1V deviatom roku jeho kraľovania, v desiatom mesiaci, desiateho dňa toho mesiaca prišiel babylonský kráľ Nebúkadnecar s celým svojím vojskom proti Jeruzalemu. Utáboril sa pri ňom a vybudoval okolo neho val. 2Mesto bolo obliehané až do jedenásteho roku kráľa Cidkiju. 3Deviateho dňa štvrtého mesiaca zavládol v meste hlad, takže sa ľudu krajiny nedostával chlieb. 4Keď došlo k prielomu do mesta, všetci bojaschopní muži ušli v noci cestou medzi dvoma hradbami, cez mestskú bránu, ktorá je pri kráľovskej záhrade, hoci Chaldejci mali mesto obkľúčené. Ušli smerom k Arábe. 5Chaldejské vojská stíhali kráľa. Dostihli ho na jerišských stepiach, a všetko jeho vojsko sa rozpŕchlo od neho. 6Chytili kráľa, zaviedli ho k babylonskému kráľovi do Ribly a vyniesli nad ním rozsudok. 7Synov Cidkijových povraždili pred jeho očami. Nato dal Cidkiju oslepiť, spútať ho do okov a odviesť do Babylónie. 8V piatom mesiaci, siedmeho dňa toho mesiaca, v devätnástom roku babylonského kráľa Nebúkadnecara, prišiel do Jeruzalema veliteľ telesnej stráže Nebúzaradán, služobník babylonského kráľa. 9Vypálil dom Hospodinov a kráľovský palác. Aj všetky významnejšie budovy spálil ohňom. 10Všetko chaldejské vojsko veliteľa telesnej stráže rozbúralo i hradby okolo Jeruzalema. 11Veliteľ telesnej stráže Nebúzaradán odvliekol do zajatia aj zvyšok ľudu, čo zostal v meste, zbehov, ktorí prebehli k babylonskému kráľovi, spolu so zvyškom davu. 12Z drobného ľudu krajiny zanechal veliteľ telesnej stráže niektorých, ako vinárov a roľníkov. 13Bronzové stĺpy, čo boli v dome Hospodinovom, aj podvozky, bronzové more, ktoré bolo v dome Hospodinovom, Chaldejci rozbili a bronz odniesli do Babylónie. 14Hrnce, lopaty, nože, kadidlové panvice, a vôbec všetky bronzové nádoby, ktoré používali pri bohoslužbe, pobrali. 15Panvice na prenášanie ohňa, kropiace čaše, čo bolo zo zlata alebo zo striebra, vzal veliteľ telesnej stráže; 16aj dva stĺpy, jedno more, podvozky, ktoré dal zhotoviť Šalamún pre dom Hospodinov. Nebolo možné odvážiť bronz celého vybavenia. 17Jeden stĺp mal výšku osemnásť lakťov. Jeho hlavica bola bronzová. Výška hlavice bola tri lakte. Zôkol-vôkol na hlavici bolo mrežovanie a granátové jablká na hlavici dookola, všetko z bronzu. Druhý stĺp bol taký istý aj s mrežovaním. 18Veliteľ telesnej stráže vzal aj hlavného kňaza Seraju, druhého kňaza Cefanju a troch strážcov prahu. 19Z mesta vzal jedného dvorana, ktorý bol veliteľom bojovníkov, päť mužov z blízkych kráľovi, ktorí sa nachádzali v meste, vojvodcovho pisára, ktorý konal odvody ľudu krajiny, aj šesťdesiat mužov z ľudu krajiny, nachádzajúcich sa v meste. 20Nebúzaradán, veliteľ telesnej stráže, ich vzal a odviedol k babylonskému kráľovi do Ribly. 21Babylonský kráľ ich dal usmrtiť. Usmrtil ich v Rible, v krajine Chamát. A Júdu odvliekol z jeho pôdy. 22Nad zvyšným ľudom, ktorý babylonský kráľ Nebúkadnecar ponechal v Judsku, ustanovil Gedalju, syna Achíkámovho, syna Šáfánovho. 23Keď sa všetci velitelia vojsk i s mužstvom dopočuli, že babylonský kráľ ustanovil za predstaveného Gedalju, prišli ku Gedaljovi do Micpy, a to Jišmáél, syn Netanjov, Jochanán, syn Káréachov, Serajá, syn Tanchumeta Netófatského, a Jaazanja, syn Maacháťana, spolu so svojím mužstvom. 24Gedalja im aj ich mužstvu prisahal a povedal: Nebojte sa podrobiť Chaldejcom, zostaňte v krajine, slúžte babylonskému kráľovi a budeme sa mať dobre. 25Potom, v siedmom mesiaci, prišiel Jišmáél, syn Netanju, syna Elíšámovho z kráľovského potomstva, a desať mužov s ním, zabili Gedalju a ten zomrel. Usmrtili aj Júdejcov a Chaldejcov, ktorí boli s ním v Micpe. 