Jeremiah 52:1-11 · Bible study
Jeremiah 52:1-11 Commentary: Zedekiah's End and the Fall of Jerusalem
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Jeremiah 52 give Zedekiah's age as 21? Study the siege, capture, and judgment that ended Judah's kingdom.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The fall of Jerusalem and the capture of King Zedekiah, showing God’s judgment for sin and the fulfilment of prophetic warnings.
- Key words: Evil (H7451), anger (H0639), rebellion (H4775), siege (H4692), famine (H7458), breach (H1234), slaughtered (H7819), blind (H5786), prison (H6486).
- Main debate: Whether the chapter was written by Jeremiah or added later (most say Ezra), and whether the age of Zedekiah (21) reflects a textual error or can be harmonised with other biblical data.
- Theological theme: God’s judgment is certain and proportionate; human rebellion, even by an anointed king, cannot thwart God’s purposes.
- Best use: A sobering narrative for lessons on the cost of sin, the faithfulness of God’s word, and the need for genuine repentance before judgment falls.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.
2And Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done.
3For because of the anger of the LORD, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.
5And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
6By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.
7Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
8but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was separated from him.
9The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on Zedekiah.
10There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the officials of Judah.
11Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign. He reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3For through Yahweh’s anger this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.
5So the city was besieged to the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
6In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was severe in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
7Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden. Now the Chaldeans were against the city all around. The men of war went toward the Arabah,
8but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
9Then they took the king, and carried him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he pronounced judgment on him.
10The king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. He also killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
11He put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison until the day of his death.
KJV King James Version 1769
1Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.
5So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
6And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
7Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.
8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
9Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.
10And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
11Then 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3For through the anger of Jehovah did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about.
5So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
6In the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
7Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about); and they went toward the Arabah.
8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
9Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he gave judgment upon him.
10And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
11And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1A son of twenty and one years is Zedekiah in his reigning, and eleven years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that Jehoiakim hath done,
3for, because of the anger of Jehovah, it hath been in Jerusalem and Judah till He hath cast them from before His face, and Zedekiah doth rebel against the king of Babylon.
4And it cometh to pass, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth of the month, come hath Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon--he and all his force--against Jerusalem, and they encamp against it, and build against it a fortification round about;
5and the city cometh into siege till the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
6In the fourth month, in the ninth of the month, when the famine is severe in the city, and there hath been no bread for the people of the land,
7then is the city broken up, and all the men of war flee, and go forth from the city by night, the way of the gate between the two walls, that is by the king's garden--and the Chaldeans are by the city round about--and they go the way of the plain.
8And the forces of the Chaldeans pursue after the king, and overtake Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his forces have been scattered from him,
9and they capture the king, and bring him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah, in the land of Hamath, and he speaketh with him--judgments.
10And the king of Babylon slaughtereth the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also all the princes of Judah hath he slaughtered in Riblah;
11and the eyes of Zedekiah he hath blinded, and he bindeth him in brazen fetters, and the king of Babylon bringeth him to Babylon, and putteth him in the house of inspection unto the day of his death.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3For, because the anger of Jehovah was against Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, [that] Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem; and they encamped against it, and built turrets against it round about.
5And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
6In the fourth month, on the ninth of the month, the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
7And the city was broken into: and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were near the city round about); and they went the way toward the plain.
8And the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
9And they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon, unto Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment upon him.
10And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; and he slaughtered also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
11And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with chains of brass; and the king of Babylon carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1Sedecias was one and twenty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Amital, the daughter of Jeremiah of Lobna.
2And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Joakim had done.
3For the wrath of the Lord was against Jerusalem, and against Juda, till he cast them out from his presence: and Sedecias revolted from the king of Babylon.
4And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, that Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and they besieged it, and built forts against it round about.
5And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of king Sedecias.
6And in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, a famine overpowered the city: and there was no food for the people of the land.
7And the city was broken up, and the men of war fled, and went out of the city in the night by the way of the gate that is between the two walls, and leadeth to the king's garden, (the Chaldeans besieging the city round about,) and they went by the way that leadeth to the wilderness.
