1 In his days H3117 Nebuchadnezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon H894 came up, H5927 and Jehoiakim H3079 became his servant H5650 three H7969 years: H8141 then he turned H7725 and rebelled H4775 against him.
Against him came up H5927 Nebuchadnezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and bound H631 him in fetters, H5178 to carry H3212 him to Babylon. H894 Nebuchadnezzar H5019 also carried H935 of the vessels H3627 of the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 to Babylon, H894 and put H5414 them in his temple H1964 at Babylon. H894 Now the rest H3499 of the acts H1697 of Jehoiakim, H3079 and his abominations H8441 which he did, H6213 and that which was found H4672 in him, behold, they are written H3789 in the book H5612 of the kings H4428 of Israel H3478 and Judah: H3063 and Jehoiachin H3078 his son H1121 reigned H4427 in his stead. Jehoiachin H3078 was eight H8083 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign, H4427 and he reigned H4427 three H7969 months H2320 and ten H6235 days H3117 in Jerusalem: H3389 and he did H6213 that which was evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD. H3068 And when the year H8141 was expired, H8666 king H4428 Nebuchadnezzar H5019 sent, H7971 and brought H935 him to Babylon, H894 with the goodly H2532 vessels H3627 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and made Zedekiah H6667 his brother H251 king H4427 over Judah H3063 and Jerusalem. H3389 Zedekiah H6667 was one H259 and twenty H6242 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign, H4427 and reigned H4427 eleven H259 H6240 years H8141 in Jerusalem. H3389 And he did H6213 that which was evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD H3068 his God, H430 and humbled H3665 not himself before H6440 Jeremiah H3414 the prophet H5030 speaking from the mouth H6310 of the LORD. H3068 And he also rebelled H4775 against king H4428 Nebuchadnezzar, H5019 who had made him swear H7650 by God: H430 but he stiffened H7185 his neck, H6203 and hardened H553 his heart H3824 from turning H7725 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel. H3478 Moreover all the chief H8269 of the priests, H3548 and the people, H5971 transgressed H4603 very H4604 much H7235 after all the abominations H8441 of the heathen; H1471 and polluted H2930 the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 which he had hallowed H6942 in Jerusalem. H3389 And the LORD H3068 God H430 of their fathers H1 sent H7971 to them by H3027 his messengers, H4397 rising up betimes, H7925 and sending; H7971 because he had compassion H2550 on his people, H5971 and on his dwelling place: H4583 But they mocked H3931 the messengers H4397 of God, H430 and despised H959 his words, H1697 and misused H8591 his prophets, H5030 until the wrath H2534 of the LORD H3068 arose H5927 against his people, H5971 till there was no remedy. H4832 Therefore he brought H5927 upon them the king H4428 of the Chaldees, H3778 who slew H2026 their young men H970 with the sword H2719 in the house H1004 of their sanctuary, H4720 and had no compassion H2550 upon young man H970 or maiden, H1330 old man, H2205 or him that stooped for age: H3486 he gave H5414 them all into his hand. H3027 And all the vessels H3627 of the house H1004 of God, H430 great H1419 and small, H6996 and the treasures H214 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and the treasures H214 of the king, H4428 and of his princes; H8269 all these he brought H935 to Babylon. H894 And they burnt H8313 the house H1004 of God, H430 and brake down H5422 the wall H2346 of Jerusalem, H3389 and burnt H8313 all the palaces H759 thereof with fire, H784 and destroyed H7843 all the goodly H4261 vessels H3627 thereof. And them that had escaped H7611 from the sword H2719 carried he away H1540 to Babylon; H894 where they were servants H5650 to him and his sons H1121 until the reign H4427 of the kingdom H4438 of Persia: H6539 To fulfil H4390 the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 by the mouth H6310 of Jeremiah, H3414 until the land H776 had enjoyed H7521 her sabbaths: H7676 for as long as H3117 she lay desolate H8074 she kept sabbath, H7673 to fulfil H4390 threescore and ten H7657 years. H8141
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 24
Commentary on 2 Kings 24 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 24
2Ki 24:1-7. Jehoiakim Procures His Own Ruin.
1, 2. Nebuchadnezzar—the son of Nabopolassar, the founder of the Chaldee monarchy. This invasion took place in the fourth year of Jehoiakim's, and the first of Nebuchadnezzar's reign (Jer 25:1; compare Jer 46:2). The young king of Assyria being probably detained at home on account of his father's demise, despatched, along with the Chaldean troops on his border, an army composed of the tributary nations that were contiguous to Judea, to chastise Jehoiakim's revolt from his yoke. But this hostile band was only an instrument in executing the divine judgment (2Ki 24:2) denounced by the prophets against Judah for the sins of the people; and hence, though marching by the orders of the Assyrian monarch, they are described as sent by the Lord (2Ki 24:3).
