Bible Commentaries

The narrative runs parallel with 2Kings (marginal reference) as far as 2 Chronicles 36:13. The writer then emits the events following, and substitutes a sketch in which the moral and didactic element preponderates over the historical.

In his temple - Compare “the house of his god” Daniel 1:2. Nebuchadnezzars inscriptions show him to have been the special votary of Merodach, the Babylonian Mars. His temple, which the Greeks called the temple of Behus, was one of the most magnificent buildings in Babylon. Its ruins still remain in the vast mound, called Babil, which is the loftiest and most imposing of the “heaps” that mark the site of the ancient city.

His abominations which he did - See Jeremiah 7:9, Jeremiah 7:30-31; Jeremiah 19:3-13; Jeremiah 25:1 etc.; Jehoiakim appears to have restored all the idolatries which Josiah his father had swept away.

Eight years old - Rather, eighteen (see the marginal reference). Jehoiachin had several wives and (apparently) at least one child Jeremiah 22:28, when, three months later, he was carried captive to Babylon.

When the year was expired - literally, as in the margin, i. e. at the return of the season for military expeditions. The expedition against Jehoiakim took place probably late in the autumn of one year, that against Jehoiachin early in the spring of the next.

Strictly speaking, Zedekiah was uncle to Jehoiachin, being the youngest of the sons of Josiah (marginal note and reference). He was nearly of the same age with Jehoiachin, and is called here his “brother” (compare Genesis 14:14).

On Zedekiah‘s character, see 2 Kings 24:19 note.

The oath of allegiance was taken when he was first installed in his kingdom. On Zedekiah‘s sin in breaking his oath, see Ezekiel 17:18-20; Ezekiel 21:25.

Polluted the house of the Lord - Toward the close of Zedekiah‘s reign idolatrous rites of several different kinds were intruded into the sacred precincts of the temple (compare Ezekiel 8:10-16).

Misused his prophets - Rather, “scoffed at his prophets.” The allusion is to verbal mockery, not to persecution.

The fearful slaughter took place at the capture of the city, in the courts of the temple itself (Ezekiel 9:6-7; compare Lamentations 2:7, Lamentations 2:20).

Servants - Or, “slaves.” They were probably employed by Nebuchadnezzar in the forced labor which his great works necessitated.

His sons - The word probably includes all Nebuchadnezzars successors in the independent sovereignty of Babylon.

See the marginal references. The 70 years of desolation prophesied by Jeremiah, commenced in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 25:1, Jeremiah 25:12; compare Daniel 1:1), or 605 B.C.; and should therefore have terminated, if they were fully complete, in 536 B.C. As, however, the historical date of the taking of Babylon by Cyrus is 538 B.C., or two years earlier, it has been usual to suppose that the Jews reckoned “the reign of the kingdom of Persia” as commencing two years after the capture of Babylon, on the death or supersession of “Darius the Mede.” But the term “seventy” may be taken as a round number, and the prophecy as sufficiently fulfilled by a desolation which lasted 68 years.

Until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths - Between the time of Moses and the commencement of the captivity, there had been (about) 70 occasions on which the Law of the sabbatical year Leviticus 25:4-7 had been violated.

This and the next verse are repeated at the commencement of the book of Ezra Ezra 1:1-3, which was, it is probable, originally a continuation of Chronicles, Chronicles and Ezra together forming one work. See the introduction to Chronicles.

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