Jeremiah 52:24
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest,.... 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;
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 {f}; this man is thought to be the same with Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, Jeremiah 21:1;
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" {g}.
{f} Yoma, c. 1. sect. 1.
{g} Misn. Shekalim, c. 5. sect. 2.