Jeremiah 52:23
And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.
Original Language Analysis
וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙
H1961
וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 11
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
הָרִמּוֹנִ֥ים
and all the pomegranates
H7416
הָרִמּוֹנִ֥ים
and all the pomegranates
Strong's:
H7416
Word #:
2 of 11
a pomegranate, the tree (from its upright growth) or the fruit (also an artificial ornament)
וְשִׁשָּׁ֖ה
and six
H8337
וְשִׁשָּׁ֖ה
and six
Strong's:
H8337
Word #:
4 of 11
six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ordinal, sixth
ר֑וּחָה
on a side
H7307
ר֑וּחָה
on a side
Strong's:
H7307
Word #:
5 of 11
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e., a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
6 of 11
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הָרִמּוֹנִ֥ים
and all the pomegranates
H7416
הָרִמּוֹנִ֥ים
and all the pomegranates
Strong's:
H7416
Word #:
7 of 11
a pomegranate, the tree (from its upright growth) or the fruit (also an artificial ornament)
מֵאָ֛ה
were an hundred
H3967
מֵאָ֛ה
were an hundred
Strong's:
H3967
Word #:
8 of 11
a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
9 of 11
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Historical Context
The discrepancy between 96 visible and 100 total pomegranates has been explained by architectural scholars as corner pomegranates positioned at 90-degree angles, visible from neither cardinal direction. This detail confirms eyewitness testimony in Scripture's historical accounts.
Questions for Reflection
- What does God's attention to detail—even counting pomegranates during judgment—reveal about His character?
- How does the completeness of the Temple's destruction (all 100 pomegranates destroyed) mirror the completeness of Judah's covenant unfaithfulness?
- In what ways does God's sovereignty extend to the smallest details of your life, even in seasons of discipline?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Ninety and six pomegranates on a side—96 visible from any direction, with an hundred round about total, suggesting four were at the corners or hidden. This precise enumeration in the midst of catastrophe shows Scripture's historical reliability and God's sovereignty over every detail, even in judgment.
The number 100 often symbolizes completeness in Scripture. The complete destruction of these complete decorations underscores the totality of God's judgment. Yet the meticulous recording suggests these details mattered to God—even in wrath, He remembers His house.