In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.

JEREMIAH 52:30KJV
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Jeremiah 52:30 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 52:30 mean?

Jeremiah 52:30 records that, in the twenty-third year of King Nebuchadrezzar’s reign, his official Nebuzaradan took 745 Jews captive, bringing the total number of exiles listed in this chapter to 4,600. This verse is a historical note summarizing one of the deportations of Jews to Babylon after Jerusalem’s fall.

The verse is part of a list at the end of Jeremiah, documenting how many people were taken from Judah during different stages of Babylonian conquest. The writer is giving a factual account, emphasizing the scale and repeated nature of the exiles. This helps the reader see the cumulative impact of Babylon’s actions on the Jewish people.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 52:30

  • "captain" (רַב־ H7227, transliterated rav) and "guard" (טַבָּחִים H2876, transliterated tabbachim): Together, these words refer to Nebuzaradan’s official title, meaning he was a high-ranking officer in charge of the king’s guard or executioners, highlighting his authority in carrying out the deportations.
  • "carried away captive" (גָּלָה H1540, transliterated galah): This word means to take into exile or remove from the land, stressing the forced nature of the relocation.
  • The numbers ("seven" שֶׁבַע H7651, "hundred" מֵאָה H3967, "forty" אַרְבָּעִים H705, "five" חָמֵשׁ H2568): The Hebrew text lists the numbers in a way that shows careful record-keeping, underlining the historical accuracy and significance of each group taken.

Why Jeremiah 52:30 matters

  • Jeremiah 52:30 clarifies that the exile happened in stages, not all at once, and that there were multiple deportations over several years.
  • The verse emphasizes the thoroughness and organization of the Babylonian conquest, showing that the exile was not random but systematically carried out by Babylonian officials.
  • By listing the total number of exiles, Jeremiah 52:30 helps the reader grasp the real human cost of Jerusalem’s fall and the fulfillment of the warnings given earlier in the book.

Where else these words appear

“Nebuzaradan” Hebrew H5018 · used in 15 verses

  • 2 Kings 25:8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
  • Jeremiah 39:10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
  • Jeremiah 43:6 Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.

“guard” Hebrew H2876 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 37:36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
  • 2 Kings 25:11 Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.
  • Jeremiah 40:2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.

“Nebuchadrezzar” Hebrew H5019 · used in 59 verses

  • 2 Kings 24:1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
  • Jeremiah 25:1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
  • Jeremiah 43:10 And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

“Jews” Hebrew H3064 · used in 70 verses

  • 2 Kings 16:6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
  • Esther 6:10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
  • Esther 9:19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.