1Jerusalem is again besieged, 4and taken by storm: Zedekiah fleeth, is taken, his sons slain, and his own eyes put out. 8Nebuzar-adan having burned the temple and all the palaces of Jerusalem, and broken down the walls, carrieth the remnant of the people, except a few labourers, to Babylon. 13He spoileth and carrieth away the valuable things of the temple. 18The nobles of Judah are slain at Riblah. 22Gedaliah, who was set over the people that were left, being treacherously murdered, the rest flee into Egypt. 27Evil-merodach sheweth kindness to Jehoiachin in his captivity.
1AND ita came to pass in the ninth year of 1his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built 2forts against it round about.
a 2 Chron. 36:17; Jer. 32:2; 39:1; 52:4.
1 Namely, of Zedekiah.
2 The Hebrew word (as many perceive) signifies a warlike structure, or building, in the form or fashion of a tower or high scaffold, made of wood, which was reared up outside the city over against the walls, to shoot from thence arrows and stones against the walls, and into the city. The same word is found, Jer. 52:4; Ezek. 4:2; 17:17, etc.
2And the city 3was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
3 Also 2 Kings 24:10.
3And on the ninth day of the 4fourth month theb famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
4 This word is here inserted out of Jer. 39:2; 52:6.
b Jer. 52:6.
4¶And the city was 5broken up, and all the men of war 6fled by night by the way of the 7gate between two walls, which 8is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.
5 Namely, by the Chaldeans, who besieged the city, and had already taken the middle gate, Jer. 39:2, 3.
6 This word is also here inserted, to fill up the sentence, out of Jer. 39:4. See this secret flight typified, Ezek. 12:6.
7 Understand a private gate or passage, which was made between two walls of the city.
8 Or, was, namely, the gate, or way.
5And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of 9Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
9 See 2 Kings 2 on verse 4.
6So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to 10Riblah; and they gave 11judgment upon him.
10 See 2 Kings 23:33. In this city Nebuchadnezzar intended to keep his court until he had subdued Jerusalem, especially seeing the siege lasted a long while.
11 For they accused him of disloyalty and falsehood, because he had broken his promise and oath; and of unthankfulness towards king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him king, 2 Kings 24:17, 20. Other, they passed a sentence with him; namely, with the king of Babel upon the king of Judah.
7And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and 12put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
12 See Jer. 39 on verse 7.
8¶And in the 13fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, 14captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
13 Which answers to part of our July, and to part of our August. See Num. 33:38.
14 See Gen. 37 on verse 36. Hebr. the master of the guard.
9And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s 15house burnt he with fire.
15 Other, great houses. Understand the houses of rich and mighty men, who had been of great means or estates. These were especially to suffer. From which it seems that some small cottages of poor and simple people were spared. Great men are taken for rich men, Gen. 24:35; 26:13; 1 Sam. 25:2. Likewise for men of honour and high estate, 2 Kings 10:6; Jonah 3:7; of both may the word be taken here, as also Lev. 19:15.
10And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
11Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away.
12But the captain of the guard left of the 16poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.
16 Hebr. of the thinness of the land; see 2 Kings 24 on verse 14.
13And the 17pillarsc of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the 18bases, and the 19brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.
17 See of these 1 Kings 7:15.
c 2 Kings 20:17; Jer. 20:5; 27:19.
18 That is, feet, stools, or props, on which the lavers or kettles stood which Solomon had placed in the court of the priests. See 1 Kings 7:27.
19 See 1 Kings 7:23.
14And 20the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
20 Of all this furniture of the temple, you may also see 1 Kings 7:45, etc.
15And the 21firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were 22of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
21 Or, coal-pans; see Lev. 10 on verse 1.
22 Hebr. gold gold, and silver silver, that is, pure and substantial gold or silver; or, all of gold and silver, and not barely gilt or silvered over. Other, which (namely, the sprinkling basins) were all gold, and which were all silver.
16The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels 23was without weight.
23 That is, there was so great a quantity of brass, that they neither could nor would weigh it.
17Thed height of the one 24pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.
d 1 Kings 7:15; 2 Chron. 3:15; Jer. 52:21.
