1Das Landvolk, sie nahmen Jehoachas Sohn Joschijahus und königten ihn statt seines Vaters in Jerusalem. 2Dreiundzwanzigjährig war Joachas, als er die Königschaft antrat, und drei Mondneuungen lang hatte er Königschaft in Jerusalem. 3Dann setzte ihn der König von Ägypten in Jerusalem ab, und büßte das Land um hundert Barren Silbers und einen Barren Golds. 4Der König von Ägypten königte den Eljakim, seinen Bruder, über Jehuda und Jerusalem und wandelte seinen Namen in Jehojakim, seinen Bruder Joachas aber nahm Necho mit, er ließ ihn nach Ägypten kommen. 5Fünfundzwanzigjährig war Jehojakim, als er die Königschaft antrat, und elf Jahre hatte er Königschaft in Jerusalem. Er tat das in SEINEN, seines Gottes, Augen Böse. 6Herüber zog, über ihn her, Nebukadnezar König von Babel, er ließ ihn mit Doppelketten fesseln, ihn nach Babel zu führen. 7Von den Geräten SEINES Hauses ließ Nebukadnezar nach Babel kommen und gab sie in seine Halle in Babel. 8Das übrige Redewürdige von Jehojakim, seine Greuel, die er tat, und was sonst sich über ihn vorfand, da sind sie, aufgeschrieben im Buch der Könige Jissraels und Jehudas. Sein Sohn Jehojachin trat statt seiner die Königschaft an. 9Achtjährig war Jehojachin, als er die Königschaft antrat, und drei Mondneuungen und zehn Tage hatte er Königschaft in Jerusalem.. Er tat das in SEINEN Augen Böse. 10Um die Wiederkehr des Jahrs sandte Nebukadnezar und ließ ihn nach Babel kommen, mit köstlichen Geräten SEINES Hauses, und königte seinen Bruder Zidkijahu über Jehuda und Jerusalem. 11Einundzwanzigjährig war Zidkijahu, als er die Königschaft antrat, und elf Jahre hatte er Königschaft über Jerusalem. 12Er tat das in SEINEN, seines Gottes, Augen Böse, er beugte sich nicht vor Jirmejahu, dem Künder aus Gottes Mund. 13Auch empörte er sich gegen den König Nebukadnezar, der ihn bei Gott hatte schwören lassen, er steifte seinen Nacken und festete sein Herz gegen die Umkehr zu IHM, dem Gott Jissraels. 14Auch alle Obern, die Priester und das Volk mehrten Untreue um Untreue, allen Greueln der Weltstämme gleich, und sie bemakelten SEIN Haus, das er in Jerusalem geheiligt hatte. 15ER, der Gott ihrer Väter, sandte an sie durch seine Künder, Sendung vom Frühmorgen an, denn er wollte sein Volk und seinen Hag verschonen. 16Sie aber trieben ihr Spiel mit den Boten Gottes, sie verachteten seine Reden, sie äfften seinen Kündern nach, bis hochstieg SEIN Entflammen über sein Volk, bis daß keine Heilung mehr war. 17Heransteigen ließ er an sie her den König der Chaldäer, er brachte ihre Jünglinge um am Haus ihres Heiligtums, nicht schonte er des Jünglings, der Maid, des Alten, des Greises, alles gab er in seine Hand. 18Alle Geräte des Gotteshauses, die großen und die kleinen, die Schätze SEINES Hauses und die Schätze des Königs und seiner Obern, alles ließ er nach Babel kommen. 19Sie verbrannten das Haus Gottes, sie schleiften die Mauer Jerusalems, alle Paläste verbrannten sie im Feuer, alle Geräte seiner Köstlichkeiten verfielen dem Verderben. 20Den Überrest, der dem Schwerte entging, verschleppte er nach Babel, sie wurden ihm und seinen Söhnen zu Knechten - bis das Königtum von Persien die Königschaft antrat - , 21daß sich SEINE Rede durch den Mund Jirmejahus erfülle: bis das Land nachschatzte seine Feierjahre, alle Tage seines Verstummens feierte es, bis erfüllt waren siebzig Jahre. 22Im ersten Jahre aber Cyrus', des Königs von Persien, daß ausgewirkt sei SEINE Rede durch den Mund Jirmejahus, erweckte er den Geist Cyrus', des Königs von Persien, und er ließ einen Ruf ergehn durch all sein Königreich, mit einem Schreiben auch, des Spruchs: 23So hat Cyrus, der König von Persien, gesprochen: Alle Königtümer der Erde hat mir ER, der Gott des Himmels, gegeben, und er ists, der mir zuordnete, ihm ein Haus in Jerusalem, in Jehuda zu bauen. - wer unter euch von all seinem Volk ist: ER sein Gott ist bei ihm, er ziehe hinauf!
