John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold:" — Jeremiah 52:24 (ASV)
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest ,
&c.] That is, out of the temple, where he was ministering, or fled for safety; this is supposed to be the father of Ezra, (1 Chronicles 6:14) (Ezra 7:1) ; and Zephaniah the second priest :
or deputy priest: the "sagan" of the priests, as the Targum calls him, who was deputed to minister for the high priest, in case anything happened which hindered him from officiating; such an one there always was in later times on the day of atonement, as appears from the Misna F6 ; this man is thought to be the same with Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, (Jeremiah 21:1) (29:25) ; and the three keepers of the door ;
that is, of the temple. The Targum calls them three "amarcalin"; who had, as Jarchi says, the keys of the court committed to them. The number seems better to agree with the "gizbarim" or treasurers; of whom, it is said, they never appoint less than three treasurers, and seven "amarcalin" F7 .