8But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king: and they overtook Sedecias in the desert which is near Jericho: and all his companions were scattered from him.
9And when they had taken the king, they carried him to the king of Babylon to Reblatha, which is in the land of Emath: and he gave judgment upon him.
10And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Sedecias before his eyes: and he slew all the princes of Juda in Reblatha.
11And he put out the eyes of Sedecias, and bound him with fetters, and the king of Babylon brought him into Babylon, and he put him in prison till the day of his death.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 52:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this chapter is an appendix to Jeremiah’s prophecies, probably added by Ezra or another scribe rather than the prophet himself. Adam Clarke notes the close parallel with 2 Kings 24:18, 25:7, while Keil and Delitzsch observe that the account is separated from the preceding oracle by a closing formula. The passage records the fulfilment of Jeremiah’s warnings: Jerusalem fell, the temple was destroyed, and the people went into exile because of persistent sin and rebellion against God. Zedekiah’s evil is stated without elaboration; his rebellion against Babylon is framed, as Matthew Henry puts it, as something that happened “through the anger of the Lord,” not from the king’s own strength.
The chronology is precise: the siege began in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, tenth month, and lasted until his eleventh year, about eighteen months. Famine grew so severe that the people had no bread. The city was breached, and in the confusion soldiers fled by night through a gate between the two walls. Zedekiah was captured in the plains of Jericho. At Riblah, Nebuchadnezzar killed the king’s sons before his eyes, then blinded him and carried him in bronze shackles to Babylon, where he remained imprisoned until death. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that the “house of inspection” was a prison where hard labour was enforced. The age of Zedekiah at accession (21) is given in agreement with 2 Kings 24:18, though Cambridge Bible judges that an error may have crept into the chronological data. All commentators see Zedekiah’s fate as both just punishment and the tragic fulfilment of Ezekiel’s prophecy that he would be brought to Babylon but not see it.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal chronological reading: Accepts the text as given (21 years old), harmonising with other passages by noting that Josiah had children at a young age and that the genealogies in Chronicles may include different details.
- Textual-corruption view: Points to the chronological difficulty of Josiah’s death 31 years earlier and argues that a scribal error (perhaps transposing numbers) occurred early in the transmission.
What is clear: Regardless of the exact age, all sources agree that Zedekiah reigned eleven years, rebelled against Babylon, and that the siege, capture, and punishment recorded here stand as a historical and theological account of God’s judgment on Judah.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Authorship and purpose | All consulted commentators agree that Jeremiah 52 is an historical appendix, added after Jeremiah’s time and largely drawn from 2 Kings 24-25. | Some (Clarke, Wesley) suggest Ezra as the likely compiler; others (Barnes, Keil) simply note the chapter’s dependence on Kings and leave the author anonymous. The evangelical tradition often affirms its canonical inspiration regardless of human authorship. |
| Zedekiah’s age at accession | The Hebrew text reads twenty‑one years old, matching 2 Kings 24:18 and 2 Chronicles 36:11. | Cambridge Bible judges that an error has crept in, since Zedekiah’s father Josiah died thirty‑one years earlier, making a son aged 21 unlikely. Others harmonise by noting that Josiah had sons by multiple wives, and the ages in Chronicles may include different genealogical details. |
| The cause of judgment: God’s anger vs. human rebellion | All traditions see both divine judgment and human sin at work. Verse 3 explicitly ties the rebellion to “the anger of the Lord.” | Some (Geneva Notes, JFB) emphasise God’s sovereign use of Zedekiah’s rebellion as a means of punishment; others (Matthew Henry) stress Zedekiah’s moral guilt in breaking his oath. Both readings affirm God’s justice. |
| The brutality of the punishment | The killing of Zedekiah’s sons and princes, followed by his blinding, is recorded without comment, a matter‑of‑fact report of ancient Near Eastern practice. | Pentecostal and charismatic readers often see this as a stark warning about the consequences of unbelief and disobedience. Mainline Protestant and Catholic readers tend to focus on the tragic fulfilment of covenant curses. The different emphases reflect pastoral contexts, not disagreement about the facts. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The events of Jeremiah 52:1-11 take place during the final years of the Kingdom of Judah, when Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar was the dominant power in the ancient Near East. Zedekiah, originally named Mattaniah, had been placed on the throne by Babylon after his nephew Jehoiachin was deported in 597 BC. By rebelling against the king of Babylon, Zedekiah broke a solemn oath sworn in God’s name (2 Chronicles 36:13). This act of insurrection is presented here not as political miscalculation but as the immediate occasion for the outpouring of divine anger that had been building for generations.
