Jeremiah 52:23

Authorized King James Version

And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
#2
הָרִמּוֹנִ֥ים
and all the pomegranates
a pomegranate, the tree (from its upright growth) or the fruit (also an artificial ornament)
#3
תִּשְׁעִ֥ים
And there were ninety
ninety
#4
וְשִׁשָּׁ֖ה
and six
six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ordinal, sixth
#5
ר֑וּחָה
on a side
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e., a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the
#6
כָּל
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
#7
הָרִמּוֹנִ֥ים
and all the pomegranates
a pomegranate, the tree (from its upright growth) or the fruit (also an artificial ornament)
#8
מֵאָ֛ה
were an hundred
a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction
#9
עַל
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
#10
הַשְּׂבָכָ֖ה
upon the network
a net-work, i.e., (in hunting) a snare, (in architecture) a ballustrade; also a reticulated ornament to a pillar
#11
סָבִֽיב׃
round about
(as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The literary and historical milieu of the literary conventions and historical circumstances of biblical literature shapes this text's meaning. The historical development of salvation within the theological tradition of Jeremiah Understanding the ancient worldview that shaped the author's theological expression helps modern readers appreciate why the author emphasizes divine revelation in this particular way.

Questions for Reflection

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