Jeremiah 52:28 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 52:28 mean?

Jeremiah 52:28 records that in the seventh year of Nebuchadrezzar’s reign, the Babylonian king took away 3,023 Jews as captives. This verse gives a specific count of people deported from Judah during the Babylonian exile.

This statement comes near the end of the book of Jeremiah, where the writer is listing the numbers of Jews taken away to Babylon. The verse is historical, not symbolic, and is part of a summary describing the destruction of Jerusalem and the forced removal of its people. The focus is on the factual record of exile under Nebuchadrezzar’s authority.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 52:28

• "people" (עָם, ʿam): This word refers to a group or nation, emphasizing that it was not just individuals but a significant portion of the Jewish community taken.
• "Nebuchadrezzar" (נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר, Nəḇūḵaḏreʾṣṣar): This is the Babylonian king responsible for the conquest and exile, and his name is spelled in a way that matches Babylonian records.
• "captive" (גָּלָה, galah): This verb means to carry away or exile, highlighting the forced removal and loss of homeland.
• "seventh" (שְׁבִיעִי, shəvīʿī) and "year" (שָׁנָה, shanah): These words mark the specific timing, anchoring the event in history.
• "three" (שָׁלוֹשׁ, shalosh), "thousand" (אֶלֶף, elef), "Jews" (יְהוּדִי, yehudi), "three" (שָׁלוֹשׁ, shalosh), "twenty" (עֶשְׂרִים, esrim): These words together give the exact number—3,023—showing the precision of the record.

Why Jeremiah 52:28 matters

• Jeremiah 52:28 makes clear that the Babylonian exile happened in stages, not all at once, and gives a concrete number for one of those deportations.
• The verse highlights the historical accuracy and detail in Jeremiah’s account, showing that the exile was a real event with real people affected.
• By naming Nebuchadrezzar and giving a specific year, the verse connects the biblical narrative to known historical events and rulers, grounding the story in the wider history of the ancient Near East.