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2 Kings Chapter
Twenty-five
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 25
In
this chapter is an account of the siege, taking, and burning of the city of
Jerusalem, and of the carrying captive the king and the inhabitants to Babylon,
2 Kings 25:1, as
also of the pillars and vessels of the temple brought thither, 2 Kings 25:13 and
of the putting to death several of the principal persons of the land, 2 Kings 25:18, and
of the miserable condition of the rest under Gedaliah, whom Ishmael slew, 2 Kings 25:23, and
the chapter, and so the history, is concluded with the kindness Jehoiachin met
with from the king of Babylon, after thirty seven years' captivity, 2 Kings 25:27.
2 Kings 25:1 Now
it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth
day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his
army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege
wall against it all around.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass, in
the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth of the month,
come hath Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, he and all his force, against
Jerusalem, and encampeth against it, and buildeth against it a fortification
round about.
Verses 1-7
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign,.... Of the
reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. From hence to the end of 2 Kings 25:7, the
account exactly agrees with Jeremiah 52:4.
2 Kings 25:2 2 So the city was besieged
until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
YLT
2And the city entereth into
siege till the eleventh year of king Zedekiah,
2 Kings 25:3 3 By the ninth day of
the fourth month the famine had become so severe in the city that there
was no food for the people of the land.
YLT
3on the ninth of the month
-- when the famine is severe in the city, and there hath not been bread for the
people of the land,
2 Kings 25:4 4 Then the city wall was
broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate
between two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were
still encamped all around against the city. And the king[a] went by
way of the plain.[b]
YLT
4then the city is broken up,
and all the men of war [go] by night the way of the gate, between the two walls
that [are] by the garden of the king, and the Chaldeans [are] against the city
round about, and [the king] goeth the way of the plain.
2 Kings 25:5 5 But the army of the
Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All
his army was scattered from him.
YLT
5And the force of the
Chaldeans pursue after the king, and overtake him in the plains of Jericho, and
all his force have been scattered from him;
2 Kings 25:6 6 So they took the king and
brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment
on him.
YLT
6and they seize the king,
and bring him up unto the king of Babylon, to Riblah, and they speak with him
-- judgment.
2 Kings 25:7 7 Then they killed the sons
of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with
bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.
YLT
7And the sons of Zedekiah
they have slaughtered before his eyes, and the eyes of Zedekiah he hath
blinded, and bindeth him with brazen fetters, and they bring him to Babylon.
2 Kings 25:8 8 And in the fifth month, on
the seventh day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of
King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a
servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
YLT
8And in the fifth month, on
the seventh of the month (it [is] the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon), hath Nebuzaradan chief of the executioners, servant of the
king of Babylon, come to Jerusalem,
Verses 8-12
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month,.... In Jeremiah 52:12 it
is the tenth day of the month; which, how to be reconciled; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:12.
which is the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar; who,
according to Ptolemy's canon, reigned forty three years; MetasthenesF21De
Judicio Temp. & Annal. Pers. fol. 221. 2. says forty five; and from hence,
to the end of 2 Kings 25:12 facts
are related as in Jeremiah 52:12
whither the reader is referred.
2 Kings 25:9 9 He burned the house of the
Lord and the king’s
house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he
burned with fire.
YLT
9and he burneth the house of
Jehovah, and the house of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem, yea, every
great house he hath burned with fire;
2 Kings 25:10 10 And all the army of the
Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of
Jerusalem all around.
YLT
10and the walls of Jerusalem
round about have all the forces of the Chaldeans, who [are] with the chief of
the executioners, broken down.
2 Kings 25:11 11 Then Nebuzaradan the
captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who
remained in the city and the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon,
with the rest of the multitude.
YLT
11And the rest of the people,
those left in the city, and those falling who have fallen to the king of
Babylon, and the rest of the multitude, hath Nebuzaradan chief of the
executioners removed;
2 Kings 25:12 12 But the captain of the
guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.
YLT
12and of the poor of the land
hath the chief of the executioners left for vine-dressers and for husbandmen.
2 Kings 25:13 13 The bronze pillars that were
in the house of the Lord,
and the carts and the bronze Sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans
broke in pieces, and carried their bronze to Babylon.
YLT
13And the pillars of brass
that [are] in the house of Jehovah, and the bases, and the sea of brass, that
[is] in the house of Jehovah, have the Chaldeans broken in pieces, and bear
away their brass to Babylon.
