Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 52:23
And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; [and] all the pomegranates upon the network [were] a hundred round about.
23. In 1Ki 7:20; 1Ki 7:42 each pillar is said to have had two rows of pomegranates, a hundred in each, the one above and the other below the ornamental network of the chapiters. It is possible that the account here may not be inconsistent with the existence of such a double row upon each chapiter, though it certainly does not suggest it, or again, one of the rows may have been removed before this period, leaving one hundred on each chapiter.
on the sides ] The other renderings in mg. shew that the meaning of the expression is obscure. Suggestions are ( a) visible outwards, i.e. four of the hundred in each row were hidden owing to the nearness of the pillar to the wall of the porch, or ( b) hanging loosely, i.e. four of the pomegranates were fixed to the network on the capitals, while the rest hung in festoons between them.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
On a side – The 96 were toward the four winds, 24 toward the north, 24 toward the east, and so on. Add one at each corner, and the whole 100 is made up.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. See Clarke on Jer 52:18.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
There are some differences as to the measure of these chapiters betwixt 2Ki 25:17 and this text; here the height of them is made to be five cubits, there it is said to be three cubits: that which is said to resolve this difficulty is, that there were three parts in the chapiter, the square, the belly, and the crown, and that this text gives an account of the whole; but that text, 2Ki 25:17, gives an account only of the belly and the crown, which were no more than three cubits. The like difference there is betwixt this text and 1Ki 7:20, and 2Ch 4:13, about the number of the pomegranates. In the Book of Kings it is said the pomegranates were in number two hundred; 2Ch 4:13, they are said to have been four hundred. The meaning is, there were a hundred in a row, in the two rows two hundred, in the four rows (two upon each pillar) four hundred. Some other difference also there is about the particular number of pomegranates on a side, which are here said to be but ninety-six, which make on the two sides but one hundred and ninety-two, on the four sides but three hundred and eighty-four, and comes up neither to the two hundred mentioned in the Book of Kings, nor to the number of four hundred mentioned in the Book of Chronicles. See the English Annotations, where the learned author hath observed that in the Hebrew, what we translate of a side, is word for word windward, that is, toward the four winds, so as the table was square, and there were twenty-four on each side, which made ninety-six in all, to which four being added. one at each corner, this made a hundred. But these are niceties, a satisfaction in which is of no great concernment to us, unless to satisfy such as would make use of these little things to question the authority of the Scriptures because of these seeming contradictions, of how little concernment soever they be as to our faith and holiness.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23. on a sideliterally, (onthe side) towards the air or wind, that is, the outsideof the capitals of the pillars conspicuous to the eye, opposed to thefour remaining pomegranates which were not seen from the outside. Thepomegranates here are ninety-six; but in 1Ki7:20 they are two hundred on each chapiter, and four hundred onthe two (2Ch 4:13). It seemsthere were two rows of them, one above the other, and in eachrow a hundred. They are here said to be ninety-six, but immediatelyfollowing one hundred, and so in 1Ki7:20. Four seem to have been unseen to one looking fromone point; and the ninety-six are only those that could be seen[VATABLUS]; or, the fouromitted here are those separating the four sides, one pomegranate ateach point of separation (or at the four corners) between the foursides [GROTIUS].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side,…. Or, “to the wind” e; to the four winds; towards every corner or wind twenty four, which make up ninety six:
[and] all the pomegranates upon the network [were] an hundred round about; four, standing upon the four angles, made the ninety six a hundred; in 1Ki 7:20; they are said to be two hundred; and in 2Ch 4:13; are said to be four hundred upon the two wreaths; which may be accounted for thus, there were two rows of them on each pillar, in every row were a hundred, which made two hundred in one pillar, and four hundred in both. These were the things in the temple carried away in the last captivity.
e “ad ventum”, Montanus; “ad omnem ventum”, Tigurine version; so Ben Melech; “versus ventos”, Schmidt; “ventum versus”, Piscator; “in ventum”, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
23. Ninety and six pomegranates on a side; all were a hundred The Hebrew for “on a side” is windwards, and it cannot mean that there were “ninety-six pomegranates” on each side, for then, as the capitals were square, the whole number would have been three hundred and eighty-four. The expression must mean that “ninety-six” were toward the four winds, twenty-four facing each quarter; and one at each corner, which would be each toward two winds, as north-east, north-west, etc: this would make “a hundred” all told.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
ninety and six. There were 100 “round about”; Compare 2Ch 3:16; 2Ch 4:13; with 1Ki 7:20.
on a side. Hebrew. ruach. See App-9. = towards the air, or open air. The other four being behind, out of sight.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
all the: 1Ki 7:20
Reciprocal: 2Ch 4:13 – four hundred
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
52:23 And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; [and] all the pomegranates upon the network [were] an {i} hundred on all sides.
(i) But because of the roundness, no more could be seen but ninety-six.