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2 Kings Chapter
Twenty-four
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 24
This
chapter relates the rebellion of Jehoiakim against the king of Babylon
which
prepared the way for the ruin of the kingdom of Judah
according to the decree
of God
and also the death of Jehoiakim
and the conquest the king of Babylon
made of part of the land of the king of Egypt
2 Kings 24:1 and
the short and wicked reign of Jehoiachin his son
when he and the royal family
with great numbers of the inhabitants of the land
were carried captive to
Babylon
2 Kings 24:8
and
his uncle was made king in his room
2 Kings 24:17.
2 Kings 24:1 In
his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up
and Jehoiakim became his
vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.
YLT
1In his days hath
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon come up
and Jehoiakim is to him a servant three
years; and he turneth and rebelleth against him
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up
.... Against
Jerusalem; this was in the latter end of the third
or the beginning of the
fourth of Jehoiakim's reign
and the first of Nebuchadnezzar
Jeremiah 25:1
when
Jehoiakim was taken
but restored upon promise of subjection and obedience
and
hostages given
at which time Daniel and his companions were carried captive
with some of the vessels of the temple; See Gill on Daniel 1:1
Daniel 1:2.
and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: which were
the fifth
sixth
and seventh years of his reign:
then he turned and rebelled against him; being
encouraged by the king of Egypt
who promised to assist him against the king of
Babylon; Nebuchadnezzar is the Nabocolasser in Ptolemy's canon; and BerosusF14Apud
Clement. Alex. Stromat. 1. p. 329. testifies
that seventy years before the
Persian monarchy he made war against the Phoenicians and Jews
and it is from
this time the seventy years' captivity is to be dated.
2 Kings 24:2 2 And the Lord sent against
him raiding bands of Chaldeans
bands of Syrians
bands of Moabites
and
bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it
according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by
His servants the prophets.
YLT
2and Jehovah sendeth against
him the troops of the Chaldeans
and the troops of Aram
and the troops of
Moab
and the troops of the sons of Ammon
and He sendeth them against Judah to
destroy it
according to the word of Jehovah
that He spake by the hand of His
servants the prophets;
And the Lord sent against him
.... By Nebuchadnezzar
against whom he rebelled:
bands of the Chaldees
and bands of the Syrians
and bands of the
Moabites
and bands of the children of Ammon; who were all subject to
the king of Babylon
or were voluntary troops in his service
and bore an
hatred to the Jews: according to EupolemusF15Apud Euseb. Evangel.
Praepar. l. 9. c. 39. p. 454.
this army consisted of Medes and Babylonians
and
besides 10
000 chariots
there were in it 180
000 foot
and 120
000 horse:
and sent them against Judah to destroy it; this was not
until the eleventh of Jehoiakim
Nebuchadnezzar being diverted by the siege of
Tyre
or other important business
from chastising the king of Judah until this
time:
according to the word of the Lord
which he spake by his servants
the prophets; Isaiah
Jeremiah
Zephaniah
and Huldah the prophetess.
2 Kings 24:3 3 Surely at the commandment
of the Lord
this came upon Judah
to remove them from His sight because of
the sins of Manasseh
according to all that he had done
YLT
3only
by the command of
Jehovah it hath been against Judah to turn [them] aside from His presence
for
the sins of Manasseh
according to all that he did
Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah
to
remove them out of his sight
.... It was the sure and certain decree of
God they should be carried captive
and therefore he stirred up the spirit of
Nebuchadnezzar
and gave him orders to go against it:
for the sins of Manasseh
according to all that he did; which were
still continued among the Jews
and committed by them
though repented of by
Manasseh
and he returned from them.
2 Kings 24:4 4 and also because of the
innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent
blood
which the Lord
would not pardon.
YLT
4and also the innocent blood
that he hath shed
and he filleth Jerusalem with innocent blood
and Jehovah
was not willing to forgive.