Siege warfare was brutal and methodical. The “siege‑wall” or dayek (a rampart of wooden towers used to launch missiles and observe the city) surrounded Jerusalem, cutting off supplies. The famine described with grim brevity, “no bread for the people of the land”, is elaborated in Lamentations, where mothers boil their own children for food (Lam 2:20, 4:10). The city held out for roughly eighteen months, from the tenth month (Tebet, about December/January) of Zedekiah’s ninth year to the fourth month (Tammuz, June/July) of his eleventh year. These dates later became memorial fast days (Zech 8:19).
The flight of the soldiers by night through the “gate between the two walls” near the king’s garden suggests a desperate attempt to escape through a section of the city’s fortifications that was less heavily guarded. The “Arabah” refers to the rift valley north of the Dead Sea. Zedekiah was overtaken in the plains of Jericho, a traditionally vulnerable escape route. Riblah, located in the land of Hamath (modern Syria), served as Nebuchadnezzar’s field headquarters. The brutal punishment, killing the king’s sons before his eyes, then blinding him, ensured that the last image he would ever see was the death of his heirs, thus removing any future claimant to the throne. The bronze shackles and imprisonment until death ended all hope of restoration for this Davidic king.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants in the Hebrew manuscripts of Jeremiah 52:1-11. The passage closely parallels 2 Kings 24:18-25:7, and minor differences in spelling (e.g., Nebuchadrezzar vs. Nebuchadnezzar) are considered scribal variations. The most discussed textual issue is the age of Zedekiah: Cambridge Bible suggests an error may have crept into the number, but no manuscript evidence is cited to confirm a different reading. Overall, the text is stable and well-attested across the Septuagint and Masoretic traditions.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this passage has been read during the Nine Days leading to Tisha B’Av, mourning the destruction of the temple. The dates given, the tenth month, the tenth day; the fourth month, the ninth day, became fast days (Zech 8:19). Christian interpreters from the patristic era onward have seen Zedekiah’s blindness and exile as a typological warning: the last thing the king saw was the death of his sons, a judgment that matches Ezekiel’s oracle (12:13). During the Reformation, the chapter was used to argue that God punishes sin in history and that rulers are accountable to God’s law. In modern preaching, it often appears in series on Lamentations or the fall of Jerusalem, inviting hearers to consider the weight of sin and the hope of restoration that follows the exile.
Preaching This Verse
Three‑point outline
- The pattern of evil (vv. 1-3). Zedekiah did evil “according to all that Jehoiakim had done.” The king’s personal sin is tied to corporate judgment, God’s anger was against Jerusalem and Judah, not just the ruler. The cause of exile is not Babylonia’s power but God’s holiness.
- The slow collapse (vv. 4-7). The siege lasted over a year. Famine first, then the breach. Judgment often comes gradually, giving space for repentance, but the final moment arrives with terrifying suddenness.
- The irreversible end (vv. 8-11). Zedekiah’s flight ends in capture, his sons killed, his eyes put out, his final days in prison. The Davidic line seemed extinguished. Yet even in this darkness the promise of a remnant remained (Jer 33:14-16).
Five‑point outline
- Zedekiah’s evil (vv. 1-2)
- God’s anger and the catalyst of rebellion (v. 3)
- Siege and suffering (vv. 4-6)
- Breach and flight (v. 7)
- Capture, slaughter, and blindness (vv. 8-11)
Illustration hooks
- Watching a slow disaster. Eighteen months is a long time to watch a city starve. Most of us have watched a loved one decline or a relationship deteriorate over many months and felt helpless. The siege is a picture of sin’s consequences that do not arrive all at once but press in from every side.
