1Jehoahaz succeeding Josiah is deposed by Pharaoh-necho, and carried into Egypt: Jehoiakim is made king. 5Jehoiakim reigning wickedly is bound in fetters by Nebuchadnezzar, who carrieth part of the vessels of the temple to Babylon. 9Jehoiachin is made king, and after a year's reign carried to Babylon with other vessels of the temple: Zedekiah is made king in his stead. 11Zedekiah reigneth wickedly, despiseth the admonitions of Jeremiah, and rebelleth against Nebuchadnezzar. 14The sins of the priests and of the people cause the utter destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldees, and the desolation of the land for seventy years. 22The proclamation of Cyrus for building the temple
1THEN the people of the land tooka1Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and 2made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.
a 2 Kings 23:30.
1 Called also, according to the opinion of some, Johanan, 1 Chron. 3:13, and Shallum, Jer. 22:11, and Jehoahaz, here, and in the following verse.
2 For which end they also anointed him, 2 Kings 23:30. Of the reason hereof, see there the annotation. See also 2 Kings 11 on verse 12.
2Jehoahaz was 3twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
3 Hebr. a son of three and twenty years.
3And the king of Egypt 4put him down at Jerusalem, and 5condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
4 And carried him away captive to Riblah. See 2 Kings 23:33 and the annotation thereon.
5 Hebr. mulcted. See of this tax likewise 2 Kings 23 on verse 33.
4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim 6his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and 7turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him 8to Egypt.
6 The brother of Jehoahaz; as follows later in this verse.
7 Hebr. turned, or, converted. He showed hereby the power and command, which he declared to have over him. See 2 Kings 23 on verse 34.
8 And there he also died, 2 Kings 23:34, as was foretold by Jeremiah, Jer. 22:12, where, according to the opinion of some, he was named Shallum.
5¶Jehoiakim was 9twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
9 Hebr. a son of five and twenty years. See the exposition of this verse 2 Kings 23 on verse 36.
6Against him came up Nebuchadnezzarb king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to 10carry him to Babylon.
b 2 Kings 24:1.
10 Yet, according to the opinion of some, he never came to Babel, but died by the way, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, Jer. 22:18, 19.
7Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and 11that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and 12Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
11 Understand his other abominable, both public and secret sins; or understand his revolt and rebellion against king Nebuchadnezzar, which he secretly had intended and plotted, and for which Nebuchadnezzar had sent his men of war against him, 2 Kings 24:1, 2.
12 Otherwise called Jeconiah, 1 Chron. 3:16, and by way of contempt Coniah, Jer. 22:24.
9¶Jehoiachin was 13eightc years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
13 Hebr. a son of eight years. It is stated in 2 Kings 24:8 that he was eighteen years old when he became king; which is to be understood of the time, wherein he reigned alone, and with full and absolute power; but what is said here, is to be understood of the time wherein he was in the government with, and under his father. See of this comparison also 2 Kings 24 on verse 8.
c 2 Kings 24:8.
10Andd when the 14year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with 15the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and madee16Zedekiah 17his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
d Dan. 1:1, 2.
14 Not of his reign, for he reigned not a year, but only three winter months, and ten days; but of the year that ran on, which was now expired when the spring began and the days and nights were of an equal length. Compare 2 Sam. 11:1, and the annotation.
15 Hebr. vessels of desire; for, costly things are much desired; also verse 19; 2 Chron. 32:27.
e 2 Kings 24:17; Jer. 37:1.
16 Hebr. Tsidkia, also called Mattaniah, 2 Kings 24:17.
17 That is, his kinsman; namely, his uncle, his father’s brother, the son of Josiah, 2 Kings 24:17; 1 Chron. 3:15; Jer. 1:3. Compare Gen. 13:8, and the annotation.
11¶Zedekiah was 18one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
18 Hebr. a son of one and twenty years.
12Andf he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking 19from the mouth of the LORD.
fJer. 52:2, 3.
19 That is, from the command which he had received from God, Jer. 1:7, etc.
13And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made 20him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and 21hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.
20 That is, administered upon him an oath of the imposed and promised loyalty.
21 See of this word Deut. 2:30.
14¶Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, 22transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had 23hallowed in Jerusalem.
