Jeremiah 52:11 kjv
Then 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.
Jeremiah 52:11 nkjv
He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
Jeremiah 52:11 niv
Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.
Jeremiah 52:11 esv
He put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in chains, and the king of Babylon took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
Jeremiah 52:11 nlt
Then he gouged out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him in bronze chains, and the king of Babylon led him away to Babylon. Zedekiah remained there in prison until the day of his death.
Jeremiah 52 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 52:11 | And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and bound him with fetters of brass, and brought him to Babylon, and put him in prison. | Jeremiah's prophecy of Zedekiah's fate |
| 2 Kin 25:7 | And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters, to carry him to Babylon. | Parallel account in Kings |
| Ezek 12:13 | My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. | Ezekiel's prophecy aligning with Zedekiah's fate |
| Psa 146:7 | Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD loosed the prisoners. | God's restoration of the afflicted |
| Isa 42:7 | To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. | Isaiah's prophecy of liberating the bound |
| Luke 4:18 | The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. | Jesus fulfilling the prophecy of liberation |
| John 9:39 | And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see might be blind; and that they which see might be blind. | Jesus on spiritual blindness |
| Rom 11:25 | For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. | Israel's partial blindness for the sake of Gentiles |
| Rev 1:5 | And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, | Jesus as the faithful witness |
| Jer 24:8-10 | And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, surely thus saith the LORD, so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. | God's judgment on Zedekiah and Judah's wicked |
| Jer 34:2-5 | Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire: And thou shalt not be spared, but shalt surely be given into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thy mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon, and there shalt thou be, till I do visit him, saith the LORD: though ye were not afraid of my words. | Jeremiah's earlier prophecy to Zedekiah |
| Jer 37:1 | And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. | Zedekiah's appointment as king |
| Jer 38:14-23 | Then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched Jeremiah the prophet out of the court of the prison, and asked him secretly, saying, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, Thou art, If thou wilt go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live: and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine household also. But if thou wilt not go forth to the princes of the king of Babylon's army, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and he shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of his hand. | Jeremiah's counsel to Zedekiah |
| Jer 39:7 | But he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and bound him with chains to carry him to Babylon. | The act of blinding and chaining |
| Psa 137:8-9 | O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall those be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. | Judgment on Babylon |
| Deut 28:28 | The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of heart. | Curse for disobedience |
| Deut 28:64-66 | And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and wasting away of soul. | Further curses for disobedience |
| Lam 4:17 | As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. | Lament for failed hopes |
| Jer 34:3 | And thou shalt not be spared, but shalt surely be given into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thy mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon, and there shalt thou be, till I do visit him, saith the LORD: though ye were not afraid of my words. | Specific detail about Zedekiah's eyes seeing Babylon's king |
| Eze 17:12-17 | Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and hath led them with him to Babylon; And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land: That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that it might keep his covenant, and continue. But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and escape? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king is that made him king, where the oath of allegiance was made unto him, even with him that deposed him, in the midst of Babylon shall he die. | Allegory of the eagle and the vine, relevant to Zedekiah's breaking of covenants. |
Jeremiah 52 verses
Jeremiah 52 11 Meaning
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, blinded Zedekiah, the king of Judah, after conquering Jerusalem and bringing him to Babylon. This act symbolized Zedekiah's loss of his kingdom and his sight, mirroring the spiritual blindness that led Judah to its downfall.
Jeremiah 52 11 Context
Jeremiah 52 is a historical appendix that recounts the final destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. Verse 11 specifically details the tragic fate of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. The events described in this chapter are the fulfillment of many of Jeremiah's prophecies throughout the book. Jerusalem had been besieged, and Zedekiah, despite Jeremiah's warnings and pleas to surrender, attempted to flee. He was captured by the Babylonians and brought before Nebuchadnezzar, who dealt with him as described in this verse. This marked the end of the Davidic monarchy and a devastating blow to the people of Judah, plunging them into exile.
Jeremiah 52 11 Word Analysis
- And (וְ): Connects clauses, showing sequence or addition.
- he (הוא): Refers to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.
