Jeremiah 52:17-23

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 “The Sea.” ¹  They took all the bronze to Babylon. 52:18 They also took the pots, shovels, ²  trimming shears, ³  basins, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests. ⁴  52:19 The captain of the royal guard took the gold and silver bowls, censers, ⁵  basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and vessels. ⁶  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 ⁷ ) was too heavy to be weighed. 52:21 Each of the pillars was about 27 feet ⁸  high, about 18 feet ⁹  in circumference, three inches ¹⁰  thick, and hollow. 52:22 The bronze top of one pillar was about seven and one-half feet ¹¹  high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate-shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its pomegranate-shaped ornaments was like it. 52:23 There were ninety-six pomegranate-shaped ornaments on the sides; in all there were one hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments over the latticework that went around it.

[52:17]  ¹ sn For discussion of the items listed here, see the study notes at Jer 27:19.

[52:18]  ² sn These shovels were used to clean the altar.

[52:18]  ³ sn These trimming shears were used to trim the wicks of the lamps.

[52:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “with which they served (or “fulfilled their duty”).”

[52:19]  ⁵ sn The censers held the embers used for the incense offerings.

[52:19]  ⁶ sn These vessels were used for drink offerings.

[52:20]  ⁷ tc The translation follows the LXX (Greek version), which reflects the description in 1 Kgs 7:25-26. The Hebrew text reads, “the twelve bronze bulls under the movable stands.” הַיָּם (hayyam, “The Sea”) has been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton; note that the following form, הַמְּכֹנוֹת (hammÿkhonot, “the movable stands”), also begins with the article.

[52:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “eighteen cubits.” A “cubit” was a unit of measure, approximately equivalent to a foot and a half.

[52:21]  ⁹ tn Heb “twelve cubits.” A “cubit” was a unit of measure, approximately equivalent to a foot and a half.

[52:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “four fingers.”

[52:22]  ¹¹ tn Heb “five cubits.” A “cubit” was a unit of measure, approximately equivalent to a foot and a half.