This chapter relates the rebellion of Jehoiakim against the king of Babylon, which prepared the way for the ruin of the kingdom of Judah, according to the decree of God, and also the death of Jehoiakim, and the conquest the king of Babylon made of part of the land of the king of Egypt, 2 Kings…

In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up Against Jerusalem; this was in the latter end of the third, or the beginning of the fourth of Jehoiakim’s reign, and the first of Nebuchadnezzar, , when Jehoiakim was taken, but restored upon promise of subjection and obedience, and hostages given,…

And the Lord sent against him By Nebuchadnezzar, against whom he rebelled: bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon; who were all subject to the king of Babylon, or were voluntary troops in his service, and bore an hatred to the…

Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight It was the sure and certain decree of God they should be carried captive, and therefore he stirred up the spirit of Nebuchadnezzar, and gave him orders to go against it: for the sins of Manasseh, according…

And also for the innocent blood that he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood See which cruel usage of the prophets, and servants of the Lord, was still continued; see , which the Lord would not pardon; he pardoned the sins of Manasseh, who repented, but not the sins of those persons…

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim In , it is added, “his abominations, and that which was found in him”: which besides his rebellion against the king of Babylon, and his shedding innocent blood, is interpreted of marks made in his body for superstitious and idolatrous purposes; so Lyra.

So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers He died as they did, but was not buried with them, and indeed had no burial at all, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, (Jer. 22:18, Jer.

And the king of Egypt came not any more out of his land To receive the tribute he imposed on the land of Judah, or to help the kings there of, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin; not till the times of Zedekiah, and then was obliged to retire, without giving any assistance, the reason follows, for the king of…

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, &c.] In he is said to be but eight years old; which may be reconciled by observing, that he might be made and declared king by his father, in the first year of his reign, who reigned eleven years, so that he was eight years old when he began…

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done. ] Being partner with him in his throne, he was in his sins, and continued therein, see .

At that time When Jehoiachin reigned: when the year was expired; so it is in or at the revolution of the year; which some take to be autumn, the beginning of the civil year with the Jews; but rather it was the spring, the time when kings went out to battle, the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of…

And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city He came in person, following his army: and his servants did besiege it; very closely.

And Jehoiachin king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, &c.] Not to fight with him, but to submit to him, and to surrender the city to him, and be at his mercy: he and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers; the royal family, courtiers, and nobles: and the king of…

And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house The gates of the city being thrown open to him, he entered and plundered the temple, and the royal palace, and took from thence all the riches thereof: and cut in pieces all the vessels of…

And he carried away all Jerusalem The inhabitants of it; not every individual of them, but the chief of them, the more honourable, rich, and useful; for the poorer sort were left, as afterwards expressed: and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives; which was…

And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon Where he continued at least thirty seven years, and the king’s mother; whose name was Nehushta, and the king’s wives; for though he was so young, it seems he had many wives, as was the custom of those times; or his “women”, who were either his concubines,…

And all the men of might, even seven thousand The particulars of the 10,000 carried captive are here given; 7000 of which were the principal men of the land: and craftsmen and smiths one thousand; which made 8000: all that were strong, and apt for war; of these consisted the other 2000; so…

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead The third son of Josiah, and changed his name to Zedekiah; for the same reason the king of Egypt changed the name of Eliakim, to signify his subjection to him; though some think it was to put him in mind of the justice of…

Zedekiah was twenty years old when he began to reign, &c.] So that he was but between nine and ten years of age when his father Josiah died; for Jehoahaz reigned three months, Jehoiakim eleven years, and his son three months and ten days: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s…

Zedekiah was twenty years old when he began to reign, &c.] So that he was but between nine and ten years of age when his father Josiah died; for Jehoahaz reigned three months, Jehoiakim eleven years, and his son three months and ten days: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s…

Zedekiah was twenty years old when he began to reign, &c.] So that he was but between nine and ten years of age when his father Josiah died; for Jehoahaz reigned three months, Jehoiakim eleven years, and his son three months and ten days: and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s…