Jeremiah 52:5 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

Jeremiah 52:5 kjv

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

Jeremiah 52:5 nkjv

So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

Jeremiah 52:5 niv

The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

Jeremiah 52:5 esv

So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

Jeremiah 52:5 nlt

Jerusalem was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign.

Jeremiah 52 5 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
2 Kings 24:18	Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned...	Kings' account of the same event
Jer 37:1	Zedekiah son of Josiah reigned as king, succeeding...	Jeremiah's earlier mention of Zedekiah
Jer 38:7	Now the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin. Jeremiah the prophet...	Zedekiah's later interactions with Jeremiah
Ezek 17:13-15	He also took one of the royal descendants and made a covenant with him...	Ezekiel's condemnation of Zedekiah's treaty
2 Chron 36:11	Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned...	Chronicles' account of Zedekiah's reign
Psa 78:70	He also chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds...	David's inauguration as king, a righteous precedent
2 Sam 5:4	David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.	David's age at coronation, a sign of maturity
Jer 52:1	Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned...	Chapter prelude confirming Zedekiah's ascension
2 Kings 25:1	In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day...	The commencement of the final siege
Jer 39:1	So it went into the eleventh year of King Zedekiah, the tenth month...	Jeremiah's account of the final siege events
Luke 1:5	During the reign of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named...	Royal contexts in the New Testament
Acts 1:6	So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time...	Questions of restoration and kingdom timing
1 Pet 2:13-14	Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be...	Christian submission to governing authorities
Rom 13:1-2	Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no...	Authority deriving from God
1 Sam 16:13	Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his...	Anointing signifies divine appointment
Isa 44:28	Who says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd, and he shall accomplish all my...	God's sovereign use of kings
Jer 25:12	But when seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon...	Prophecy of Babylon's judgment, a backdrop to Jerusalem's fall
Jer 29:10	For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon...	Fulfillment of Babylonian exile prophecy
Amos 6:1	Woe to those who are complacent in Zion, and to those who feel secure...	Woes against rulers of Zion
Mic 1:1	The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns...	Prophetic messages to kings

Jeremiah 52 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

Jeremiah 52 5 Meaning

Jeremiah 52:5 describes the age of Zedekiah at the time of Jerusalem's final siege and conquest. It signifies the beginning of his reign, marking him as a young king, twenty-one years old, when he ascended the throne. This age is important as it contrasts with the maturity expected of a ruler and foreshadows his limited effectiveness and eventual downfall.

Jeremiah 52 5 Context

This verse is part of the concluding historical appendix of the book of Jeremiah, recounting the final days of the kingdom of Judah. Jeremiah 52 serves to definitively record the events leading to and including the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people, confirming the prophecies delivered by Jeremiah throughout the book. Zedekiah was the last king of Judah. His reign was marked by political instability, misguided alliances (particularly with Egypt against Babylon), and a failure to heed the prophet Jeremiah's warnings. This verse sets the stage by introducing Zedekiah and his youth, highlighting his inexperience in the face of immense geopolitical and spiritual challenges. The immediate context leading up to this verse is God's command to Jeremiah to record these historical events, serving as a testament to God's faithfulness in judgment and mercy.

Jeremiah 52 5 Word Analysis

Zedekiah (צִדְקִיָּ֫הוּ – Tsiydqiyyahu): Meaning "Yahweh is my righteousness." A significant name, as he was expected to uphold God's justice and righteousness in his reign, yet he ultimately failed.
was (הָיָה – hayah): A verb indicating existence or state of being. Here, it states his age at a specific point in time.
twenty-one (אַחַת־ וְעֶשְׂרִים – ‘achath v'eshriym): A specific number denoting his age. This age, while an adult by some standards, signifies a youthfulness and potential lack of seasoned leadership in a critical era.
years (שָׁנָה – shanah): Standard unit of time.
old (בֶּן – ben): Literally "son of," used idiomatically to express age. So, "son of twenty-one years."
when (בְּהֹת־ – bəhōth): Indicating the time of commencement.
he (הוּא – hu): Third-person masculine singular pronoun, referring to Zedekiah.
began (מָלַךְ – malakh): Literally "reigned" or "became king."
to reign (לִמְלֹךְ – limlōkh): The act of ruling.

Group Analysis:The phrase "twenty and one years old was he when he began to reign" emphasizes Zedekiah's relative youth upon assuming the heavy burden of kingship over a nation already facing divine judgment. This youthful age contrasts with earlier, more experienced kings like David (2 Sam 5:4, 30 years old) and David's initial reliance on God's wisdom rather than his own power. His inexperience is often seen as a factor contributing to his poor decisions and susceptibility to external influences, ultimately leading to the nation's destruction.

Jeremiah 52 5 Bonus Section

The name Zedekiah itself, "Yahweh is my righteousness," carries a poignant irony given his actions. A king who was supposed to embody and uphold God's righteousness ultimately became a symbol of Judah's unfaithfulness. This verse's simple statement of age carries the weight of prophetic failure and divine judgment, marking the end of an era for the Davidic monarchy and the nation of Judah. His reign concludes the historical narrative of the Old Testament monarchy, transitioning into the period of exile, before the eventual promise of a restored kingdom and a righteous King.

Jeremiah 52 5 Commentary

Zedekiah's ascension to the throne at the young age of twenty-one underscores his unpreparedness for the immense task ahead. Placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, as a vassal, his reign was doomed from the start due to his compromising allegiance and failure to uphold God’s covenant. His youth symbolized the nation's waning strength and its inability to govern itself righteously. The divine indictment against him, echoing through Jeremiah and Ezekiel, highlights his spiritual immaturity and faithlessness, leading to the ultimate catastrophic consequences for Jerusalem and its people.