24 See of all these things, 1 Kings 7:15, 16, 17, etc.
18¶And the captain of the guard took 25Seraiah the 26chief priest, and 27Zephaniah the 28second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
25 This man was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah, 1 Chron. 6:13, 14, who found the book of the law in the temple, 2 Kings 22:8. Seraiah’s son was Ezra, whose book we have among the books of the Old Testament, Ezra 7:1.
26 Hebr. the priest the head, or that was the head, that is, the first, or the most important and highest, namely, of the priests, Also 2 Chron. 26:20; 31:10; Ezra 7:5.
27 The son of Maaseiah, Jer. 21:1, differing from Zephaniah the prophet, who was the son of Cushi, Zeph. 1:1.
28 See Num. 3 on verse 32 and 1 Kings 4 on verse 4.
19And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and 29five men of them 30that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which 31mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:
29 Who were the most important and of the greatest renowned among the seven, of whom Jeremiah speaks, Jer. 52:25.
30 That is, who were ordinarily in the king’s presence, and ever at hand to minister unto him, also Esther 1:14.
31 Or, took them on for the war, or mustered them, or exercised them in arms. See of them also, Jer. 52:25.
20And Nebuzar-adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:
21And the king of Babylon smote 32them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. 33So Judah was carried away out of their land.
32 Some are of the opinion, that these were those who had set themselves against the prophet Jeremiah, crying, The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, Jer. 7:4. Of the word smite, see Gen. 8 on verse 21.
33 This is the fulfillment of the prophecy, of which see 2 Kings 23:27; Jer. 25:9, etc.
22¶Andeas for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made 34Gedaliah the son of 35Ahikam, the son of 36Shaphan, ruler.
e Jer. 40:5, 9.
34 A pious and upright man, favorably inclined toward the prophet Jeremiah, and following his counsel in all things. See of him also, Jer. 40:5. He is to be distinguished from another Gedaliah who was the grandfather of the prophet Zephaniah, Zeph. 1:1.
35 Also a friend and supporter of the prophet Jeremiah. See Jer. 26:24.
36 Who was king Josiah’s scribe, 2 Kings 22:3.
23Andf when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to 37Mizpah, even 38Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
f Jer. 40:7.
37 See of this city, Judges 11:11.
38 See of these men also Jer. 40:7, 8. Some are of the opinion that these were the officers of the army, and the captains, who with their men were present with king Zedekiah, when he was taken prisoner at Jericho, and there were scattered from him, verse 5.
24And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.
25But it came to pass in the 39seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, 40of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and 41smoteg Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.
39 See Jer. 41 on verse 1.
40 Hebr. of the seed of the kingdom, that is, of the family of David and Solomon. Otherwise they are usually called: princes of the blood, that is, who belong to the royal family.
41 Either because they envied Gedaliah’s greatness; or because they hated the king of Babel; or, for both reasons.
g Jer. 41:2.
26And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.
27¶And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that 42Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah 43out of prison;
42 The son of Nebuchadnezzar, who succeeded his father in the monarchy, and reigned about 28 years. Some are of the opinion, that he had some knowledge of the true God, and therefore was called by infidels Evil-merodach, that is, the foolish Merodach.
43 Hebr. out of the house of restraint, or shutting up; this was done without doubt, partly, through compassion of his age and long imprisonment sustained; partly, through observation, that he had willingly surrendered himself into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. See 2 Kings 24:12.
28And he spake 44kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;
44 Hebr. He spake good things. See 1 Kings 12 on verse 7; Jer. 12:6.
29And changed his 45prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.
45 Namely, which he used to wear in prison. Compare herewith, Gen. 41:14 and the annotation thereon.
30And 46his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, 47a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.
46 Namely, the allowance and maintenance of Jehoiachin’s household; for, of Jehoiachin’s own personal allowance and diet is spoken in the previous verse. Other, for his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king.
47 That is, so much as was appointed for every day. See similar phrase, Exod. 5:13; Lev. 23:37; 1 Kings 8:59.