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¶ And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth
month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it;
and they built forts against it round about.
2 And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. 4 And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. |
1
- Ninth year The
ninth year of Zedekiah according to the Jewish reckoning would have been
589/588 BC. See je3901,
je5204.
The tenth month could have been our January. The Lord revealed this to
Ezekiel who was in Babylon. ez2401-14.
1 - Against Jerusalem And cities of Judah je3407. 1 - Forts Of various siegeworks. 3 - Famine Mothers were eating their children. See la0211,12, la0119,20, la0103-10. The people had been warned through the prophets the results of transgression le2629, de2853-57, je1412, je1502, je2708, ez0416. We have been warned about the trouble before the return of Christ. 4 - Wall broken up or broken through, reminding us of a prophecy which Ezekiel had acted out ez1205. |
| .5
And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in
the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
.6 So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. .7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon. |
6
- Riblah See Solomon map.
7 -Zedekiah bound A sad fate. Ezekiel had warned him. See ez12, first part. |
| .8
¶ And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is
the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan,
captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
.9 And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire. 10 And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. .11 Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away. .12 But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. |
8 -
Ninetheenth
year This verse helps us establish the date for the end of the
history of Judah.
8 - Burnt the house "This act brought an end to Solomon's Temple. In addition to the Temple, the palace and many other important structures in Jerusalem were put to the torch. The city was left a place of ruin and desolation — a striking exhibit of the destruction that sin brings in its wake. The conflagration (big fire) did not come without warning." je2110, je3229, je3402, je3708,10, je3818, 23. (SDA Bible Commentary). 12 - Left the poor This time being poor was an advantage. Also 2ki2414, je4007. |
| .13
And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases,
and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees
break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.
14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 15 And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. |
13
- Pillars of brass Rather "of bronze." Other items had already
been taken to Babylon da0102,
2ch3607,
2ki2413, 2ch3610,
je2803. Two bronze pillars
had been contributed by Hiram and other items remained.
14 - Pots See 1ki0745. Also consider items left by Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin. These were then taken to Babylon, too. |
| .16
The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the
house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work. |
17 - Height The pillar height is described in 1ki0715-21, 2ch0315-17, je5221-23. |
| .18
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah
the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
.19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: 20 And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: .21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land. |
18 - Captain Nebuzaradan v8, v11, v20. Apparently he had good judgment and character je4002-5. |
| .22
¶ And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam,
the son of Shaphan, ruler.
.23 And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. 24 And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you. |
22 - People ... Gedaliah See je40-44. A sad story. |
 .25
But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah,
the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and
smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with
him at Mizpah.
26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees. .27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; 28 And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; 29 And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. 30 And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life. The
illustration is of Jehoiachin who was released by the Babylonian king after
more than 30 years in prison.
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The end of the book of 2nd Kings. 1st Chronicles follows.