King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 52:5 Mean?

Jeremiah 52:5 in the King James Version says “So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.” — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 52 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

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

Jeremiah 52:5 · KJV

Context

3

For 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.

4

And 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.

5

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

6

And 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.

7

Then 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.

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. This brief verse compresses approximately 30 months of unimaginable suffering into a single statement. The siege began in Zedekiah's ninth year, tenth month, tenth day (v. 4) and lasted unto the eleventh year—specifically until the fourth month, ninth day (v. 6). The Hebrew matsor (מָצוֹר, besieged) comes from the root meaning "to confine, bind, or hem in," conveying the claustrophobic horror of a city cut off from all outside resources.

The duration's significance becomes clear in the next verse: by the siege's end, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land (v. 6). Lamentations provides harrowing details: nobles who were "purer than snow" became "blacker than coal" from starvation (Lamentations 4:7-8); nursing mothers had no milk (Lamentations 4:4); desperate people ate their own children (Lamentations 2:20, 4:10). Ezekiel, prophesying in Babylon, received visions of Jerusalem's horrors (Ezekiel 4-5) and was told to act out the siege symbolically. This fulfilled Moses' covenant curses in Deuteronomy 28:53-57, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His word—both blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The siege of Jerusalem (January 588 - July 586 BC) represents one of ancient Israel's darkest periods. Archaeological evidence shows the systematic Babylonian destruction of Judean cities before concentrating on Jerusalem. The temporary lifting of the siege when Egypt approached (Jeremiah 37:5) gave false hope that was cruelly dashed when Babylon returned. Starvation became so severe that the city's population dropped dramatically—estimates suggest tens of thousands died from famine and disease before the walls were breached. When the city finally fell (Tammuz 9, 586 BC), the temple was burned on Av 9-10, dates that became permanent fast days in Judaism (Zechariah 7:3-5, 8:19). The trauma of this siege shaped Jewish consciousness for centuries, referenced in Lamentations, commemorated in annual fasts, and serving as a warning against covenant unfaithfulness. Only the AD 70 Roman destruction of Jerusalem rivals this catastrophe in Jewish historical memory.

Reflection Questions

  1. What does the nearly 30-month siege teach about God's patience in judgment and the seriousness of persistent rebellion?
  2. How should the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28's covenant curses in this siege shape our understanding of God's faithfulness to His word?
  3. In what ways did Jerusalem's fall serve both as judgment for that generation and as prophetic warning for future generations?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 9 words
וַתָּבֹ֥א1 of 9

“So”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

הָעִ֖יר2 of 9

“the city”

H5892

a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)

בַּמָּצ֑וֹר3 of 9

“was besieged”

H4692

something hemming in, i.e., (objectively) a mound (of besiegers), (abstractly) a siege, (figuratively) distress; or (subjectively) a fastness

עַ֚ד4 of 9
H5704

as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

עַשְׁתֵּ֣י5 of 9

“unto the eleventh”

H6249

eleven or (ordinal) eleventh

עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה6 of 9
H6240

ten (only in combination), i.e., -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth

שָׁנָ֔ה7 of 9

“year”

H8141

a year (as a revolution of time)

לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ8 of 9

“of king”

H4428

a king

צִדְקִיָּֽהוּ׃9 of 9

“Zedekiah”

H6667

tsidkijah, the name of six israelites

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 52:5 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Places in This Verse

JerusalemSettlement · Modern: Jerusalem · 31.78°N, 35.23°E955 verses across 37 books
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