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. Ver. 1. _In the tenth month, the tenth d... [ Continue Reading ]
And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. Ver. 2. _Unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah._] Which was a full year and half; yet so as that the siege was raised for a time by the coming of Pharaohhophra, that broken reed, as Ezekiel styleth him, whereunto there was no trus... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 3. _The famine prevailed in the city._] Insomuch as that the fathers did eat their sons, and the sons their fathers. Eze 5:10 Lam 4:10 The pestilence also prevailed... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 4. _And the city was broken up_] _a_ By the besieg... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 5. _And the army of the Chaldees pursued._] _Insequuti sunt regem, et assecuti sunt eum._ And all his army was scattered from him.] To shift for their live... [ Continue Reading ]
So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. Ver. 6. _To Riblah._] A city of Syria, which was afterwards called Apamia; as the Jerusalem Paraphrast on Num 34:11 showeth. _ And they gave judgment upon him._] They, by public sentence, p... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 7. _And they slew the sons of Zedekiah._] Who were, likely, taken with him, and consenting to his rebellion. _a_ Before his eyes.] To his grea... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 8. _And in the fifth month._] In memory whereof the poor captives in Babyl... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 9. _And he burnt the house of the Lord._] Which had now stood about four hundred and fifty years. With this house were burnt, say some ancients, all the... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the army of the Chaldees, that [were with] the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. Ver. 10. _And all the army of the Chaldees._] _Hic lege, et luge._ Those of the captivity bewailed the destruction of Jerusalem by an annual fast. Zec 7:5 Psa 137:1-9 The Jews... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 11. _Now the rest of the people._] Who were eight hundred and thirty-two persons. Jeremiah 4... [ Continue Reading ]
But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land [to be] vinedressers and husbandmen. Ver. 12. _Left of the poor of the land._] Who would be rather a burden than a benefit to the Chaldees; _fruges consmere nati; _ but in Jewry might do some service. _De populo tenuissimos, quibus nihil era... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 13. _And the pillars of brass._] The ornaments of the temple and instruments of God'... [ Continue Reading ]
And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. Ver. 14. _Took they away._] Unbroken, as being small, portable, and useful.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 15. _And such things as were of gold, in gold._] These Chaldees were not of the mind of those Medes, "who regarded not gold, and as for silver, they... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 16. _Was without weight,_] _i.e., _ Without certain or known weight. Which to prove, it is added,... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 17. _The hei... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:_ Ver. 18. _And the captain of the guard took Seraiah, &c._] These likely were fired out of those secret corners of the temple where they lay hid. Our chroniclers _a_ tell... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: Ver. 20. _And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard._] _Praefectus rerum capitalium,_ say the Tigurines. See 2 Kings 25:8 .... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 22. _Over them he made Gedaliah ruler._] A pious, prudent, and meek-spirited man, _a_ cut down by envy, that s... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 24. _Dwell in the land, and serve._] The Arabians have a good proverb, _Os quod in sorte tua cediderit... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 25. _Of the seed royal._] He therefore disdained that G... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 26. _And came to Egypt._] Their rendezvous was at Bethlehem; where when the prophet Jeremiah had forbidden them from God to go to Egypt upon pain of utter d... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that [were] with him in Babylon; Ver. 28. _And he spake kindly to him._] Heb., Good things with him: he both spake and did for him such good things as he little expected; but far better digested than Arthur L. Lisle did Ki... [ Continue Reading ]
And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. Ver. 29. _And changed his prison garments._] The like whereto befell Joseph, whose fetters one hour changed into a chain of gold, his rags into robes, his stocks into a chariot, his jail into a pa... [ Continue Reading ]
And his allowance [was] a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life. Ver. 30. _And his allowance was a continual allowance._] So is or might be every true believers' portion: who should therefore "eat his bread with joy, and drink his wine with... [ Continue Reading ]