Jeremiah 52:24

24 And the master of the chivalry took Seraiah, the first priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and [the] three keepers of the vestiary. (And the captain of the guard took hold of Seraiah, the first priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three door-keepers, or the three guards.)

Jeremiah 52:24 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 52:24

And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest,
&c.] That is, out of the temple, where he was ministering, or fled for safety; this is supposed to be the father of Ezra, ( 1 Chronicles 6:14 ) ( Ezra 7:1 ) ; and Zephaniah the second priest:
or deputy priest: the "sagan" of the priests, as the Targum calls him, who was deputed to minister for the high priest, in case anything happened which hindered him from officiating; such an one there always was in later times on the day of atonement, as appears from the Misna ^F6; this man is thought to be the same with Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, ( Jeremiah 21:1 ) ( 29:25 ) ; and the three keepers of the door;
that is, of the temple. The Targum calls them three "amarcalin"; who had, as Jarchi says, the keys of the court committed to them. The number seems better to agree with the "gizbarim" or treasurers; of whom, it is said, they never appoint less than three treasurers, and seven "amarcalin" ^F7.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Yoma, c. 1. sect. 1.
F7 Misn. Shekalim, c. 5. sect. 2.

Jeremiah 52:24 In-Context

22 And brazen pommels were on ever either; and the height of one pommel was of five cubits; and works like nets and pomegranates were on the crown in compass, [(and) all was brazen. Like manner was the second pillar, and the pomegranates; and they were upon the head in compass, all brazen, like manner of the tother pillar.] (And a bronze crown, or a bronze capital, was upon each pillar; and each crown was five cubits in height; and all around the crown was a network arrayed with pomegranates, and all was bronze. In like manner was the second pillar, and its pomegranates; and they went all around its crown, and all was bronze, just like the other pillar.)

23 And the pomegranates were ninety and six hanging down, and all [the] pomegranates were compassed with an hundred works like nets. (And ninety-six pomegranates could be seen hanging down, and altogether there were a hundred pomegranates on the network, all around each crown.)

24 And the master of the chivalry took Seraiah, the first priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and [the] three keepers of the vestiary. (And the captain of the guard took hold of Seraiah, the first priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three door-keepers, or the three guards.)

25 And of the city he took one chaste servant and honest, that was sovereign on the men warriors; and seven men of them that saw the face of the king, which were found in the cities; and a scribe, prince of knights, that proved [the] young knights; and sixty men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city. (And he also took away from the city one honest and chaste servant, that is, a eunuch, who was the ruler over the warriors; and seven men of them who saw the face of the king, who were found in the city; and a writer, or a secretary, who was the leader of the horsemen, who assayed, or mustered, the young horsemen; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were also found in the midst of the city.)

26 Forsooth Nebuzaradan, the master of [the] chivalry (And Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard), took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon in Riblah.