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 JEHOAHAZ, SUCCEEDING, IS DEPOSED BY PHARAOH. (
2Chr 36:1-4)
the people of the land took Jehoahaz--Immediately after Josiah's overthrow and death, the people raised to the throne Shallum (
1Chr 3:15), afterwards called Jehoahaz, in preference to his older brother Eliakim, from whom they expected little good. Jehoahaz is said (
2Kgs 23:30) to have received at Jerusalem the royal anointing--a ceremony not usually deemed necessary, in circumstances of regular and undisputed succession. But, in the case of Jehoahaz, it seems to have been resorted to in order to impart greater validity to the act of popular election; and, it may be, to render it less likely to be disturbed by Necho, who, like all Egyptians, would associate the idea of sanctity with the regal anointing. He was the youngest son of Josiah, but the popular favorite, probably on account of his martial spirit (
Ezek 19:3) and determined opposition to the aggressive views of Egypt. At his accession the land was free from idolatry; but this prince, instead of following the footsteps of his excellent father, adopted the criminal policy of his apostatizing predecessors. Through his influence, directly or indirectly used, idolatry rapidly increased (see
2Kgs 23:32).
2 he reigned three months in Jerusalem--His possession of sovereign power was of but very brief duration; for Necho determined to follow up the advantage he had gained in Judah; and, deeming it expedient to have a king of his own nomination on the throne of that country, he deposed the popularly elected monarch and placed his brother Eliakim or Jehoiakim on the throne, whom he anticipated to be a mere obsequious vassal. The course of events seems to have been this: on receiving intelligence after the battle of the accession of Jehoahaz to the throne, and perhaps also in consequence of the complaint which Eliakim brought before him in regard to this matter, Necho set out with a part of his forces to Jerusalem, while the remainder of his troops pursued their way at leisure towards Riblah, laid a tribute on the country, raised Eliakim (Jehoiakim) as his vassal to the throne, and on his departure brought Jehoahaz captive with him to Riblah. The old expositors mostly assumed that Necho, after the battle of Megiddo, marched directly against Carchemish, and then on his return came to Jerusalem. The improbability, indeed the impossibility, of his doing so appears from this: Carchemish was from four hundred to five hundred miles from Megiddo, so that within "three months" an army could not possibly make its way thither, conquer the fenced city of Carchemish, and then march back a still greater distance to Jerusalem, and take that city [KEIL].
3 an hundred talents of silver--Ł3418 15s.
and a talent of gold--Ł5475; total amount of tribute, Ł8893 15s.
4 carried him--Jehoahaz.
to Egypt--There he died (
Jer 22:10-
Jer 22:12).
5 JEHOIAKIM, REIGNING ILL, IS CARRIED INTO BABYLON. (
2Chr 36:5-8)
Jehoiakim . . . did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord--He followed the course of his idolatrous predecessors; and the people, to a great extent, disinclined to the reforming policy of his father, eagerly availed themselves of the vicious license which his lax administration restored. His character is portrayed with a masterly hand in the prophecy of Jeremiah (
Jer 22:13-
Jer 22:19). As the deputy of the king of Egypt, he departed further than his predecessor from the principles of Josiah's government; and, in trying to meet the insatiable cupidity of his master by grinding exactions from his subjects, he recklessly plunged into all evil.