4. the Lord would not pardon—(see on 2Ki 23:26; Jer 15:1).
6. Jehoiakim slept with his fathers—This phraseology can mean nothing more than that he died; for he was not buried with his royal ancestors; and whether he fell in battle, or his body was subjected to posthumous insults, he was, according to the prediction (Jer 22:19), not honored with the rites of sepulture (Jer 36:30).
Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead—The very brief reign of this prince, which lasted only three months, during which he was a humble vassal of the Assyrians, is scarcely deserving to be taken into account, and therefore is in no way contradictory to the prophetic menace denounced against his father (Jer 36:30).
7. the king of Egypt—that is, Pharaoh-nechoh.
2Ki 24:8, 9. Jehoiachin Succeeds Him.
8. Jehoiachin—that is, "God-appointed," contracted into Jeconiah and Coniah (Jer 22:24).
eighteen years old when he began to reign—At the age of eight his father took him into partnership in the government (2Ch 36:9). He began to reign alone at eighteen.
9. he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord—Untaught by experience, and deaf to the prophetic warnings, he pursued the evil courses which had brought so many disasters upon the royal family as well as the people of Judah. This bad character is figuratively but strongly depicted (Eze 19:5-7).
2Ki 24:10-16. Jerusalem Taken.
10-13. At that time—within three months after his accession to the throne. It was the spring of the year (2Ch 36:10); so early did he indicate a feeling hostile to the interests of his Assyrian liege lord, by forming a league with Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar sent his generals to besiege Jerusalem, as Jeremiah had foretold (Jer 22:28; 34:20), and soon after he followed in person. Convinced of the hopelessness of making any effectual resistance, Jehoiachin, going to the camp of the besiegers, surrendered (2Ki 24:12), in the expectation, probably, of being allowed to retain his throne as a vassal of the Assyrian empire. But Nebuchadnezzar's clemency towards the kings of Judah was now exhausted, so that Jehoiachin was sent as a captive to Babylon, according to Jeremiah's prediction (Jer 22:24), accompanied by the queen mother (the same who had held that dignity under Jehoahaz) (2Ki 23:31), his generals, and officers. This happened in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, computing from the time when he was associated with his father in the government. Those that were left consisted chiefly of the poorer sort of people and the unskilled workmen. The palace and the temple were ransacked. The smaller golden vessels had been taken on the first capture of Jerusalem and placed by Nebuchadnezzar in the temple of his god as tokens of victory. They were used by Belshazzar at his impious feast [Da 5:2], for the purpose of rewarding his army with these trophies, among which were probably the golden candlesticks, the ark, &c. (compare 2Ch 36:7; Da 1:2). Now the gold plating was torn off all the larger temple furniture.
13-16. as the Lord had said—(compare 2Ki 20:17; Isa 39:6; Jer 15:13; 17:3). The elite of the nation for rank, usefulness, and moral worth, all who might be useful in Babylon or dangerous in Palestine, were carried off to Babylon, to the number of ten thousand (2Ki 24:14). These are specified (2Ki 24:15, 16), warriors, seven thousand; craftsmen and smiths, one thousand; king's wives, officers, and princes, also priests and prophets (Jer 29:1; Eze 1:1), two thousand; equal to ten thousand captives in all.
2Ki 24:17-20. Zedekiah's Evil Reign.
17-19. the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, his father's brother, king in his stead—Adhering to his former policy of maintaining a show of monarchy, Nebuchadnezzar appointed the third and youngest son of Josiah (1Ch 3:15), full brother of Jehoahaz, and uncle of the captive Jehoiachin. But, according to the custom of conquerors, who changed the names of the great men they took captives in war, in token of their supremacy, he gave him the new name of
Zedekiah—that is, "The righteous of God." This being a purely Hebrew name, it seems that he allowed the puppet king to choose his own name, which was confirmed. His heart towards God was the same as that of Jehoiakim, impenitent and heedless of God's word.
20. through the anger of the Lord … he cast them out from his presence—that is, in the course of God's righteous providence, his policy as king would prove ruinous to his country.
Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon—instigated by ambassadors from the neighboring states who came to congratulate him on his ascension to the throne (compare Jer 17:3, with Jer 28:1), and at the same time get him to join them in a common league to throw off the Assyrian yoke. Though warned by Jeremiah against this step, the infatuated and perjured (Eze 17:13) Zedekiah persisted in his revolt.