Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · 2 Kings · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
ZEdekiah rebelling against his lord, began by him to be besieged in his city Ierusalem V. 1, 2. How great the army besieging Jerusalem was, see Jer. 34. 1.anno 9 of his reign, and anno 11 the city was taken; the siege began the tenth monethmonth, the tenth day, and the city was taken the fourth monethmonth the ninth day. Here it is onelyonly said, the ninth day of the monethmonth, but Ier. 39. 2. thus fully, the fourth monethmonth the ninth day. Whence also the reason may be gathered, why it was so long before the city could be taken, viz. Nebuchadnezzar heard when he was in this siege, of the coming of Pharaoh king of Egypt against him, whereby he was constrained for a time to withdraw his forces, but the Egyptians being soon overcome, he returned to the siege again, Ier. 27. 5. The time wherein the city was besieged, was also revealed to Zechariah in Babylon, ch. 24. 1. the tenth monethmonth, the tenth day, which used to be a day of humiliation, for the making of an attonement, Levit. 16. but now their wickednesse was grown to that height, that God would be reconciled to them no more. The city being broken into by the Chaldees, the V. 4.warriours flee out by a back gate and the king also, but is taken and brought to the king of Babylon in Riblah, and there his children being first slain before him, his eyes were put out, and he was carried bound into Babylon. The siege then, as appears by this description, lasted long, viz. eighteen moneths, whereby a great famine was first caused in the city, before the winning of it, insomuch that mothers boiled and ate their own children, as both Lament. 4. and Iosephus do declare, who Josephus.also saith, that the pestilence was in the city, according to Ier. 20. 16. The gate by which they fled, is said to have been that which led to the Kings gardens, and to wards Iericho by the way of the wildernesse, that is, by a way most secret and unfrequented, and the Hebrews say, that here was a way under the ground leading to sericho, Iosephus in a deepe valley betweene mountaines, yet the king could not escape the punishment threatened unto him for his soule wickednesse. v. 6. It is said, They gave judgement upon him, that is, as some thinke, when he V. 6. Wolphius.was brought before Nebuchadnezzar in Riblah, a city in Syria, he having first upbraided him by his perfidiousnesse, committed him to his judges to be punished, as they should finde him worthy, and by their sentence, his children being first slain before his face, to vexe him the more (for as Iesephus saith, when he fled by that secret way out of the city, he took them with him) his eyes were put out, as unworthy to see or enjoy the comfort of the light any more, the eyes of whose minde had been put out long before, so that he could not see to follow the safe counsell of the prophet, rather then the flattering counsell of his princes. A punishment oft inflicted by enemies, as also upon Sampson by the Philistims, upon Constantinus Copronymus by his unnaturall mother Irene, upon Robert Duke of Normandy by his brother Henry the first King of England, and upon the sonne of Trebellius king of the Bu…garians, to whom his father had committed the kingdome to be maintained in the Christian faith, but he forsaking this set up idolatry, wherefore he resuming the kingdome again, put out his eyes, as unworthy to enjoy the comfort of the light, who had put out the most glorious light amongst his people, viz. the light of Truth.
Thus Zedekiah was carried captive into Babylon as Ieremiah had prophesied, but yet never saw Babylon, as Ezekiel had said, that he should not. So Iosephus, who Josephus.saith, that hereupon he hardened himself against the counsell of Ieremiah to yield to Nebuchadnezzar. The Author of the Chronicles chap. 36 14. in speaking of the cause of this judgement addeth, after that he had spoken of the sinnes of Zedekiah. The princes of the priests and of the people sinned greatly, doing after the abominations 2 Chron. 36. 14.of the heathen, and polluting the Lords house. And when he sent unto them by his servants, they mocked, &c. So that sinne was now grown to the full, not onelyonly in the court, but also in the country, and in the clergy also both through the universality of it, they did according to all the abominations of the heathen, and the contempt of admonition, touching which, it is not only said that they mocked at his messengers; but also despised his words, as causing to erre by his prophets, or deceiving; thus it is in Hebrew. The vulgar Latin, they set light by his words, and mocked his prophets. Junius.Iunius, they said, they were led about by his prophets. The word is, foreign making to erre, or made to erre. The scoffe which they put upon the prophets was, that they were deceivers, and false prophets, and thus they went on, till the wrath of God burnt against them, and there could be no healing, that is, of the land thus sick of sinne, till it was utterly destroyed and laid waste, and not of their souls, which when they were upon this grievous punishment, being made penitent in any of them might be saved everlastingly.