- put out (וַיַּצֵּת, vaiyatzet): A form of the verb יצת (yatza), meaning to set fire, to burn, or to cause to burn. In this context, it implies a violent and agonizing removal or blinding, metaphorically "burning out" the eyes.
- the eyes (עֵינֵי, einei): Plural of עַיִן (ayin), meaning eye. Specifically refers to both eyes.
- of Zedekiah (צִדְקִיָּהוּ, Tzidkiyahu): The name of the king of Judah. The meaning is debated, possibly "Yahweh is my righteousness" or "Yahweh is my justice." Ironically, his actions and fate did not reflect this divine attribute.
- and (וְ): Connector.
- bound (וַיַּאֲסָר, vaiya'asar): From the verb אסר (asar), meaning to bind, tie up, or imprison. Indicates restraint.
- him (אֹתוֹ, oto): Pronoun referring to Zedekiah.
- with fetters (בְּזִקֵּי, bizikke): From זִקִּים (zikkim), meaning fetters, shackles, or chains, typically made of bronze.
- of brass (נְחֹשֶׁת, nechosheth): Means copper or bronze. A strong, heavy metal, signifying the severity of his imprisonment.
- and (וְ): Connector.
- brought (וַיָּבֵא, vaiyave): From the verb בא (bo), meaning to come or bring. Action of transporting.
- him (אֹתוֹ, oto): Pronoun referring to Zedekiah.
- to Babylon (בָּבֶלָה, Bavelah): The capital city of the Babylonian Empire, the center of this great empire that conquered Judah.
- and (וְ): Connector.
- put him (וַיִּתֵּן, vayitten): From the verb נתן (nathan), meaning to give or put. Action of placing him in a specific condition or location.
- in prison (בֵּית כֶּלֶא, beit kele): Literally "house of imprisonment" or "prison house." Indicates confinement.
Words/Groups Analysis:
- "put out the eyes" (וַיַּצֵּת עֵינֵי): This graphic description highlights the severity of the judgment. The verb choice may emphasize the destructive and painful nature of the act. This was a common method of humiliation and disabling conquered royalty, signifying total subjugation.
- "bound him with fetters of brass" (וַיַּאֲסָר אֹתוֹ בְּזִקֵּי נְחֹשֶׁת): The "fetters of brass" signify not just physical restraint but also the finality and shame of Zedekiah's captivity. Brass was a strong metal, representing the might of Babylon.
- "brought him to Babylon" (וַיָּבֵא אֹתוֹ בָּבֶלָה): Babylon was the seat of Nebuchadnezzar's power and the symbol of his dominion. Zedekiah's transfer there marked his complete loss of status and kingdom.
- "put him in prison" (וַיִּתֵּן אֹתוֹ בֵּית כֶּלֶא): This phrase signifies the end of his reign and life as a free man. He was stripped of all authority and dignity, living out his days in confinement.
Jeremiah 52 11 Bonus Section
The physical blinding of Zedekiah stands in stark contrast to the spiritual blindness that characterized his leadership and the nation of Judah. Despite repeated warnings from God through Jeremiah, Zedekiah repeatedly disregarded God's word, prioritizing political alliances and self-preservation over divine counsel. This blinding can be seen as a manifestation of God's judgment upon those who refuse to see spiritual truth, leading them into deeper darkness and destruction. The prophetic word in Jeremiah 34:3 states, "and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon," meaning he would see him alive before his own eyes were put out, a direct, personal humiliation. The Babylonian exile, marked by this brutal act, serves as a poignant testament to the consequences of straying from God's covenant.
Jeremiah 52 11 Commentary
Jeremiah 52:11 records the brutal conclusion of King Zedekiah's reign. The blinding of Zedekiah, an act of extreme cruelty, was a symbolic and literal stripping of his royal authority and his ability to "see" his kingdom again. The bronze fetters underscore the complete subjugation to the Babylonian Empire. His forced relocation to Babylon, the center of power that had conquered his nation, served as a perpetual reminder of Judah's defeat and his own failure as king. This verse illustrates God's judgment upon disobedience and covenant unfaithfulness, a theme pervasive throughout Jeremiah's prophecies. The prophecy in Ezekiel 12:13 that Zedekiah would be brought to Babylon but not see it, though he would die there, finds its tragic fulfillment here.