1Zedekiah's wicked reign, and rebellion against the king of Babylon. 4Jerusalem besieged and taken. 8Zedekiah is made prisoner, and his sons and nobles being first slain, and his own eyes put out, is carried in chains to Babylon. 12Nebuzar-adan having burned the temple, and laid the city in ruins, carrieth all the people, except a few labourers, to Babylon: 17he spoileth and carrieth away the valuable things of the temple. 24The nobles of Judah are slain at Riblah. 28The number of the Jews who at different times were carried captives to Babylon. 31Evil-merodach sheweth kindness to Jehoiachin in his captivity.
1ZEDEKIAH1was onea and twenty years 2old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
1 See 2 Kings 24:18, 19, 20; 25:1, and the following. Likewise Jer. 39:1, 2, etc., where this entire history is first related, which is here repeated for reasons mentioned in the last verse of the previous chapter. See the annotations on the chapter aforesaid of the Second book of the Kings.
a 2 Kings 24:18.
2 Hebr. a son of one and twenty years.
2And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4¶And it came to pass in the ninthb year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.
b 2 Kings 25:1; Jer. 39:1.
5So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
6And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
7Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.
8¶But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
9Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave 3judgment upon him.
3 Passed sentences or judgments upon him and his own, for their perjury, rebellion and unthankfulness. Also Jer. 39:5.
10And the king of Babylon 4slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
4 That is, caused them to be slain, as frequently.
11Then he 5put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in 6prison till the day of his death.
5 That is, caused his eyes to be put out, or to be so spoiled, as that he could not see.
6 Hebr. house of visitation or punishments, oversights, wards, etc.; where he caused him to remain until that day of his death.
12¶Now in the fifth month, in the 7tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, which 8served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,
7 In 2 Kings 25:8 it is stated that he came to Jerusalem on the seventh day of the month. The reconciling of this difference is that he came into the city on the seventh day, but began to execute his charge on the tenth day; of which in the sequel.
8 Who stood before the king, waited upon him, was continually about him. See Deut. 1 on verse 38; 1 Kings 1 on verse 2. For this is stated in 2 Kings 25:8 a servant or minister of the king of Babylon; the one expounds the other.
13And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, 9and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:
9 Or, namely, so that the previous word all is expounded by all the houses of the great men. Hebr. every house of the great one. Other, every great house, that is, all the houses of the great ones, or all great houses, the sense agreeing together; for, great houses do commonly belong to great and mighty men. See 2 Kings 25 on verse 9.
14And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.
15Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the 10poor of the people, and the residue of the 11people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.
10 Hebr. thinness, or, poverties. See 2 Kings 24 on verse 14. Also Jer. 40:7, and in the beginning of the next verse.
11 Hebr. amon, for which in 2 Kings 25:11 is used the word hamon, that is, multitude, company of people or crowd by changing of one letter. See Jer. 46 on verse 25.
16But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.
17Also the pillarsc of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.
c Jer. 27:19.
18The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass 12wherewith they ministered, took they away.
12 Hebr. with which they ministered, that is, with which they were wont to perform the ministry in the house of the Lord, or, which they were wont to use for the ministry.
19And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the 13cups; that 14which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.
13 See Exod. 25:29; Num. 4:7.
14 Other, and those that were all gold and all silver. Hebr. gold gold, silver silver.
20The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were 15under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
15 That is, which stood in that place of the temple where the brasen bases of the lavers were; these bullocks stood under the sea. See 1 Kings 7:25, 27.
21And concerning the pillars,d the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.
d 1 Kings 7:15; 2 Kings 25:17; 2 Chron. 3:15.
22And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was 16five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. 17The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.
16 At 2 Kings 25:17 is mentioned three cubits. See of its exposition 1 Kings 7 on verse 16.
17 Or, And it was likewise with the other pillar and pomegranates.
23And there were ninety and six pomegranates 18on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.
18 Towards the four winds, in order that there was yet one more at every corner, and also with the ninety-six, together one hundred.
24¶And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
25He took also out of the city an 19eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and 20seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the 21midst of the city.
19 Or, chamberlain. See Gen. 37 on verse 36.
20 Compare 2 Kings 25:19 with the annotation, and compare the manner of speech with Mat. 18:10.
21 That is, within the city.
26So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
27And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.
28This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar 22carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:
22 Understand at several times, as the sequel shows. Compare Jer. 6:9.
29In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar 23he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two 24persons:
23 Or, they carried, etc.
24 Or, souls, that is, persons. See Gen. 12 on verse 5.
30In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.
31 ¶ 25And ite came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the 26five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon 27in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of 28prison,
25 See 2 Kings 25:27, etc. and the annotations there.
e 2 Kings 25:27, etc.
26 At 2 Kings 25:27 it is stated: on the seven and twentieth; which may be fitly thus reconciled, that he was delivered on the five and twentieth (day) out of prison, and that the king of Babel (after in the meanwhile his garments were changed) caused him to come before him on the seven and twentieth day, etc.
27 Or, in the year when he became king.
28 Hebr. house of shutting up or of restraint. See Jer. 37 on verse 4.
32And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,
33And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.
34And for his diet, there was a continual dietf given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
f daily allowance