And hitherto is shewed what was done in the fourth monethmonth of the eleventh 2 King. 25. 8.yeare of Zedekiah. Now the authour of Kings saith, The fifth monethmonth, the seventh day (that was the nineteenth yeare of Nebuchadnezzar) came Nebuzaradan, &c.] Which is doubtlesse so punctually set downe that reckoning from hence forward by the yeares of the Babylonian kings, we might know in what time the end of the seventy yeares captivity prophesied of, Ier. 25. 11. ch. 29. 10. expired. As for the difference, which seemeth to be from this Ieremiah 52. 12. saying, The fifth month, the tenth day, it is nothing, for here is noted the time of his coming, there of his burning the temple three dayes after. From whence he came it is not said, but most probably king Nebuchadnezzar staying yet at R…biah after a moneths deliberation, sent him with a company of butcherly executioners back to Ierusalem to make his spoile there, for which he is called praefectus laniorum, master of butchers, as Wolphius renders it, but Iunius, praefectus satellitum, Wolphius. Junius.captaine of the guard; Vulg. Lat. princeps exercitus. But foreign, which is the word here used cometh of foreign, to kill, and therefore most aptly may be rendered by butchers, the souldiers over whom he was, being for their cruelty and abundance of bloudshed thus termed in disgrace. But to returne to the foresaid time, there is a difference amongst expositors, some holding, that it began at the carrying away of Iehoiakim, eleven yeares before and some at this time; and Wolphius saith, Wolphius.that some make a third time, when Iehoiakim was slaine, when the Chaldees began first to carry away captives, ending this and that of Iehoiakin the first of Cyrus, the other the second of Darius▪ the limits of each conteining within them seventy yeares. They that will have the time begin at Iehoiakin, alledge the Epistle of Ieremiah sent to those of the captivitie, comforting them by promising a returne, Jer. 29. 10.after that they had beene in Babylon seventy yeares, and this Epistle was sent by the messengers of Zedekiah, therefore not to those, who were carryed away with him, but before with Iehoiakin, and this they strengthen farther from Ezech. 1. 2. and 40. 1. where a reckoning is made by the yeares from the carrying away of Iehoiakim, the fift and twenty five, and from Matth. 1. 11. where the captivitie is reckoned to begin at Iehoiakim. But in the same 40. of Ezek. there are two reckonings, one from Iehoiakim, another from the destruction of the city, betwixt which two a distance is put off eleven yeares, the first was the time of the captivities beginning, the other of the desolation, whereby Ieremiah beginneth the time of account, chap. 25. 11. and therefore from thence doubtlesse, according to the opinion of others, we are to reckon and that was the time of carrying away Zedekiah, and this they further confirme out of 2 Chron. 36. 21. and Dan. 9. 2. For the Epistle sent by Ieremiah to those in captivity, it must be expounded by the prophesie preceding, when they had been seventy yeares in Babylon, that is, who were carryed away both first and last, for he by the spirit foreseeing this, speakes of it, as being the captivity fully made, from whence they were to reckon and not from that already past, and then the seventy yeares expired, anno 1. of Cyrus king of the Persians, and of Darius, who although he be said, Dan. 6. first to have reigned, after the Babylonian kingdome destroyed, yet his reigne was very short, viz. but one whole yeare, before he died, and Cyrus his sonne in law was king immediately after the next yeare. The destruction of Babylon then was the terme of the desolation, and a new kings beginning to reigne, who was of another nation, the beginning of their promised deliverance. But if we reckon from the desolation happening anno 19. of Nebuchadnezzar who reigned 43. yeares, in his time there were after it, 24. Evilmerodach his sonne, 30. Regassar the next king, 3. Labassardac the next 6. and Funcii ChronoBalshazzars, 5. Darius, 1. altogether 69. we shall finde, that the seventieth was the first of Cyrus, and so their deliverance was the same yeare, that it was promised.
To returne to Nebuzaradan, He burnt the house of the Lord, and the kings house, V. 9&c.] It is a received opinion amongst many ancient fathers, that now also the holy Scriptures were burnt, and that God inspired Ezra to write and set them forth perfectly again, and this is grounded upon 4. Ezra 14. 21, 22, &c. But Athanasius saith, When the sacred books perished by the incury of the people and the long captivity, Athanas. in Synopsi.Ezra being a very industrious and diligent reader and lover of the truth kept. them all by him and afterwards brought them forth for the common good, and so in a manner preserved them being delivered from destruction. It is said also, that Daniel by reading Dan. 9.Jeremiah found the time of the captivity to be at an end, when 70. years were expired. Joseph. l. 11. c. 1. Theodoret in Dan.And Iosephus saith, that the Prophet Esay was by Daniel shewed to Cyrus, wherein it was prophesied of him by name 200. yeares before, by which he was the more moved to let the people goe, so Theodoret saith, that for the familiarity, which he had with him, he shewed him the Prophesie of Esay, and was unto him the authour of returning the captivity. Neither is there any mention in canonicall Scripture made any where of the burning of all the holy Scriptures, which would not doubtlesse have beene omitted, or passed over unlamented by Ieremiah, if Nehem. 8.it had been so. Lastly, Ezra himselfe is said to have read the Scriptures to the people, and other Levites read therein also, but it is not said, that he indited them over againe, but onelyonly read them and gave the sense. Wherefore it is not probable, that all the bookes of holy Scripture were now suffered to perish, but some copy was still by a singular providence preserved, and this being done by Ezra, he was therefore counted the restorer of them, being in no other hands then to be found.