26Nato sa pobral všetok ľud, od najmenšieho po najväčšieho, aj velitelia vojsk, a odišli do Egypta, lebo sa báli Chaldejcov. 27V tridsiatom siedmom roku po odvlečení judského kráľa Jójáchína do zajatia, v dvanástom mesiaci, dvadsiateho siedmeho dňa toho mesiaca, v roku svojho nastúpenia omilostil babylonský kráľ Evíl Meródach judského kráľa Jójáchína a prepustil ho z väzenia. 28Zhováral sa s ním láskavo a jeho stolicu dal postaviť nad stolice kráľov, čo boli s ním v Babylone. 29Vymenil si teda väzenské šaty a jedával ustavične s ním, po všetky dni svojho života. 30Zaopatrenia, a to ustavičného zaopatrenia, sa mu dostávalo od kráľa zo dňa na deň, po všetky dni jeho života.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 JERUSALEM AGAIN BESIEGED. (
2Kgs 25:1-3)
Nebuchadnezzar . . . came . . . against Jerusalem--Incensed by the revolt of Zedekiah, the Assyrian despot determined to put an end to the perfidious and inconstant monarchy of Judea. This chapter narrates his third and last invasion, which he conducted in person at the head of an immense army, levied out of all the tributary nations under his sway. Having overrun the northern parts of the country and taken almost all the fenced cities (
Jer 34:7), he marched direct to Jerusalem to invest it. The date of the beginning as well as the end of the siege is here carefully marked (compare
Ezek 24:1;
Jer 39:1;
Jer 52:4-
Jer 52:6); from which it appears, that, with a brief interruption caused by Nebuchadnezzar's marching to oppose the Egyptians who were coming to its relief but who retreated without fighting, the siege lasted a year and a half. So long a resistance was owing, not to the superior skill and valor of the Jewish soldiers, but to the strength of the city fortifications, on which the king too confidently relied (compare
Jer 21:1-
Jer 21:14; Jer. 37:1-38:28).
pitched against it, and . . . built forts--rather, perhaps, drew lines of circumvallation, with a ditch to prevent any going out of the city. On this rampart were erected his military engines for throwing missiles into the city.
3 on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed--In consequence of the close and protracted blockade, the inhabitants were reduced to dreadful extremities; and under the maddening influence of hunger, the most inhuman atrocities were perpetrated (
Lam 2:20,
Lam 2:22;
Lam 4:9-
Lam 4:10;
Ezek 5:10). This was a fulfilment of the prophetic denunciations threatened on the apostasy of the chosen people (
Lev 26:29;
Deut 28:53-
Deut 28:57;
Jer 15:2;
Jer 27:13;
Ezek 4:16).
4 ZEDEKIAH TAKEN. (2Ki. 25:4-30)
the city was broken up--that is, a breach was effected, as we are elsewhere informed, in a part of the wall belonging to the lower city (
2Chr 32:5;
2Chr 33:14).
the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden--The king's garden was (
Neh 3:15) at the pool of Siloam, that is, at the mouth of the Tyropćon. A trace of the outermost of these walls appears to be still extant in the rude pathway which crosses the mouth of the Tyropćon, on a mound hard by the old mulberry tree, which marks the traditional spot of Isaiah's martyrdom [ROBINSON]. It is probable that the besiegers had overlooked this pass.
the king went . . . toward the plain--that is, the Ghor, or valley of Jordan, estimated at five hours' distance from Jerusalem. The plain near Jericho is about eleven or twelve miles broad.
