2 Kings 24

6 slept with his fathers. See Jer. xxii. 18, 19, and note.

8. Jehoiachin. In 1 Chron. iii. 16 he is called “Jeconiah,” and in Jer. xxii. 24 “Coniah.” As he reigned only three months as a mere vassal of the king of Babylon, his reign is scarcely reckoned, and therefore it was said of Jehoiakim his father (Jer. xxxvi. 30), “he shall have none to sit upon the throne of David.”

10 the servants. i.e., his generals. When the city was about to surrender, Nebuchadnezzar came himself (11).

13 the treasures of the house of the Lord. The people were assured by the false prophets that these sacred vessels should be brought back; but God told them by His prophet (Jer. xxvii. 16-22) that, instead of these being restored, the rest should follow, as they did (see xxv. 13-17). Nebuchadnezzar spoiled the Temple three times: 1, when he took Jerusalem in the reign of Jehoiakim (see Dan. i. 2); 2, when he came the second time, in that of Jeconiah; and 3, when he captured it in that of Zedekiah (xxv. 13).

14 all Jerusalem. That is, all those specified afterwards. He stripped the city of all its available defenders.

16 men of might. This enumeration is evidently supplementary to that in ver. 14. Combining the two, the total number of persons now transported may be thus summed up: princes, or chiefs, and warriors, 10,000; persons of property, 7,000; craftsmen and smiths, 1,000; making a total of 18,000.

19 he did that which was evil. He appears to have been a man of weak character, and entirely led by his nobles: see Jer. xxxviii. 5, 24.

20 from His presence. Some divide the sentence here, and read, “For through the anger of the Lord came this” (viz., the succession of the weak and wicked Zedekiah) “in Jerusalem and Judah until He had cast them out from His presence.” Then the narrative contained in the next chapter begins thus, “And Zedekiah rebelled,” etc. (see R.V.).

rebelled. Relying upon the aid of the king of Egypt: see Jer. xxxvii. 7.