And also for the innocent blood that he shed
for he filled Jerusalem
with innocent blood
.... See 2 Kings 21:16 which
cruel usage of the prophets
and servants of the Lord
was still continued; see
Jeremiah 26:21
which the Lord would not pardon; he pardoned the sins of
Manasseh
who repented
but not the sins of those persons who imitated him
but
repented not; or though he personally pardoned the sins of Manasseh
so that he
was saved everlastingly
yet the temporal punishment of the nation for those
sins
in which they were involved with him
was not averted.
2 Kings 24:5 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?
YLT
5And the rest of the matters
of Jehoiakim
and all that he did
are they not written on the book of the
Chronicles of the kings of Judah?
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim
.... In 2 Chronicles 36:8
it is added
"his abominations
and that which was found in him":
which besides his rebellion against the king of Babylon
and his shedding
innocent blood
is interpreted of marks made in his body for superstitious and
idolatrous purposes; so Lyra.
2 Kings 24:6 6 So Jehoiakim rested with
his fathers. Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
YLT
6And Jehoiakim lieth with
his fathers
and Jehoiachin his son reigneth in his stead.
So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers
.... He died as they did
but was not buried with them
and indeed had no burial at all
according to the
prophecy of Jeremiah
Jeremiah 22:18 for
falling into the hands of the king of Babylon
he was bound in chains
in order
to be carried to Babylon
but died as soon as he came out of Jerusalem
at the
gates of which he was cast
and had no burial
2 Chronicles 36:6.
At this time also some of the vessels of the temple were carried away
and put
in the idol's temple at Babylon
2 Chronicles 36:7
and EupolemusF16Ut supra. (Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c.
39. p. 454.) says
that whatever gold
silver
and brass
were in the temple
were carried away:
and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead; called
sometimes Jeconiah
and by contempt Coniah
Jeremiah 22:24.
2 Kings 24:7 7 And the king of Egypt did
not come out of his land anymore
for the king of Babylon had taken all that
belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the River Euphrates.
YLT
7And the king of Egypt hath
not added any more to go out from his own land
for the king of Babylon hath
taken
from the brook of Egypt unto the river Phrat
all that had been to the
king of Egypt.
And the king of Egypt came not any more out of his land
.... To
receive the tribute he imposed on the land of Judah
or to help the kings there
of
Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin; not till the times of Zedekiah
and then was
obliged to retire
without giving any assistance
Jeremiah 37:7 the
reason follows:
for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the
river Euphrates
all that pertained to the king of Egypt; all that lay
between the river Nile
or the Rhinocolura
and the river Euphrates so that he
could not stir out of his dominions
which lay beyond.
2 Kings 24:8 8 Jehoiachin was
eighteen years old when he became king
and he reigned in Jerusalem three
months. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of
Jerusalem.
YLT
8A son of eighteen years
[is] Jehoiachin in his reigning
and three months he hath reigned in Jerusalem
and the name of his mother [is] Nehushta
daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign
.... In 2 Chronicles 36:9
he is said to be but eight years old; which may be reconciled by observing
that he might be made and declared king by his father
in the first year of his
reign
who reigned eleven years
so that he was eight years old when he began
to reign with him
and eighteen when he began to reign aloneF17So in
Seder Olam Rabba
c. 25. . Dr. LightfootF18Works
vol. 1. p. 122.
gives another solution of this difficulty
that properly speaking he was
eighteen years old when he began to reign
but
in an improper sense
the son
of eight years
or the eighth year
as the Hebrew phrase is; that is
he fell
in the lot of the eighth year of the captivity of Judah
which was in the
latter end of the third
or the beginning of the fourth of his father's reign
and the first of Nebuchadnezzar's
and it was now in the eighth of
Nebuchadnezzar that he was king
see 2 Kings 24:12
but
very probably in 2 Chronicles 36:9
there is a mistake in the copyist of eight for eighteen
since in the Arabic
and Syriac versions it is there eighteen
as here:
he reigned in Jerusalem three months; the ten days
besides are here omitted for shortness
2 Chronicles 36:9.
and his mother's name was Nehushta
the daughter of Elnathan of
Jerusalem; a person no doubt well known in those times.
2 Kings 24:9 9 And he did evil in the
sight of the Lord
according to all that his father had done.