- Breaking a promise with a nation attached. Zedekiah’s rebellion was a broken oath to Babylon, but behind that oath stood God’s name. A leader’s choices affect thousands. Think of how one person’s decision can bring disaster on a whole community.
- Seeing your worst fears become real. Zedekiah saw his sons die and then lost his sight. The horror of that moment, the last thing he ever saw, is a vivid warning that choices have irreversible consequences.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is for us, why do the innocent suffer when the guilty lead? The text does not pretend that the people were innocent, but it does show that leaders carry special accountability.
- Where was Jeremiah in all this? This chapter summarises events Jeremiah had lived through. For readers who know the prophet’s story, the bare facts carry enormous emotional weight.
- Is there any hope after such judgment? The chapter closes with Jehoiachin’s release in Babylon (v. 34), a small but real sign that God had not abandoned David’s line forever.
Leading a Discussion
This passage is hard to read. It records the death of a kingdom, the ruin of a king, and the suffering of ordinary people. Before you discuss, remember that God does not enjoy judgment (Ezek 18:23). The Bible is honest about the consequences of sin, but it always points forward to redemption. Let that honesty shape your conversation.
Discussion questions
- What does the repetition of the phrase “according to all that Jehoiakim had done” tell us about Zedekiah’s character and the state of Judah’s leadership?
- Verse 3 says the rebellion “happened through the anger of the Lord.” How does the Bible hold together human responsibility (Zedekiah’s choice to rebel) and divine sovereignty (God’s anger) in the same event?
- The famine was so severe that people had no bread. Read Lamentations 4:4-10. How do these descriptions change your understanding of the cost of national sin?
- Why do you think the text gives exact dates for the siege? What does that precision say about God’s control over history?
- Zedekiah saw his sons killed and then lost his sight. In what ways does this punishment match the prophecy of Ezekiel 12:13?
- This chapter is largely a copy of 2 Kings 24-25. Why do you think the editors of the Bible placed this summary again at the end of Jeremiah? What purpose does it serve for readers today?
- If you were to write a one-sentence summary of this passage for someone who has never read it, what would you say? What is the main lesson you take away?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 10:29 | Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah. |
| Joshua 15:42 | Libnah, Ether, Ashan, |
| II Kings 8:22 | So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. |
| II Kings 24:18 | Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. |
| II Chronicles 36:11 | Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. |
| I Kings 14:22 | Judah did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, above all that their fathers had done. |
| II Kings 24:19 | He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. |
| II Kings 24:20 | For through the anger of Yahweh, this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that this chapter was added after Jeremiah's time to prove how exactly his prophecies were fulfilled. He sees it as a proper introduction to Lamentations, since it records the mournful events that gave rise to them. He also notes that Zedekiah was a king given to Judah in God's anger and taken away in his displeasure.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes treats this chapter as a historical appendix added after Jeremiah's time, not written by the prophet himself. He notes it draws on 2 Kings but supplements that account with details from other documents, such as the specific number of captives and Zedekiah's imprisonment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary points out that Zedekiah's age here contradicts what the genealogies in Kings and Chronicles would suggest, indicating a likely scribal error. It also notes unique details in Jeremiah's account, such as the execution of the princes at Riblah and Zedekiah's imprisonment until death, which do not appear in the parallel passage in 2 Kings.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues this chapter is a historical supplement written by someone else, likely Ezra, not Jeremiah. He also notes that God's anger against Jerusalem led Him to permit Zedekiah's rebellion, a violation of his oath that ensured divine judgment.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that Jeremiah 52 was not copied from 2 Kings but drawn from a shared, fuller source. This explains why it includes unique details like the execution of Judah’s princes and precise deportation numbers. The phrase for Zedekiah’s prison means “house of custody,” not a house of punishment or mill.