28 And he spake H1696 kindly H2896 to him, and set H5414 his throne H3678 above the throne H3678 of the kings H4428 that were with him in Babylon; H894
O thou H607 king, H4430 the most high H5943 God H426 gave H3052 Nebuchadnezzar H5020 thy father H2 a kingdom, H4437 and majesty, H7238 and glory, H3367 and honour: H1923 And for H4481 the majesty H7238 that he gave H3052 him, all H3606 people, H5972 nations, H524 and languages, H3961 trembled H1934 H2112 and feared H1763 before H4481 him: H6925 whom he would H1934 H6634 he slew; H1934 H6992 and whom he would H1934 H6634 he kept alive; H1934 H2418 and whom he would H1934 H6634 he set up; H1934 H7313 and whom he would H1934 H6634 he put down. H1934 H8214
And now have I given H5414 all these lands H776 into the hand H3027 of Nebuchadnezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 my servant; H5650 and the beasts H2416 of the field H7704 have I given H5414 him also to serve H5647 him. And all nations H1471 shall serve H5647 him, and his son, H1121 and his son's H1121 son, H1121 until the very time H6256 of his land H776 come: H935 and then many H7227 nations H1471 and great H1419 kings H4428 shall serve H5647 themselves of him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation H1471 and kingdom H4467 which will not serve H5647 the same Nebuchadnezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and that will not put H5414 their neck H6677 under the yoke H5923 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 that nation H1471 will I punish, H6485 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 with the sword, H2719 and with the famine, H7458 and with the pestilence, H1698 until I have consumed H8552 them by his hand. H3027 Therefore hearken H8085 not ye to your prophets, H5030 nor to your diviners, H7080 nor to your dreamers, H2472 nor to your enchanters, H6049 nor to your sorcerers, H3786 which speak H559 unto you, saying, H559 Ye shall not serve H5647 the king H4428 of Babylon: H894 For they prophesy H5012 a lie H8267 unto you, to remove you far H7368 from your land; H127 and that I should drive you out, H5080 and ye should perish. H6 But the nations H1471 that bring H935 their neck H6677 under the yoke H5923 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and serve H5647 him, those will I let remain still H3240 in their own land, H127 saith H5002 the LORD; H3068 and they shall till H5647 it, and dwell H3427 therein.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 25
Commentary on 2 Kings 25 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 25
In this chapter is an account of the siege, taking, and burning of the city of Jerusalem, and of the carrying captive the king and the inhabitants to Babylon, 2 Kings 25:1, as also of the pillars and vessels of the temple brought thither, 2 Kings 25:13 and of the putting to death several of the principal persons of the land, 2 Kings 25:18, and of the miserable condition of the rest under Gedaliah, whom Ishmael slew, 2 Kings 25:23, and the chapter, and so the history, is concluded with the kindness Jehoiachin met with from the king of Babylon, after thirty seven years' captivity, 2 Kings 25:27.
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign,.... Of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. From hence to the end of 2 Kings 25:7, the account exactly agrees with Jeremiah 52:4.
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month,.... In Jeremiah 52:12 it is the tenth day of the month; which, how to be reconciled; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:12.
which is the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar; who, according to Ptolemy's canon, reigned forty three years; MetasthenesF21De Judicio Temp. & Annal. Pers. fol. 221. 2. says forty five; and from hence, to the end of 2 Kings 25:12 facts are related as in Jeremiah 52:12 whither the reader is referred.
And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord,.... The two pillars in the temple, Jachin and Boaz. Benjamin of Tudela saysF23Itinerar. p. 13. , that in the church of St. Stephen in Rome these pillars now are with the name of Solomon engraved on each; and the Jews at Rome told him, when there, (in the twelfth century,) that on the ninth of Ab (the day the temple was destroyed) every year sweat was found upon them like water; the one, I suppose, will equally be believed as the other, since it is here expressly said that the Chaldeans broke them in pieces. From hence, to the end of 2 Kings 25:17 is the same with Jeremiah 52:7, where it is rather more largely and fully expressed; only there is this difference here in 2 Kings 25:17 the height of the chapiter of a pillar is said to be three cubits, there five cubits; for the reconciliation of which; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:22.
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest,.... The sagan, or deputy priest, who officiated for the high priest, when by any means he was rendered unfit and incapable; so Joseph, the son of Ellem, as JosephusF24Antiqu. l. 17. c. 6. sect. 4. relates, officiated for Matthias, when defiled with a nocturnal pollution; and seven days before the day of atonement they always substituted one under the high priest, lest anything of this kind should happen to himF25Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 1. . From hence, to the end of 2 Kings 25:21 the account is the same as in Jeremiah 52:25, only here in 2 Kings 25:19 it is said, that five men that were in the king's presence were taken, there seven men; to account for which; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:25.
And as for the people that remained,.... That were left in the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen; over these the king of Babylon made Gedaliah governor, to whom the captains, with their scattered troops, came, and submitted for a time; of whom; see Gill on Jeremiah 40:7; see Gill on Jeremiah 40:8; see Gill on Jeremiah 40:9.
And it came to pass in the seventh month,.... Not of Gedaliah's government, but of the year, the month Tisri or September, near two months after the destruction of Jerusalem; the Jews say fifty two days after it; of the death of Gedaliah, and the man that slew him, as here related; see Gill on Jeremiah 41:1, Jeremiah 41:2, Jeremiah 41:3.
And all the people, both small and great,.... High and low, rich and poor, among whom were the king's daughters, committed to the care of Gedaliah, and also the prophets Jeremiah and Baruch, see Jeremiah 41:16.
and the captains of the armies rose, and came to Egypt; contrary to the express command of God; these were Johanan, and the captain of the forces with him, Jeremiah 43:4.
for they were afraid of the Chaldees; lest they should come and avenge the death of Gedaliah, appointed governor of Judea, see Jeremiah 41:17.
And it came to pass in the thirty and seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah,.... Who must then be fifty five years of age:
in the twelfth month, on the twenty and seventh day of the month; in Jeremiah 52:31 it is said to be the twenty fifth day; of the reason of which difference; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:31,
that Evilmerodach king of Babylon; who is supposed, by someF26Vid. Lampe, Eccles. Hist. l. 1. c. 7. sect. 18. ", to be the same with Belshazzar, and his successor Neriglissar, the same with Darius the Mede in Daniel. From hence, to the end of the chapter, the same account is given of the kindness of this king to Jehoiachin, as in Jeremiah 52:31. See Gill on Jeremiah 52:31; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:32; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:33; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:34.MetasthenesF1Ut supra. (De Judicio Temp. & Annal. Pers. fol. 221. 2.) calls him Amilinus Evilmerodach, and says he reigned thirty years, and makes Belshazzar, or Baltassar, as he calls him, his third son.