Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2 Kings 24

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  Jehoiakim, first subdued by Nebuchadnezzar, then rebelling against him, procures his own ruin.
5  Jehoiachin succeeds him.
7  The king of Egypt is vanquished by the king of Babylon.
8  Jehoiachin's evil reign.
10  Jerusalem is taken and carried captive into Babylon.
17  Zedekiah is made king, and reigns ill, unto the utter destruction of Judah.

Verse 1

In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
his days
17:5, 2 Chronicles 36:6-21, Jeremiah 25:1,9, 46:2, Daniel 1:1
Nebuchadnezzar
This prince, so famous in the writings of the prophets, was the son of Nabopollasar king of Babylon.

Verse 2

And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.
the Lord
6:23, 13:20,21, Deuteronomy 28:49,50, 2 Chronicles 33:11, Job 1:17, Isaiah 7:17, 13:5, Jeremiah 35:11, Ezekiel 19:8
according
20:17, 21:12-14, 23:27, Isaiah 6:11,12, Jeremiah 25:9, 26:6,20, 32:28, Micah 3:12
his
Heb. the hand of his.

Verse 3

Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;
Surely
18:25, Genesis 50:20, 2 Chronicles 24:24, 25:16, Isaiah 10:5,6, 45:7, 46:10,11, Amos 3:6
remove them
23:26,27, Leviticus 26:33-35, Deuteronomy 4:26,27, 28:63, 29:28, Joshua 23:15, Jeremiah 15:1-4, Micah 2:10
for the sins
21:2-11, Exodus 20:5

Verse 4

And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.
for the innocent
21:16, Numbers 35:33, Deuteronomy 19:10, Jeremiah 2:34, 19:4
he filled
Psalms 106:38
which
Jeremiah 15:1,2, Lamentations 3:42, Ezekiel 33:25

Verse 5

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
the rest
2 Chronicles 36:8, Jeremiah 22:13-17, 26:1-36

Verse 6

So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
A. M. 3405. B.C. 599. slept As Jehoiakim was "buried with the burial of an ass," by being "drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem," without internment, the expression "slept with his fathers," can only mean that the died, or slept the sleep of death. In the East, a body exposed during the night would be a prey to wild animals; if any of it were left till the morning, the carnivorous birds would devour it
2 Chronicles 36:6,8, Jeremiah 22:18,19, 36:30
Jehoiachin
As this man reigned only three months, and was a mere vassal of the king of Babylon, his reign is scarcely reckoned; and therefore Jeremiah (ch. 31:30) says of Jehoiakim, "he shall have none to sit upon the throne of David."

Verse 7

And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.
the king
Jeremiah 37:5-7, 46:2
from the river
Genesis 15:18, Numbers 34:5, Joshua 15:4, 1 Kings 4:21, Isaiah 27:12

Verse 8

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
Jehoiachin
1 Chronicles 3:16, Jeremiah 24:1
Jeconiah
Jeremiah 22:24,28, 37:1
Coniah
Matthew 1:11,12
Jechonias
eighteen years
In the parallel place, he is said to be only eight years old; but this must be a mistake, for we find that having reigned only three months, he was carried captive to Babylon, and there had wives; and had he been of such a tender age, it could scarcely have been said that, as a king, "he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord."
2 Chronicles 36:9

Verse 9

evil: Young renders, “the evil thing,” noting, “that is, idolatry.”

according: 2 Kings 24:19; 2 Chronicles 36:12


Verse 10

At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
At that time
Daniel 1:1,2
was besieged
Heb. came into siege.
25:2

Verse 12

And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
Jehoiachin
2 Chronicles 36:10, Jeremiah 24:1, 29:1,2, 38:17,18, Ezekiel 17:12
officers
or, eunuchs. took him.
25:27, Jeremiah 52:28,31
eigth year
"Nebuchadnezzar's eighth year."
Jeremiah 25:1, 52:28

Verse 13

And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.
he carried
20:17, Isaiah 39:6, Jeremiah 20:5
and cut
25:13-15, Ezra 1:7-11, Jeremiah 27:16-21, 28:3,4,6, Daniel 5:2,3
which Solomon
1 Kings 7:48-50, 2 Chronicles 4:7-22

Verse 14

And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
all
That is, all the chief men, the nobles, and the artificers. Among these were 7,000 mighty men, and 1,000 craftsmen and smiths.
Jerusalem
2 Chronicles 36:9,10, Jeremiah 24:1-5, 52:28, Ezekiel 1:1,2
craftsmen
So
1 Samuel 23:19-22
the poorest sort
25:12, Jeremiah 39:10, 40:7, 52:16, Ezekiel 17:14

Verse 15

And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
he carried
8, 2 Chronicles 36:10, Esther 2:6, Jeremiah 22:24-28
officers
or, eunuchs.

Verse 16

And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.
seven thousand
Jeremiah 29:2, 52:28

Verse 17

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
the king
2 Chronicles 36:10,11, Jeremiah 37:1, 52:1
his father's brother
He was son of Josiah, brother to Jehoiakim, and uncle of Jehoiachin.
1 Chronicles 3:15,16, 2 Chronicles 36:10
changed
The change of name was to shew Nebuchadnezzar's supremacy, and that Zedekiah was only his vassal or viceroy. The custom of changing names, we are assured by travellers, still exists in the East.
23:34, 2 Chronicles 36:4

Verse 18

Zedekiah was twenty and one years old 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.
A. M. 3405-3416. B.C. 599-588. Zedekiah
2 Chronicles 36:11, Jeremiah 37:1, 52:1-11
Hamutal
23:31

Verse 19

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
And he did
23:37, 2 Chronicles 36:12, Jeremiah 24:8, 37:1-38, Ezekiel 21:25

Verse 20

For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
through
22:17, Exodus 9:14-17, Deuteronomy 2:30, Isaiah 19:11-14, 1 Corinthians 1:20, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11
Zedekiah
2 Chronicles 36:13, Jeremiah 27:12-15, 38:17-21, Ezekiel 17:15-20

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