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2
Chronicles Chapter Thirty-six
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 36
This
chapter records the reigns of the four kings of Judah
and the captivity of the
Jews
the short reign of Jehoahaz
deposed by the king of Egypt
and his
brother Eliakim or Jehoiakim set up in his room
2 Chronicles 36:1
the reign of Jehoiakim
who was bound and carried away by Nebuchadnezzar
2 Chronicles 36:5
the reign of Jehoiachin his son
who also in a short time was taken and carried
to Babylon by the same king
2 Chronicles 36:9
the reign of Zedekiah
who also rebelled against the king of Babylon
and he
and his people were taken and carried captive by him for his sins
which are
here mentioned
according to the prophecy of Jeremiah
and where the Jews
continued until the reign of the kingdom of Persia
2 Chronicles 36:11
and the chapter is concluded with the proclamation of Cyrus king of Persia
and
with which also the next book begins
2 Chronicles 36:22.
2 Chronicles
36:1 Then the people
of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah
and made him king in his father’s
place in Jerusalem.
YLT
1And the people of the land
take Jehoahaz son of Josiah
and cause him to reign instead of his father in
Jerusalem.
Verses 1-13
Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah
.... Of whose
reign
and of the three following
Jehoiakim
Jehoiachin
and Zedekiah
and the
account of them
from hence to the end of 2 Chronicles 36:13
what needs explanation or reconciliation; see Gill on 2 Kings 23:31
2 Kings 23:32
2 Kings 23:33
2 Kings 23:34
2 Kings 23:35
2 Kings 23:36
2 Kings 23:37
2 Kings 24:5
2 Kings 24:6
2 Kings 24:8
2 Kings 24:10
2 Kings 24:17
2 Kings 24:18
2 Chronicles
36:2 2 Jehoahaz[a] was
twenty-three years old when he became king
and he reigned three months in
Jerusalem.
YLT
2A son of three and twenty
years [is] Jehoahaz in his reigning
and three months he hath reigned in
Jerusalem
2 Chronicles
36:3 3 Now
the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a
tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
YLT
3and turn him aside doth the
king of Egypt in Jerusalem
and fineth the land a hundred talents of silver
and a talent of gold;
2 Chronicles
36:4 4 Then
the king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s[b] brother
Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem
and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And
Necho took Jehoahaz[c] his
brother and carried him off to Egypt.
YLT
4and the king of Egypt
causeth Eliakim his brother to reign over Judah and Jerusalem
and turneth his
name to Jehoiakim; and Jehoahaz his brother hath Necho taken
and bringeth him
in to Egypt.
2 Chronicles 36:5 5 Jehoiakim was
twenty-five years old when he became king
and he reigned eleven years in
Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord his God.
YLT
5A son of twenty and five
years [is] Jehoiakim in his reigning
and eleven years he hath reigned in
Jerusalem
and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah his God;
2 Chronicles 36:6 6 Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon came up against him
and bound him in bronze fetters to carry
him off to Babylon.
YLT
6against him hath
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon come up
and bindeth him in brazen fetters to
take him away to Babylon.
2 Chronicles 36:7 7 Nebuchadnezzar also
carried off some of the articles from the house of the Lord to Babylon
and put them in his temple at Babylon.
YLT
7And of the vessels of the
house of Jehovah hath Nebuchadnezzar brought in to Babylon
and putteth them in
his temple in Babylon.
2 Chronicles 36:8 8 Now the rest of the acts
of Jehoiakim
the abominations which he did
and what was found against him
indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
YLT
8And the rest of the matters
of Jehoiakim
and his abominations that he hath done
and that which is found
against him
lo
they are written on the book of the kings of Israel and Judah
and reign doth Jehoiachin his son in his stead.
2 Chronicles 36:9 9 Jehoiachin was
eight[d] years old
when he became king
and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And
he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
YLT
9A son of eight years is
Jehoiachin in his reigning
and three months and ten days he hath reigned in
Jerusalem
and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah;
2 Chronicles 36:10 10 At the turn of the year
King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon
with the
costly articles from the house of the Lord
and made Zedekiah
Jehoiakim’s[e] brother
king over Judah and Jerusalem.
YLT
10and at the turn of the year
hath king Nebuchadnezzar sent and bringeth him in to Babylon
with the
desirable vessels of the house of Jehovah
and causeth Zedekiah his brother to
reign over Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 36:11 11 Zedekiah was
twenty-one years old when he became king
and he reigned eleven years in
Jerusalem.
YLT
11A son of twenty and one
years [is] Zedekiah in his reigning
and eleven years he hath reigned in
Jerusalem;
2 Chronicles 36:12 12 He did evil in the sight
of the Lord
his God
and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet
who
spoke from the mouth of the Lord.
YLT
12and he doth the evil thing
in the eyes of Jehovah his God
he hath not been humbled before Jeremiah the
prophet [speaking] from the mouth of Jehovah;
2 Chronicles 36:13 13 And he also rebelled
against King Nebuchadnezzar
who had made him swear an oath by God; but
he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel.
