NEBUCHADNEZZAR] called more accurately in Jeremiah 25:9 and elsewhere 'Nebuchadrezzar.' He was the son of the Nabopolassar who conquered Nineveh (see on 2 Kings 23:29), and, as his father's general, defeated the Egyptians in 605 at Carchemish on the Euphrates (Jeremiah 46:2). This success left the c... [ Continue Reading ]
JEHOIACHIN AND NEBUCHADNEZZAR This chapter recounts the reigns of Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin, the invasion of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (who carried into captivity Jehoiachin and numbers of the people), and the reign of Zedekiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHALDEES] here used to designate the Babylonians. SYRIANS.. MOABITES.. AMMON] For these as enemies of Judah at this period see Jeremiah 35:11; Jeremiah 48:27; Ezekiel 25:1. HIS SERVANTS THE PROPHETS] The most prominent of the prophets who denounced judgment against the offending nation at this t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REST OF THE ACTS] The circumstances of Jehoiakim's death are uncertain. The predictions of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 22:18; Jeremiah 36:30) suggest that he died a violent death and that his corpse was left unburied, and Josephus states that Nebuchadnezzar, to whom Jehoiakim had capitulated, broke his p... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RIVER OF EGYPT] see on 1 Kings 8:65.... [ Continue Reading ]
JEHOIACHIN] also called Coniah and Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:24; Jeremiah 24:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
AND.. BESIEGE IT] RV 'while his servants were besieging it,' implying that the city was invested before Nebuchadnezzar, who was engaged in besieging Tyre, appeared in person to conduct the war.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS MOTHER] i.e. the queen-mother: see on 1 Kings 2:19. IN THE EIGHTH YEAR] i.e. of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. In Jeremiah 52:28 mention is made of a capture of 3,023 persons in Nebuchadnezzar's seventh year, of which there is no record in Kings, while Jeremiah makes no allusion to the deportation of p... [ Continue Reading ]
THE POOREST SORT] They were as worthless in character as obscure in station: see Jeremiah 24:1. Among the better class who were carried away on this occasion was the prophet Ezekiel.... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN THOUSAND.. A THOUSAND] If these numbers are included in the 10,000 of 2 Kings 24:14, it must be assumed that the princes and their numerous retainers constituted the remaining 2,000.... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTANIAH] as Mattaniah was brother of Jehoiakim, he must have been uncle of Jehoiachin; so that 2 Chronicles 36:10 in describing him as brother of the latter uses the term vaguely. In 1 Chronicles 3:16 he is called son of Jeconiah, in the sense of successor. CHANGED HIS NAME] see on 2 Kings 23:34.... [ Continue Reading ]
HAMUTAL] Zedekiah was only half-brother of Jehoiakim but full brother of Jehoahaz (see 2 Kings 23:31), and as Jehoahaz was imprisoned by the king of Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar may have calculated that in his brother he would find a loyal vassal who would support Babylonian rather than Egyptian interests.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DID _that which was_ EVIL] cp. Jeremiah 37:2. Zedekiah seems to have been weak but not unmerciful, and he was unable to cope with the princes who were his advisers: cp. Jeremiah 38:4; Jeremiah 38:5. When the latter put Jeremiah in prison on a charge of deserting to the enemy, Zedekiah delivered h... [ Continue Reading ]
REBELLED] Zedekiah was bound by oath to Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:13; Ezekiel 17:13), but overtures from Edom, Moab, Tyre, and other countries drew him from his allegiance, in spite of the opposition of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 27), and as hopes were entertained of Egyptian help rebellio... [ Continue Reading ]