (similar material is also found in 2 Kings 24:18-25:21). This appendix shows that Jeremiah's prophecies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity happened just as he predicted. (For more information on Zedekiah, see the note on Jeremiah 39:1-10.) 

(52:8-9) Riblah - Riblah was 200 miles north of Jerusalem, located on the Orontes River in the region of Aram (or Syria). This was the Babylonian headquarters for ruling the entire region. Hamath was the district of Syria where the regional capital, Riblah, was located. 

(52:12-14) The Lord Restores - Nebuzar-adan burned down the temple, the royal palace, and all the important buildings of Jerusalem. Then he tore down the walls of the city. About 70 years later, Ezra would supervise the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 3:7-6:22) and Nehemiah would lead the rebuilding of the walls (Nehemiah 1:1-6:19). 

(52:17-23) The Treasures of Babylon - All the articles for worship were broken up and transported to the treasuries of Babylon. These instruments had been made under exact specifications from the Lord (Exodus 35:4=38:31). Some of these articles would be recovered from Babylonian temples by King Cyrus and returned to the new temple in Jerusalem by the exiles who returned to rebuild (Ezra 1:7-11), but some items would be lost forever. This was one of the consequences of Israel's disobedience. Though the people of Israel would be forgiven and restored as a nation, they would never again see some of these superbly crafted articles from the temple. 

(52:31) Jehoiachin - Babylon's king showed kindness to Jehoiachin. In 561 BC, Jehoiachin was released from prison and allowed to eat with the king. God continued to show kindness to the descendants of King David, even in exile. 

(52:34) Godly Success - In the world's eyes, Jeremiah looked totally unsuccessful. He had no money or family and few friends. He prophesied the destruction of the nation, the capital city, and the temple, but the political and religious leaders would not accept or follow his advice. No group of people liked him or listened to him. Yet as we look back, we see that he successfully completed the work God had given him to do. Success must never be measured by popularity, fame, or fortune, for these are temporal measures. King Zedekiah, for example, was successful in the eyes of the world for a time, but he lost everything by pursuing selfish goals. God measures our success with the yardsticks of obedience, faithfulness, and righteousness. If you are faithfully doing the work God has given you, you are successful in his eyes.

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application


How Do You Measure Success?

 Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the Book of Jeremiah 52. In our text today we see the details on the fall of Jerusalem as we end this book where, in the worlds eyes, Jeremiah looked to be unsuccessful. He had no money, family, or friends. No group followed his advice yet in the Eyes of the Lord He was a success because He did what he was instructed to do. In making application we see that Our Lord measures success in obedience. Our obedience will not produce worldly fruit but will produce Godly eternal fruit. How about you? How do you measure success? Let us learn from our text today and the life of Jeremiah to see that God measures success in obedience and rewards us eternally in Heaven in ways that are far and above anything here on earth.

 

.
Jeremiah 52

Jeremiah 52

 1Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

 2And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

 3For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

 4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.

 5So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

 6And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

 7Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.

 8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

 9Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.

 10And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

 11Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

 12Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,

 13And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:

 14And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.

 15Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

 16But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

 17Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

 18The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

 19And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.

 20The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

 21And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.

 22And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.

 23And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.

 24And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

 25He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.

 26So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

 27And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

 28This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:

 29In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:

 30In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.

 31And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison.

 32And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,

 33And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.

 34And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.