2 Kings 24

2 Kings 24:1-7

We have here, 1. ‘Jehoiakim subdued and chastified by the king of Babylon, for attempting to shake off his yoke, ver. 1-6. 2. Egypt affs it conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, ver. 7. 3. ‘Jehoiakim, and all his great men, are carried captive to Babylon, ver. 8-16. 4. Zechiah, the last king, appointed, ver. 17-20.

1. ¶ In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to him, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Mounites, 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. 3. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasfeh, according to all that he did. 4. And also for the innocent blood that he fled (for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood) which the LORD would not pardon. 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? 6. So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 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 of Euphrates, all that pertained to the king of Egypt.

Jehoiakim, the vessel of the king of Egypt, soon changed his master; and from this era of the third of Jehoiakim, the twenty years of the Babylonish captivity commenced. 1. In the third, or beginning of his fourth year, Jehoiakim was subdued by the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar; and,

John Chall on promise of obedience, restored to his government: but, in hopes of affluence from Egypt, he rebelled, and frowned for at a vast army of Chaldrana, Syriam, Mhabites, and Ammonites, subjects of the king of Babylon, are first of God in just judgment against Judah, according to the word of the Lord by his prophets (Eish, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Haldah, because of the innocent blood Manasseh had fled, and they had condemned to, and followed his bad example, Jer. xxii. 17. And tho’ on his repentance his sin was pardoned, respecting the eternal consequences to his own soul, the temporal punishment of it upon the land was decreed, and now accomplished. Jehoiahim, unable to refill, was made prisoner, a Chron. xxxvi. 6. and bound in chains to be carried to Babylon, but died before he could be removed; and, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, his dead body was cast out, buried with the burial of an ass, Jer. xxii. 18. xxxvi. 30. Note, (1.) Many who are serving their own pride and ambition, little think they are but the scourge in God’s hand. (2.) Vain is resistance when God will defray. (3.) Let not sinners think that one jet or little of God’s threatenings against them shall fail. Heaven and earth shall sooner pass away, than his word be disappointed.

2. The king of Egypt was soafed, and not great part of his country, whereby he became unable to assist Jehoiahim. Note, The sinner’s vain confidences in a day of wrath shall all utterly fail.

3. ¶ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months: and his mother’s name was Nehusha, the daughter of Elnahan of Jerusalem. 9. And he did that which cast evil in the fight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. 10. ¶ At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. 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. 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. 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 smitts: none remaineth, save the poorest fort of the people of the land. 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, these carried he into captivity, from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16. And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen, and smitts a thousand, all that were strong and are for war, even there the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 17. ¶ And the king of Babylon made Mattanian his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 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 Hamnani, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19. And he did that which was evil in the fight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiahim had done. 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.

2 Kings 24:8-20

Jehoiachin, called also Jeremiah, and in contempt, Contain, succeeded his father. We have here.

1. His short reign, and long captivity. He did evil, like his forefathers, against God, and gave the king of Babylon such reason to be displeased with his government, that, after a short reign of three months, he came up to besiege him in his capital; and being defenceless, not only desistute of forces, but forsaken of God, he is forced, with all his family, to surrender prisoner at discretion. His palace and the temple are now plundered of all that was left, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 7. The vessels of gold, many of them at least, Nebuchadnezzar cut up, and coined, probably to pay his army, and carried the rest to Babylon, San Dim. v. 2, 3, and, to prevent future revolts by weakening the land, all the great men, and officers of the army, with the craftsmen and the smitts, were led away captives. Among these were Zedekiah the prophet, and Mendecai, the uncle of Elhan, Nate, When wickedness is in high places, desolations are at hand.

VOL. I.

2. His uncle Mattanian is appointed to succeed Jehoiachin, and his name changed into Zedekiah, as the king of Babylon’s servant, and as a preface of the justice of the Lord, as the name signifies, which should overtake him upon his revolt. His ways were wicked, as those who went before him; and, foolish as false, he dared rebel against the king who set him up, though so unable to contend with him, which is ascribed to God’s anger, who infatuated him to rush on his destruction. Note, (1.) There is no evil in the city, but the Lord hath done it. To his hand must every suffering be ascribed. (2.) A nation is on the verge of ruin, when God gives up her rulers to infatuation.