22 Hebr. multiplied to transgress transgression, or, to transgress by transgression; that is, here, to transgress exceedingly. Also to serve service, is to serve with great care and labor, Gen. 30:26, So likewise to lust lust, or to lust with lust or to be taken with lust, is to lust exceedingly, Num. 11:4; likewise to be jealous with jealousy, or, to be zealous with zeal, is to be very zealous, Num. 25:11; to desire with desire, is to desire greatly, Luke 22:15, etc.
23 That is, had set apart and ordained, in order that the token of His holy presence and the exercise of His holy worship would take place in it. Compare Lev. 8:10, and the annotation.
15And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his 24messengers, 25rising up betimes, and sending; because 26he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
24 That is, of His prophets, who lived in the time of the history of this book, of whom were the most important: Ahijah the Shilonite, Shemaiah, Iddo, otherwise called Oded, Azariah, Jehu, Elijah, Micah, Elisha, Jonah, Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, Micah the Morasthite, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, the prophetess Huldah, Zephaniah, Obadiah, Ezekiel.
25 Hebr. rising early, and sending; that is, sending with all carefulness, diligence and perseverance, yea, at the very first, as soon as they began to decline to idolatry.
26 That is, He would not hasten His judgment, being longsuffering, and slow to wrath, and therefore sending his prophets continually to them, that they would repent, and so might escape the threatened punishment.
16But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused 27his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no 28remedy.
27 That is, so that they oppressed and resisted the prophets, and persecuted them; or, against the prophets, that is, against the admonition and warning of the prophets. Other, they counted themselves tempted by the prophets; that is, they persuaded themselves and pretended that the prophets used deceit and falsehood. Or, they would be tempted by his prophets; that is, they would not have the prophets to threaten and reprove them, but they would have them to speak nothing but good things unto them, and to promise all happiness unto them, as the prophets do often complain of this. Or, they misused the prophets; that is, they jeered and mocked them, and let them just go, not caring what they said, to give heed thereunto.
28 That is, no help or remedy, and that because on the one side the people repented not, and on the other side God’s justice required that their impenitence should be punished. It is a similitude taken from sick bodies which are incurable. Compare 2 Chron. 21:18.
17Therefore he brought upon them 29the king of the 30Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their 31sanctuary, and 32had no compassion upon 33young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: 34he gave them all into 35his hand.
29 Namely. Nebuchadnezzar.
30 See 2 Kings 24 on verse 2.
31 Namely, the temple, which they had polluted, verse 14.
32 That is, the king of Babel, or also indeed: the Lord had no compassion, as He had threatened in His law. See a summary hereof Deut. 32:22, 23, 24.
33 Or, young men, maidens, old men etc.
34 Namely, God the Lord.
35 Namely, of the king of Babel.
18And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these 36he brought to Babylon.
36 Namely, the king Nebuchadnezzar.
19And 37they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces 38thereof with fire, and destroyed all the 39goodly vessels thereof.
37 Namely, the Chaldeans.
38 Namely, of the city Jerusalem.
39 Or, costly furniture. Hebr. vessels of desire; as verse 10.
20And 40them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and 41his sons 42until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
40 Hebr. that which remained or the remnant of the sword; that is, those who were not destroyed by the sword in war.
41 Namely, Nebuchadnezzar’s sons; understand his son Evil-merodach, and Belshazzar, the son of Evil-merodach, Jer. 27:7.
42 That is, until Cyrus had taken Babel, and had also brought the monarchy of the Chaldeans to the Persians; which was done, according to the account of some, about the year of the creation 3434.
21To fulfil the word of the LORD 43by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had 44enjoyed her sabbaths: for 45as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and teng years.
43 See in Jeremiah’s prophecy, Jer. 25:11, etc.
44 See Lev. 26:34, 35, and the annotation.
45 That is, all the time that the Jews were kept prisoners in Babylon, namely, 70 years, as Jeremiah had foretold, Jer. 25:11, 12; 29:10.
gJer. 25:12; 29:10.
22 ¶ 46Now in the 47first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the wordh of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the 48spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a 49proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
46 This verse and the next following are repeated even word for word in the beginning of the book of Ezra; from which some conclude that it was Ezra, who, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would have written these two books of the Chronicles.
47 Namely, of his monarchy. See Ezra 1 on verse 1.
hEzra 1:1; Jer. 25:12; 29:10.
48 See 2 Kings 19 on verse 7.
49 Or, voice. Also Exod. 36:6; Ezra 1:1.
23Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath 50charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
50 See Ezra 1 on verse 2.