Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 24:5. The rest of the acts of Jehoiakim— Jeremiah prophesied in the time of this prince, as did also Urijah; see Jeremiah 26:20; Jeremiah 26:24. About this time also lived the prophets Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Nahum, who, being called to the prophetic office in the reign of Josiah, continued, very probably, to this time, because we find them prophesying the same things which Jeremiah did; namely, the destruction and desolation of Judah and Jerusalem for the many heinous sins they were guilty of. As to Habakkuk, neither the time in which he lived, nor the parents from whom he descended, are anywhere named in Scripture; but his prophesying the coming of the Chaldeans in the same manner with Jeremiah, gives us reason to think that he lived in the same time. Of Zephaniah it is expressly said, (chap. 1:) that he prophesied in the time of Josiah; and in his pedigree, which is also given us, his father's grandfather is called Hezekiah, whom some take for the king of Judah, and consequently reckon this prophet to have been of royal descent. As to Nahum, lastly, it is certain that he prophesied after the captivity of the ten tribes, and before that of the other two, which he foretold, chap. 1: Though, therefore, the Jews do generally place him in the reign of Manasseh, yet others choose to refer him to the latter part of Josiah's, as being nearer to the destruction of Nineveh and the Assyrian monarchy, to which several prophesies of his do principally relate.

2 Kings 24:6. Jehoiakim slept with his fathers— It is plain that this expression can signify no more than that he died as his fathers did; for he neither died in his bed, nor was he buried with his fathers, but lay above ground, unburied, according to the prediction of Jeremiah, ch. Jeremiah 36:30.

2 Kings 24:7. Came not again any more— Or, Came no more as yet. 2 Kings 24:8. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old, &c.] There is a great difference between this passage and 2 Chronicles 36:9 where it is said that Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign. But both the Syriac and Arabic versions read eighteen in that place in the Chronicles. Jehoiachin's succeeding his father in the throne of Judah may seem to disagree with the threat which the prophet denounces against his father, Jeremiah 36:30. He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David; but as Jehoiachin's reign lasted little more than three months, during which time he was absolutely subject to the Chaldeans, a reign of so short continuance, and of so small authority, may well-be looked upon as nothing. See Ezekiel 19:6; Ezekiel 19:14.

2 Kings 24:13. And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, &c.— Nebuchadnezzar carried away the treasures and rich furniture of the temple at three different times: First, In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim when he first took Jerusalem, he carried half of the vessels of the house of God away into the land of Shinar, and put them into the house of his god, Daniel 1:2. These were the vessels which his son Belshazzar profaned, Daniel 5:2 and which Cyrus restored to the Jews, Ezra 1:7 to be set up in the temple again when rebuilt. Secondly, In the reign of Jehoiachin he took the city again, and cut in pieces a great part of the vessels of gold which Solomon had made, and which by some means or other had escaped his former plunder. Thirdly, In the eleventh year of Zedekiah he pillaged the temple once more, when he broke in pieces the pillars of brass, &c. and took along with them all the vessels of silver and gold which he could find, and carried them to Babylon. See the next chapter, 2 Kings 24:13, &c. It is something strange, that, among all this inventory, no mention is made of the ark of the covenant, which, of all other things, was held most sacred. But it is very probable, that it was burned together with the temple in the last desolation; for, what some say, of its being hidden by the prophet Jeremiah in a certain cave in mount Nebo, is a mere fable. See Calmet.

2 Kings 24:14. And he carried away all Jerusalem— Among these were Ezekiel the prophet, and Mordecai the uncle of Esther.