6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon--This refers to the first expedition of Nebuchadnezzar against Palestine, in the lifetime of his father Nabopolassar, who, being old and infirm, adopted his son as joint sovereign and despatched him, with the command of his army, against the Egyptian invaders of his empire. Nebuchadnezzar defeated them at Carchemish, drove them out of Asia, and reduced all the provinces west of the Euphrates to obedience--among the rest the kingdom of Jehoiakim, who became a vassal of the Assyrian empire (
2Kgs 24:1). Jehoiakim at the end of three years threw off the yoke, being probably instigated to revolt by the solicitations of the king of Egypt, who planned a new expedition against Carchemish. But he was completely vanquished by the Babylonian king, who stripped him of all his possessions between the Euphrates and the Nile (
2Kgs 24:7). Then marching against the Egyptian's ally in Judah, he took Jerusalem, carried away a portion of the sacred vessels of the temple, perhaps in lieu of the unpaid tribute, and deposited them in the temple of his god, Belus, at Babylon (
Dan 1:2;
Dan 5:2). Though Jehoiakim had been taken prisoner (and it was designed at first to transport him in chains to Babylon), he was allowed to remain in his tributary kingdom. But having given not long after some new offense, Jerusalem was besieged by a host of Assyrian dependents. In a sally against them Jehoiakim was killed (see on
2Kgs 24:2-7; also
Jer 22:18-
Jer 22:19;
Jer 36:30).
9 Jehoiachin was eight years old--called also Jeconiah or Coniah (
Jer 22:24) --"eight" should have been "eighteen," as appears from
2Kgs 24:8, and also from the full development of his ungodly principles and habits (see
Ezek 19:5-
Ezek 19:7). His reign being of so short duration cannot be considered at variance with the prophetic denunciation against his father (
Jer 36:30). But his appointment by the people gave umbrage to Nebuchadnezzar, who, "when the year was expired" (
2Chr 36:10) --that is, in the spring when campaigns usually began--came in person against Jerusalem, captured the city, and sent Jehoiachin in chains to Babylon, removing at the same time all the nobles and most skilful artisans, and pillaging all the remaining treasures both of the temple and palace (see on
2Kgs 24:8-17).
11 ZEDEKIAH'S REIGN. (
2Chr 36:11-21)
Zedekiah--Nebuchadnezzar appointed him. His name, originally Mattaniah, was, according to the custom of Oriental conquerors, changed into Zedekiah. Though the son of Josiah (
1Chr 3:15;
Jer 1:2-
Jer 1:3;
Jer 37:1), he is called the brother of Jehoiachin (
2Chr 36:10), that is, according to the latitude of Hebrew style in words expressing affinity, his relative or kinsman (see
2Kgs 24:18; 2Ki. 25:1-21).
13 who had made him swear by God--Zedekiah received his crown on the express condition of taking a solemn oath of fealty to the king of Babylon (
Ezek 17:13); so that his revolt by joining in a league with Pharaoh-hophra, king of Egypt, involved the crime of perjury. His own pride and obdurate impiety, the incurable idolatry of the nation, and their reckless disregard of prophetic warnings, brought down on his already sadly reduced kingdom the long threatened judgments of God. Nebuchadnezzar, the executioner of the divine vengeance, commenced a third siege of Jerusalem, which, after holding out for a year and a half, was taken in the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah. It resulted in the burning of the temple, with, most probably, the ark, and in the overthrow of the kingdom of Judah (see on
2Kgs 25:1-7;
Ezek 12:13;
Ezek 17:16).
21 until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths--The return of every seventh was to be held as a sabbatic year, a season of rest to all classes, even to the land itself, which was to be fallow. This divine institution, however, was neglected--how soon and how long, appears from the prophecy of Moses (see on
Lev 26:34), and of Jeremiah in this passage (see
Jer 25:9-
Jer 25:12), which told that for divine retribution it was now to remain desolate seventy years. As the Assyrian conquerors usually colonized their conquered provinces, so remarkable a deviation in Palestine from their customary policy must be ascribed to the overruling providence of God.
22 CYRUS' PROCLAMATION. (
2Chr 36:22-23)
the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus--(See on
Ezra 1:1-
Ezra 1:3).