YLT
9and he doth the evil thing
in the eyes of Jehovah
according to all that his fathers did.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord
according
to all that his father had done. Being partner with him in
his throne
he was in his sins
and continued therein
see 2 Kings 23:37.
2 Kings 24:10 10 At that time the servants
of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem
and the city was
besieged.
YLT
10At that time come up have
servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem
and the city goeth
into siege
At that time
.... When Jehoiachin reigned:
when the year was expired; so it is in 2 Chronicles 36:10
or at the revolution of the year; which some take to be autumn
the beginning
of the civil year with the Jews; but rather it was the spring
the time when
kings went out to battle
2 Samuel 11:1.
the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against
Jerusalem; that is
his army
under proper generals and officers
and by
his orders:
and the city was besieged; in form by the Chaldean
army.
2 Kings 24:11 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon came against the city
as his servants were besieging it.
YLT
11and Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon cometh against the city
and his servants are laying siege to it
And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city
.... He came
in person
following his army:
and his servants did besiege it; very closely.
2 Kings 24:12 12 Then Jehoiachin king of
Judah
his mother
his servants
his princes
and his officers went out to the
king of Babylon; and the king of Babylon
in the eighth year of his reign
took
him prisoner.
YLT
12and Jehoiachin king of
Judah goeth out unto the king of Babylon
he
and his mother
and his servants
and his chiefs
and his eunuchs
and the king of Babylon taketh him in the
eighth year of his reign
And Jehoiachin king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon
.... Not to
fight with him
but to submit to him
and to surrender the city to him
and be
at his mercy:
he and his mother
and his servants
and his princes
and his
officers; the royal family
courtiers
and nobles:
and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign; Of
Nebuchadnezzar's reign
and which was the eighth of the first captivity
and
from whence the seventy years' captivity were reckoned.
2 Kings 24:13 13 And he carried out from
there all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the
treasures of the king’s house
and he cut in pieces all the articles of gold
which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord
as the Lord had said.
YLT
13and bringeth out thence all
the treasures of the house of Jehovah
and the treasures of the house of the
king
and cutteth in pieces all the vessels of gold that Solomon king of Israel
made in the temple of Jehovah
as Jehovah had spoken.
And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the
Lord
and the treasures of the king's house
.... The gates of the
city being thrown open to him
he entered and plundered the temple
and the
royal palace
and took from thence all the riches thereof:
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; 2 Kings 20:17 and
so the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled. No more is said of these vessels in 2 Chronicles 36:10
than that they were brought to Babylon; and so Piscator renders the word here
"took"
or "carried them away"; and certain it is that they
were carried whole to Babylon
Daniel 5:2 but as
Hezekiah is said to cut off the doors of the temple
that is
strip or scrape
off the gold of them
2 Kings 18:16 so
Nebuchadnezzar cut off from the temple
or stripped it of the golden vessels in
it; of great part of them
the greater part thereof; for that there were some
left is plain from Jeremiah 27:18.
2 Kings 24:14 14 Also he carried into
captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor
ten
thousand captives
and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the
poorest people of the land.
YLT
14And he hath removed all
Jerusalem
and all the chiefs
and all the mighty ones of valour -- ten
thousand [is] the removal -- and every artificer and smith
none hath been left
save the poor of the people of the land.
And he carried away all Jerusalem
.... The inhabitants of
it; not every individual of them
but the chief of them
the more honourable
rich
and useful; for the poorer sort were left
as afterwards expressed:
and all the princes
and all the mighty men of valour
even ten
thousand captives; which was the number of them in the whole; the particulars are
after delivered:
and all the craftsmen and smiths; besides the nobles and
the soldiers
he took all the artificers that exercised any handicraft trade or
business; carpenters and blacksmiths
as some interpret these two words; so
that there were none left to make arms for them; the last word may be rendered
"enclosers"
and are by some interpreted of enclosers of jewels in
metals
as gold and silver:
none remained
save the poorest sort of the people of the land; who were left
to till it
and to dress the vines; see 2 Kings 25:12.
