ירמיהו, פרק נ״ב, פסוק י״ט

The destruction of the Temple reaches its devastating climax with the looting of its most sacred and precious vessels. The Babylonian captain of the guard completely empties the sanctuary of all its gold and silver items, taking them intact to the royal treasury in Babylon for use in the king's palace. Years later, these very vessels would be displayed in the palace of the Persian king, until Cyrus eventually returns a portion of them to the Jewish people during the restoration of the Second Temple [מלבי"ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Among the looted items are various specialized tools used in the daily Temple service. The primary approach among commentators is that certain bowls were specifically designed to catch the blood of sacrifices or hold other liquids. Another perspective identifies these particular items as jugs, firmly rejecting the notion that they were any form of musical instrument [רש"י]. Other tools, such as the fire pans, were universally understood to be utilized for scooping burning coals directly from the altar.

A variety of other basins, pots, and ladles are also carried off. The detailed accounting of these specific tools serves to emphasize the sheer scale of the plunder; whether an item was crafted from pure gold or solid silver, the Babylonians left absolutely nothing behind and took it all [מצודת דוד].

Also taken are vessels with a highly unique engineering function. These were golden supports, functioning like pillars, positioned alongside the Table of the Showbread [רש"י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Crafted as half-hollow tubes, the priests would insert them between the stacked loaves of bread to ensure proper air circulation. This careful arrangement prevented the bread from becoming moldy, earning the vessels a name rooted in the concept of cleanliness [מצודת ציון].