But to returne to the burning of the Lords house, 2 Chron. 36. 17. before this it is said, That they slew their young men in the Sanctuary and spared no age, and 2 Chro. 36. 17.they took out and carryed into Babylon all the vessels of the Lords house, both great and small. This is inserted to shew the extremity of their misery, such as fled to the sanctuary thinking to be protected by the holinesse of that place, were cruelly slaine notwithstanding, neither were young children, or virgins, who are most commonly spared, exempt from the Chaldees fury. And for the carrying away of the vessels of the Lords house, it is here set downe when they were taken out of that house, 2 King. 25. 13, 14, 15. After the burning, when they were carryed away into Babel, a more particular enumeration being made of them.
But the rest of the people, which remained in the city, and which fled to the king V. 11.of Babylon he carryed away &c.] The warriours were before said to have fled out of the city, when the king fled, and leaving him alone to have shifted for themselves, some others both young and old fled to the temple for safeguard, and were slaine there; all the rest, who either stayed in the city and yielded, or had fled before out to Nebuchadnezzar, as Ieremiah had oft counselled the king to doe, were carryed away into Babylon to be servants to the Chaldees, except some poore people, who they thought would either be a burden to them rather then a benefit, or more beneficiall being left to till and husband the ground for their use, these were left still in the land to be vine dressers and husbandmen, most probably by their labours to raise some what, out of which a yearely tribute might be paid to the King.
The brazen pillers and the bases, and the brazen sea, &c. The Chaldees brak down and carryed into Babel, &c. 2 Chron. 36. 18. it is added, the treasures also of the Lords V. 13.house and the kings, and of the princes] And here, whatsoever vessels were of silver or gold they carryed away, and the height of the pillers is set downe, 18 cubits, and the weight of all brazen things inestimable.
He also took Serajah the chiefe priest, and Zephaniah the second, and the three porters, V. 18.&c.] And these being brought to Nebuchadnezzar in Riblath were all slaine there. Most probably these men had hidden themselves, thinking thus to escape the Chaldees hands, but when the temple & all the principal buildings of the city were fiered, they could lye hid no longer, and because they were men of note, the captain would not slay them himselfe, as he had done the common sort which yeilded not, but reserved them to receive their judgemēt from the king himself, who for their rebellion put them now to death also. Lastly, because the poore people remaining most needs have an head to governe them or else confusion would follow, Gedaliah V. 22.the son of Ahikam is set over them, and moreover some Chaldees, as it seemeth, v. 28. were left to see, that all things might be ordered for the best for the king. Of this Gedaliah nothing is recorded amongst Writers, but that he was a good man and loving. For which cause the captaines of the army, who sled out of Ierusalem when it was taken, and there men resorted to him to Mizpah, where he kept in the borders of Iudah and Benjamine, being a citie famous of old, as Gilgal, in both which Samuel is said to have judged the people. The captaines, that came 1 Sam. 7. 15. V. 26.to Gedaliah, were Ishmael, Iohanan, Serajah, and Iaazaniah. To whom he sware for their assurance. Because probably when they came unto him and saw some Chalde an souldiers there still, they feared, that they were left to take such Iewes, as should after the departure of Nebuchadnezzar come out of their hiding places, and send them captive to Babylon or slay them, as others had been served before. Therefore to secure them he sware unto them, and Ier. 40. 10. He spake comfortably Jer. 40. 10.unto them, bidding them gather the Summer fruits, the vines and olives, for now it was the sixt monethmonth, wherein they were usually ripe; and if any shall wonder, that any fruits remained to be gathered and were not spoyled by the Chaldee souldiers, who had been so long in that countrey, it is to be conceived, that they spared them, as not knowing what use they should have need to make of them. It is also further by Ieremiah added, that all the Iewes amongst the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, &c. came to Gedaliah, and gathered much fruit, neither Chap. 40. 11.doth he omit, but speake more fully in the first place of his owne coming to him, Chap. 40. 4, 5, 6.as Nebuzaradan had appointed.