2 Kings 24:15 15 And he carried Jehoiachin
captive to Babylon. The king’s mother
the king’s wives
his officers
and the
mighty of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
YLT
15And he removeth Jehoiachin
to Babylon
and the mother of the king
and the wives of the king
and his
eunuchs
and the mighty ones of the land -- he hath caused a removal to go from
Jerusalem to Babylon
And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon
.... Where he
continued at least thirty seven years
2 Kings 25:27.
and the king's mother; whose name was Nehushta
2 Kings 24:8.
and the king's wives; for though he was so
young
it seems he had many wives
as was the custom of those times; or his
"women"
who were either his concubines
or servants in his family:
and his officers; in his court: and the mighty of the land;
the princes and nobles thereof; or "the fools of the land"
as the
word is written; so the people generally were:
those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon; which
according to BuntingF19Travels
&c. p. 198.
were six hundred
and eighty miles distant from each other.
2 Kings 24:16 16 All the valiant men
seven
thousand
and craftsmen and smiths
one thousand
all who were strong and
fit for war
these the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.
YLT
16and all the men of valour
seven thousand
and the artificers and the smiths a thousand
the whole [are]
mighty men
warriors; and the king of Babylon bringeth them in a captivity to
Babylon.
And all the men of might
even seven thousand
.... The
particulars of the 10
000 carried captive are here given; 7000 of which were
the principal men of the land:
and craftsmen and smiths one thousand; which made
8000:
all that were strong
and apt for war; of these
consisted the other 2000; so Abarbinel reckons them; but
according to the
Jewish chronologerF20Seder Olam Rabba
c. 25.
which Jarchi and other
Jewish commentators follow
the 7000 were out of the tribe of Benjamin and the
rest of the tribes
and the 3000 out of the tribe of Judah
which are supposed
to be those Jeremiah speaks of
Jeremiah 52:28
even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon; among these
were Ezekiel the prophet
and Mordecai
the uncle of Esther.
2 Kings 24:17 17 Then the king of Babylon
made Mattaniah
Jehoiachin’s[a] uncle
king in his place
and changed his name to Zedekiah.
YLT
17And the king of Babylon
causeth Mattaniah his father's brother to reign in his stead
and turneth his
name to Zedekiah.
And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king
in his stead
.... The third son of Josiah
1 Chronicles 3:15.
and changed his name to Zedekiah; for the same reason the
king of Egypt changed the name of Eliakim
2 Kings 23:34 to signify
his subjection to him; though some think it was to put him in mind of the
justice of God
as the name signifies
that would overtake him
should he be
treacherous to him
and rebel against him; so the Jewish Midrash.
2 Kings 24:18 18 Zedekiah was twenty-one
years old when he became king
and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His
mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
YLT
18A son of twenty and one
years [is] Zedekiah in his reigning
and eleven years he hath reigned in Jerusalem
and the name of his mother [is] Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah
Verses 18-20
Zedekiah was twenty years old when he began to reign
.... So that
he was but between nine and ten years of age when his father Josiah died; for
Jehoahaz reigned three months
Jehoiakim eleven years
and his son three months
and ten days:
and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name
was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah; by which it appears that
he was the brother of Jehoahaz by father and mother's side
2 Kings 23:31. This
and the two following verses are expressed in the same words as in Jeremiah 52:1
(see
Gill on Jeremiah 52:1
Jeremiah 52:2
Jeremiah 52:3)
in 2 Chronicles 36:10
besides what is here said
is written
that he humbled not himself before
Jeremiah the prophet of the Lord
that spoke in his name
but opposed him; and
rebelling against the king of Babylon
broke his oath
and hardened his neck
and heart against the Lord
and was obstinate
stubborn
and self-willed.
2 Kings 24:19 19 He also did evil in the
sight of the Lord
according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
YLT
19and he doth the evil thing
in the eyes of Jehovah according to all that Jehoiakim did
2 Kings 24:20 20 For because of the anger
of the Lord
this happened in Jerusalem and Judah
that He finally cast them out from
His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
YLT
20for
by the anger of
Jehovah it hath been against Jerusalem and against Judah
till he cast them out
from His presence
that Zedekiah rebelleth against the king of Babylon.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)