YLT
13and also
against king
Nebuchadnezzar he hath rebelled
who had caused him to swear by God
and he
hardeneth his neck
and strengtheneth his heart
against turning back unto
Jehovah
God of Israel.
2 Chronicles 36:14 14 Moreover all the leaders
of the priests and the people transgressed more and more
according to
all the abominations of the nations
and defiled the house of the Lord which He had
consecrated in Jerusalem.
YLT
14Also
all the heads of the
priests
and the people
having multiplied to commit a trespass according to
all the abominations of the nations
and they defile the house of Jehovah that
He hath sanctified in Jerusalem.
Moreover
the chief of the priests
and of the people
transgressed very much after all the abominations of the Heathens
.... The
priests
and even the chief of them
who should have instructed the people in
the duties of religion
and retained them in the pure worship of God
these
were the ringleaders of idolatry
who led the people to commit all the
idolatries of the Heathens round about them; and of the people
all ranks and
degrees of them were corrupted with them; this was their case in several of the
preceding reigns
and now a little before the destruction of them:
and polluted the house of the Lord
which he had hallowed in
Jerusalem; the temple dedicated to his worship there; this they defiled
by
setting up idols in it.
2 Chronicles 36:15 15 And the Lord God of their
fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers
rising up early and
sending them
because He had compassion on His people and on His
dwelling place.
YLT
15And Jehovah
God of their
fathers
sendeth unto them by the hand of His messengers -- rising early and
sending -- for He hath had pity on His people
and on His habitation
And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers
.... The
prophets of the Lord
to admonish them of their idolatries
and to reprove them
for them
to warn them of the wrath of God that would come upon them on that
account
unless they repented and reformed; these were at the beginning of
their apostasy
and were successively continued unto this time
as Ahijah
Elijah
and others
in the first times of it; Amos
Isaiah
and others
in the
middle of it; and Jeremiah
Zephaniah
and Ezekiel
towards the close of it:
rising up betimes
and sending; which is either to be
understood of the Lord
and as expressive of his care and diligence
like the
master of a family
solicitous for the good of it; or of the messengers
the
prophets
who made haste to go or send their prophecies and instructions to
reclaim the people; the phrase is often to be met with in the prophecy of
Jeremiah; see Gill on Jeremiah 11:7
because he had compassion on his people
and on his dwellingplace; being
unwilling they should come to ruin
and perish
and their city and temple be
destroyed where they dwelt.
2 Chronicles 36:16 16 But they mocked the
messengers of God
despised His words
and scoffed at His prophets
until the
wrath of the Lord
arose against His people
till there was no remedy.
YLT
16and they are mocking at the
messengers of God
and despising His words
and acting deceitfully with His
prophets
till the going up of the fury of Jehovah against His people -- till
there is no healing.
But they mocked the messengers of God
and despised his words
.... Which was
the treatment Jeremiah and Ezekiel frequently met with:
and misused his prophets; imprisoned them
as
Micaiah and Jeremiah were:
until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people; which burned
like fire in his breast
and broke out to the consumption of them:
till there was no remedy; or healing of them;
there was no reclaiming or recovering of them
no bringing them to repentance
and no pardon for them.
2 Chronicles 36:17 17 Therefore He brought
against them the king of the Chaldeans
who killed their young men with the
sword in the house of their sanctuary
and had no compassion on young man or
virgin
on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand.
YLT
17And He causeth to go up
against them the king of the Chaldeans
and he slayeth their chosen ones by the
sword in the house of their sanctuary
and hath had no pity on young man and
virgin
old man and very aged -- the whole He hath given into his hand.
Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees
....
Nebuchadnezzar; and though it was the rebellion of Zedekiah which was the cause
and occasion of his coming against them
yet it was the Lord that moved him to
it
and gave him success:
who slew their young men with the sword
in the house of the
sanctuary; in the temple
where they took sanctuary
imagining that sacred
place would protect them from the rage of the enemy
but it did not:
and had no compassion on young man or maiden
old man
or him that
stooped for age; spared none on account of age or sex
but put them all to the
sword
or carried them captive:
he gave them into his hand; that is
the Lord
delivered them into the hand of the king of Babylon
for their sins.
2 Chronicles 36:18 18 And all the articles from
the house of God
great and small
the treasures of the house of the Lord
and the
treasures of the king and of his leaders
all these he took to Babylon.
YLT
18And all the vessels of the
house of God
the great and the small
and the treasures of the house of
Jehovah
and the treasures of the king and of his princes -- the whole he hath
brought in to Babylon.
And all the vessels of the house of God
great and small
.... All that
were left; for some had been carried away in both the reigns preceding:
and the treasures of the house of the Lord
and the treasures of
the king and of his princes; which became the spoil and booty of the
soldiers:
all these he brought to Babylon; the vessels were laid up
there
and restored when Cyrus took it; but the treasures were no doubt in part
taken for his own use
and the rest divided in the army.
2 Chronicles 36:19 19 Then they burned the house
of God
broke down the wall of Jerusalem
burned all its palaces with fire
and
destroyed all its precious possessions.
YLT
19And they burn the house of
God
and break down the wall of Jerusalem
and all its palaces they have burnt
with fire
and all its desirable vessels -- to destruction.