6 they took the king, and brought him . . . to Riblah--Nebuchadnezzar, having gone from the siege to oppose the auxiliary forces of Pharaoh-hophra, left his generals to carry on the blockade, he himself not returning to the scene of action, but taking up his station at Riblah in the land of Hamath (
2Kgs 23:33).
they gave judgment upon him--They, that is, the council (
Jer 39:3,
Jer 39:13;
Dan 6:7-
Dan 6:8,
Dan 6:12), regarding him as a seditious and rebellious vassal, condemned him for violating his oath and neglecting the announcement of the divine will as made known to him by Jeremiah (compare
Jer 32:5;
Jer 34:2;
Jer 38:17). His sons and the nobles who had joined in his flight were slain before his eyes (
Jer 39:6;
Jer 52:10). In conformity with Eastern ideas, which consider a blind man incapable of ruling, his eyes were put out, and being put in chains, he was carried to perpetual imprisonment in Babylon (
Jer 52:11), which, though he came to it, as Ezekiel had foretold, he did not see (
Jer 32:5;
Ezek 12:13;
Ezek 17:16).
8 on the seventh day of the month . . . came Nebuzar-adan--(compare
Jer 52:12). In attempting to reconcile these two passages, it must be supposed either that, though he had set out on the seventh, he did not arrive in Jerusalem till the tenth, or that he did not put his orders in execution till that day. His office as captain of the guard (
Gen 37:36;
Gen 39:1) called him to execute the awards of justice on criminals; and hence, although not engaged in the siege of Jerusalem (
Jer 39:13), Nebuzar-adan was despatched to rase the city, to plunder the temple, to lay both in ruins, demolish the fortifications, and transport the inhabitants to Babylon. The most eminent of these were taken to the king at Riblah (
2Kgs 25:27) and executed, as instigators and abettors of the rebellion, or otherwise obnoxious to the Assyrian government. In their number were Seraiah, the high priest, grandfather of Ezra (
Ezra 7:1), his sagan or deputy, a priest of the second order (
Jer 21:2;
Jer 29:25,
Jer 29:29;
Jer 37:3).
18 the three keepers of the door--not mere porters, but officers of high trust among the Levites (
2Kgs 22:4;
1Chr 9:26).
19 five men of them that were in the king's presence--that is, who belonged to the royal retinue. It is probable that there were five at first, and that other two were found afterwards (
Jer 52:25).
22 Nebuchadnezzar . . . made Gedaliah . . . ruler--The people permitted to remain were, besides the king's daughters, a few court attendants and others (
Jer 40:7) too insignificant to be removed, only the peasantry who could till the land and dress the vineyards. Gedaliah was Jeremiah's friend (
Jer 26:24), and having, by the prophet's counsel, probably fled from the city as abandoned of God, he surrendered himself to the conqueror (
Jer 38:2,
Jer 38:17), and being promoted to the government of Judea, fixed his provincial court at Mizpeh. He was well qualified to surmount the difficulties of ruling at such a crisis. Many of the fugitive Jews, as well as the soldiers of Zedekiah who had accompanied the king in his flight to the plains of Jericho, left their retreats (
Jer 40:11-
Jer 40:12) and flocked around the governor; who having counselled them to submit, promised them on complying with this condition, security on oath that they would retain their possessions and enjoy the produce of their land (
Jer 40:9).
25 Ishmael . . . of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah--He had found refuge with Baalis, king of the Ammonites, and he returned with a bad design, being either instigated by envy of a governor not descended from the house of David, or bribed by Baalis to murder Gedaliah. The generous governor, though apprised of his intentions, refused to credit the report, much less to sanction the proposal made by an attached friend to cut off Ishmael. The consequence was, that he was murdered by this same Ishmael, when entertaining him in his own house (
Jer 41:1).
26 and all the people . . . came to Egypt--In spite of Jeremiah's dissuasions (
Jer 43:7-
Jer 43:8) they settled in various cities of that country (
Jer 44:1).
27 seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin--corresponding with the year of Nebuchadnezzar's death, and his son Evil-merodach's ascension to the throne.
Evil-merodach . . . did lift up the head of Jehoiachin . . . and spake kindly--gave him liberty upon parole. This kindly feeling is said to have originated in a familiar acquaintance formed in prison, in which Evil-merodach had lain till his father's death, on account of some malversation while acting as regent during Nebuchadnezzar's seven years' illness (
Dan 4:32-
Dan 4:33). But doubtless the improvement in Zedekiah's condition is to be traced to the overruling providence and grace of Him who still cherished purposes of love to the house of David (
2Sam 7:14-15).
29 Jehoiachin . . . did eat . . . continually before him--According to an ancient usage in Eastern courts, had a seat at the royal table on great days, and had a stated provision granted him for the maintenance of his exiled court.