Bible Commentaries
Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible
2 Kings 25
2 Kings 24:18 to 2 Kings 25:7. Zedekiah. Destruction of Temple and City.—This event is related more fully in Jeremiah. Zedekiah seems to have been well-meaning but weak, and inclined to favour Jeremiah when not hindered by his nobles. The siege of Jerusalem, which lasted nearly two years (2 Kings 25:1-4), is more fully related in Jeremiah 37:1 to Jeremiah 39:7.
2 Kings 24:6. and they gave judgement upon him: Zedekiah's offence was intriguing with Egypt and breaking his treaty with Nebuchadrezzar (Ezekiel 17:15).
2 Kings 25:8-26. Destruction of Jerusalem. Fate of the Remnant.—This again is more fully related in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 39:8 to Jeremiah 42:22), of which the passage before us is probably an abridgement.
2 Kings 25:8. Nebuzar-adan treated Jeremiah with marked favour (Jeremiah 40:8).
2 Kings 25:22. Gedaliah established himself at Mizpah in Benjamin (Joshua 8:26). His murder by Ishmael was the ruin of the remnant, which escaped to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them (p. 73).
2 Kings 25:27-30. Jehoiachin Restored to Honour.—Nebuchadrezzar succeeded his father 605 B.C., and reigned till 562 B.C. The first captivity took place thirty-seven years before Jehoiachin's release, or about 598 B.C. Evil-Merodach, the successor of Nebuchadrezzar, only reigned two years, till 560 B.C. There is no record of the year of Jehoiachin's death, and consequently of the earliest possible date of the Book of Kings in its present form.
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