Verses 13-17
And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord,.... The two
pillars in the temple, Jachin and Boaz. Benjamin of Tudela saysF23Itinerar.
p. 13. , that in the church of St. Stephen in Rome these pillars now are with
the name of Solomon engraved on each; and the Jews at Rome told him, when
there, (in the twelfth century,) that on the ninth of Ab (the day the temple
was destroyed) every year sweat was found upon them like water; the one, I
suppose, will equally be believed as the other, since it is here expressly said
that the Chaldeans broke them in pieces. From hence, to the end of 2 Kings 25:17 is
the same with Jeremiah 52:7,
where it is rather more largely and fully expressed; only there is this
difference here in 2 Kings 25:17 the
height of the chapiter of a pillar is said to be three cubits, there five
cubits; for the reconciliation of which; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:22.
2 Kings 25:14 14 They also took away the
pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with
which the priests ministered.
YLT
14And the pots, and the
shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass with
which they minister they have taken,
2 Kings 25:15 15 The firepans and the
basins, the things of solid gold and solid silver, the captain of the guard
took away.
YLT
15and the fire-pans, and the
bowls that [are] wholly of silver, hath the chief of the executioners taken.
2 Kings 25:16 16 The two pillars, one Sea,
and the carts, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of
all these articles was beyond measure.
YLT
16The two pillars, the one
sea, and the bases that Solomon made for the house of Jehovah, there was no
weighing of the brass of all these vessels;
2 Kings 25:17 17 The height of one pillar was
eighteen cubits, and the capital on it was of bronze. The height of the
capital was three cubits, and the network and pomegranates all around the
capital were all of bronze. The second pillar was the same, with a network.
YLT
17eighteen cubits [is] the
height of the one pillar, and the chapiter on it [is] of brass, and the height
of the chapiter [is] three cubits, and the net and the pomegranates [are] on
the chapiter round about -- the whole [is] of brass; and like these hath the
second pillar, with the net.
2 Kings 25:18 18 And the captain of the
guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three
doorkeepers.
YLT
18And the chief of the
executioners taketh Seraiah the head priest, and Zephaniah the second priest,
and the three keepers of the threshold,
Verses 18-21
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and
Zephaniah the second priest,.... The sagan, or deputy priest, who
officiated for the high priest, when by any means he was rendered unfit and
incapable; so Joseph, the son of Ellem, as JosephusF24Antiqu. l. 17.
c. 6. sect. 4. relates, officiated for Matthias, when defiled with a nocturnal
pollution; and seven days before the day of atonement they always substituted
one under the high priest, lest anything of this kind should happen to himF25Misn.
Yoma, c. 1. sect. 1. . From hence, to the end of 2 Kings 25:21 the
account is the same as in Jeremiah 52:25,
only here in 2 Kings 25:19 it is
said, that five men that were in the king's presence were taken, there seven
men; to account for which; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:25.
2 Kings 25:19 19 He also took out of the
city an officer who had charge of the men of war, five men of the king’s close
associates who were found in the city, the chief recruiting officer of the
army, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the
land who were found in the city.
YLT
19and out of the city he hath
taken a certain eunuch who is appointed over the men of war, and five men of
those seeing the king's face who have been found in the city, and the head
scribe of the host, who mustereth the people of the land, and sixty men of the
people of the land who are found in the city,
2 Kings 25:20 20 So Nebuzaradan, captain of
the guard, took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
YLT
20and Nebuzaradan chief of
the executioners taketh them, and causeth them to go unto the king of Babylon,
to Libnah,
2 Kings 25:21 21 Then the king of Babylon
struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah
was carried away captive from its own land.
YLT
21and the king of Babylon
smiteth them, and putteth them to death in Riblah, in the land of Hamath, and
he removeth Judah from off its land.
2 Kings 25:22 22 Then he made Gedaliah the
son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over the people who remained in the
land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left.
YLT
22And the people that is left
in the land of Judah whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath left -- he
appointeth over them Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan.
Verses 22-24
And as for the people that remained,.... That were left in
the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen; over these the king of Babylon made
Gedaliah governor, to whom the captains, with their scattered troops, came, and
submitted for a time; of whom; see Gill on Jeremiah 40:7; see
Gill on Jeremiah 40:8; see
Gill on Jeremiah 40:9.