And they burnt the house of the Lord
.... The
temple; of which
and what follows in this verse; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:13; see
Gill on Jeremiah 52:14.
2 Chronicles 36:20 20 And those who escaped from
the sword he carried away to Babylon
where they became servants to him and his
sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia
YLT
20And he removeth those left
of the sword unto Babylon
and they are to him and to his sons for servants
till the reigning of the kingdom of Persia
And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away captive
.... The king
of Babylon
or his general by his orders
excepting some poor persons left to
till the land
see Jeremiah 52:15
where they were servants to him and his sons; his son
Evilmerodach
and his grandson Belshazzar; see Gill on Jeremiah 27:7
until the reign of the kingdom of Persia; until that
monarchy began
as it did upon the taking of Babylon by Cyrus king of Persia.
This is the first place we meet with this name of Persia in Scripture. The
Arabic writers differ about the origin of it; some derive it from Pars the son
of Arsham (Arphaxad)
the son of Shem; others from Pars the son of Amur
the
son of Japheth; and others say Pars was the son of Elam
the son of Shem
the
son of NoahF1Hyde
Hist. Relig. Vet. Pers. c. 35. p. 418
419. ; but
BochartF2Phaleg. l. 4. c. 10. col. 224.
seems to be most correct
in the derivation of the word
who observes
from XenophonF3Cyropaedia
l. 1. c. 11. & l. 4. c. 17
18.
horses were very rare in this country;
and very few could ride them before the times of Cyrus
who taught his foot
soldiers to ride horses; and hence it became common
so that none of the best
men of the land cared to be seen on foot; yea
he made a law
that it should be
reckoned infamous if any of those he had taught the art of riding were seen to
go on foot
though ever so little a way; from this sudden change made in his
time the people were called Persians
and the country Persia; in the Arabic
language
"pharas" signifying a horse
and "pharis" a horseman;
and the same writer observes
that hence it is that no mention is made of this
country
in the name of Persia
by Isaiah and Jeremiah; but by Ezekiel and
Daniel
who were contemporary with Cyrus; and in this book and the following
historical ones
which were wrote after the Babylonish captivity
as their
history shows; and that this book was
is clear from the preceding clause
as
well as from the three last verses.
2 Chronicles 36:21 21 to fulfill the word of the
Lord by the mouth
of Jeremiah
until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay
desolate she kept Sabbath
to fulfill seventy years.
YLT
21to fulfil the word of
Jehovah in the mouth of Jeremiah
till the land hath enjoyed its sabbaths; all
the days of the desolation it kept sabbath -- to the fulness of seventy years.
To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah
.... That is
the Jews were so long servants in Babylon
as in the preceding verse
to
accomplish Jeremiah's prophecy of it
2 Chronicles 25:12.
until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths; the
sabbatical years
or seventh year sabbaths
which
according to the law of the
land
was to rest from being tilled
Leviticus 25:4
which law had been neglected by the Jews
and now
whether they would or not
the land should have rest for want of persons to till it:
for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath
to fulfil
threescore and ten years; as threatened in Leviticus 26:34 on
which text Jarchi observes
that at the destruction of the first temple the law
concerning the sabbath
or rest of the land had been neglected four hundred and
thirty years
in which space were sixty nine sabbatical years; and
according
to MaimonidesF4Hilchot Shemitah Veyobel
c. 10. sect. 3.
it was at
the end of a sabbatic year that the city and temple were destroyed
and so just
seventy years had been neglected
and the land was tilled in them as in other
years
and now it had rest that exact number of years; but of this we cannot be
certain
though it is probable.
2 Chronicles 36:22 22 Now in the first year of
Cyrus king of Persia
that the word of the Lord by the mouth
of Jeremiah might be fulfilled
the Lord stirred up the spirit of
Cyrus king of Persia
so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom
and also put it in writing
saying
YLT
22And in the first year of
Cyrus king of Persia
at the completion of the word of Jehovah in the mouth of
Jeremiah
hath Jehovah waked up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia
and he
causeth an intimation to pass over into all his kingdom
and also in writing
saying
Verse 22-23
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia
.... These two
verses are the same with which the next book
the book of Ezra
begins
where
they will be explained; and these two books
the one ending and the other
beginning with the same words
is a strong presumption
that one and the same
person
Ezra
is the writer of them both; or rather
as a learnedF5Dr.
Kennicott's Dissert. 1. p. 492
&c. writer conjectures
these two verses
are added by some transcriber
who
having finished the book of Chronicles at
verse twenty one went on with the book of Ezra
without any stop; but
perceiving his mistake
broke off abruptly; for so it is plain these verses
conclude; however
this shows
as the same writer observes
that the book of
Ezra followed that of the Chronicles
in the Hebrew copies
though it now does
not.
2 Chronicles
36:23 23 Thus
says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven
has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which
is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be
with him
and let him go up!
YLT
23`Thus said Cyrus king of
Persia
All kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah
God of the heavens
given to
me
and He hath laid a charge on me to build to Him a house in Jerusalem
that
[is] in Judah; who is among you of all His people? Jehovah his God [is] with
him
and he doth go up.'
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)