2 Kings 25:23 23 Now when all the captains
of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had
made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of
Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Careah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the
Netophathite, and Jaazaniah[c] the son of
a Maachathite, they and their men.
YLT
23And all the heads of the
forces hear -- they and the men -- that the king of Babylon hath appointed
Gedaliah, and they come in unto Gedaliah, to Mizpah, even Ishmael son of
Nethaniah, and Johanan son of Kareah, and Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the
Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maachathite -- they and their men;
2 Kings 25:24 24 And Gedaliah took an oath
before them and their men, and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants
of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall
be well with you.”
YLT
24and Gedaliah sweareth to
them, and to their men, and saith to them, `Be not afraid of the servants of
the Chaldeans, dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it is good
for you.'
2 Kings 25:25 25 But it happened in the
seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the
royal family, came with ten men and struck and killed Gedaliah, the Jews, as
well as the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
YLT
25And it cometh to pass, in
the seventh month, come hath Ishmael son of Nathaniah, son of Elishama of the
seed of the kingdom, and ten men with him, and they smite Gedaliah, and he
dieth, and the Jews and the Chaldeans who have been with him in Mizpah.
And it came to pass in the seventh month,.... Not of
Gedaliah's government, but of the year, the month Tisri or September, near two
months after the destruction of Jerusalem; the Jews say fifty two days after
it; of the death of Gedaliah, and the man that slew him, as here related; see
Gill on Jeremiah 41:1, Jeremiah 41:2, Jeremiah 41:3.
2 Kings 25:26 26 And all the people, small
and great, and the captains of the armies, arose and went to Egypt; for they
were afraid of the Chaldeans.
YLT 26And all the people rise,
from small even unto great, and the heads of the forces, and come in to Egypt,
for they have been afraid of the presence of the Chaldeans.
And all the people, both small and great,.... High and
low, rich and poor, among whom were the king's daughters, committed to the care
of Gedaliah, and also the prophets Jeremiah and Baruch, see Jeremiah 41:16.
and the captains of the armies rose, and came to Egypt; contrary to
the express command of God; these were Johanan, and the captain of the forces
with him, Jeremiah 43:4.
for they were afraid of the Chaldees; lest they
should come and avenge the death of Gedaliah, appointed governor of Judea, see Jeremiah 41:17.
2 Kings 25:27 27 Now it came to pass in the
thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the
twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that
Evil-Merodach[d] king of
Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah
from prison.
YLT
27And it cometh to pass, in
the thirty and seventh year of the removal of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the
twelfth month, in the twenty and seventh of the month hath Evil-Merodach king
of Babylon lifted up, in the year of his reigning, the head of Jehoiachin king
of Judah, out of the house of restraint,
Verses 27-30
And it came to pass in the thirty and seventh year of the captivity
of Jehoiachin king of Judah,.... Who must then be fifty five years of
age:
in the twelfth month, on the twenty and seventh day of the month; in Jeremiah 52:31 it
is said to be the twenty fifth day; of the reason of which difference; see Gill
on Jeremiah 52:31,
that Evilmerodach king of Babylon; who is supposed, by someF26Vid.
Lampe, Eccles. Hist. l. 1. c. 7. sect. 18. ", to be the same with
Belshazzar, and his successor Neriglissar, the same with Darius the Mede in
Daniel. From hence, to the end of the chapter, the same account is given of the
kindness of this king to Jehoiachin, as in Jeremiah 52:31. See
Gill on Jeremiah 52:31; see
Gill on Jeremiah 52:32; see
Gill on Jeremiah 52:33; see
Gill on Jeremiah 52:34.MetasthenesF1Ut
supra. (De Judicio Temp. & Annal. Pers. fol. 221. 2.) calls him Amilinus
Evilmerodach, and says he reigned thirty years, and makes Belshazzar, or
Baltassar, as he calls him, his third son.
2 Kings 25:28 28 He spoke kindly to him,
and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with
him in Babylon.
YLT
28and speaketh with him good
things and putteth his throne above the throne of the kings who [are] with him
in Babylon,
2 Kings 25:29 29 So Jehoiachin changed from
his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before the king all the days of
his life.
YLT
29and hath changed the
garments of his restraint, and he hath eaten bread continually before him all
days of his life,
2 Kings 25:30 30 And as for his provisions,
there was a regular ration given him by the king, a portion for each
day, all the days of his life.
YLT
30and his allowance -- a
continual allowance -- hath been given to him from the king, the matter of a
day in its day, all days of his life.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)