Then Ishmael who was of the kings seede, and ten men with him came and smote V. 25.Gedaliah, and the Iewes and Chaldeans, that were with him.] This is more fully set forth, Ier. 40. 13. where Iohanan the sonne of Careah and all the captains are said to have come out of the field, that is, from gathering of the Summer fruits, and to have certified Gedaliah, that Ishmael was sent by the king of the Ammonites to slay him, but he not beleeving it, no not when Iohanan told him of it againe secretly, and would have cut off …shmael, before he should commit such an heinous and dangerous fact, whereby all the Iewes remaining should come in perill, as sheepe without a shepherd, without all feare received him, and ten men of the kings of Ammon with him, eating and drinking together; and as Iosephus hath it, when Josephus.they were heavie with wine and sleeping, they fell upon him and his company and slew them all. Why Ishmael did thus is not said, but it may well be conjectured, that he did it out of envie to see Gedaliah thus preferred before himselfe, who was of the blood royall. And this was done the seventh monethmonth to the extreme griefe and terrour of all the Iewes that remained, before two moneths of his government were fully expired, because they feared, that the Chaldees would come againe and destroy them all for this fact. And it is thought by some of great judgement, Hieronym. Cyrillus.that in this monethmonth the Iewes kept a fast therefore during the time of the desolation of their land, as also the fourth monethmonth, because in the fourth the city was broken up, and in the fifth because the temple and city were burnt in the fifth, and in the tenth monethmonth, because in the tenth Nebuchadnezzar first besieged Ierusalem. For of all these mention is made, Zech. 8. 19. it being promised, that they should be turned into times of rejoycing at their returne from captivity.
Then all the people arose and went into Egypt, &c.] Before this it is shewed, Ier. V. 29. Jer. 41. 5.41. 4, 5. that there came eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria their beards shaven, and garments rent, &c. And it is said, that they came knowing nothing that had been done against Gedaliah, for they came the second day after, directing their course to the house of the Lord, with an offering to be made at the least in that place, for they could not well be ignorant, that the temple was now burnt. To meet these men, Ishmael went out dissembling sorrow, also for the ruining of the city and temple, and brought them into Mezpah by the way to see Gedaliah, and when he had them in the city he slew them also; most probably, because they loved Gedaliah, whom he envied; and he cast their dead bodies, as also others whom he had slain, into a pit made sometime by Asa, of whom it is said, 1 King 15. 22. that he built of the stones carried from Ramah, Gebah and Mizpah, haply trenching some of part of it with a great trench, like a pit, for the greater strength. And this being done, he took the remnant of the people and the kings daughters, that Jer. 41. 10.were with Gedaliah and carried them away captive towards the Ammonites countrey. But Iohanan and the other captains in the field now hearing, what he had done, went with their men against him, and he with eight of his company fleeing away, the captives were all brought back again, and the whole company came to Bethlehem, to passe from thence into Egypt. But before they went the captains spake to Ieremiab, to crave the Lords direction for them, promising to obey. This Ieremiah did, and after ten dayes gave them an answer, that they Chap. 42.should not go into Egypt, threatning them, if they did, with destruction, if not promising them safetie. But they obeyed not, but told Ieremiah that he lied unto Chap. 43.them, and so in contempt of that which he said, went into Egypt, carrying him away with them also. Thus the prophesie, which was of a desolation of the whole land for 70. years took effect, a divine providence secretly working with their obstinacie, that no word spoken by the Lord, might at any time fall to the ground.
2 Chron. 36. 20. It is concluded with Nebuzaradans carrying away of captives, 2 Chron. 36. 20.and their continuance in Babylon till the Persian Monarchie began, that the prophesie of Ieremiah might be fulfilled, of the lands enjoying her Sabbaths 70 years, of which times beginning and ending, see before upon this, 2 King. 25. Then finally, it is shewed, that Cyrus king of the Persians in the first year of his reign, made a proclamation throughout all his kingdome, for the return of the Iews, with which the book of Ezra beginneth, and therefore the explanation hereof I deferre, till I come to Ezra.
But before this captivitie ended, viz. anno 37 of Iehoiakins captivitie, it is said, 2 King. 25. 30. that in the twelfth monethmonth of that year, the 27 day, Evilmerodach 2 King. 25. 30.lifted up the head of Ieho…akin in the first year of his reign out of prison, and spake comfortably to him, and lifted up his throne above the thrones of the rest of the kings, &c. See the same also Ier. 52. 31. but there the 25 day of the monethmonth is put for the 27 here. Wolphius saith, that by the Rabbins it is thus reconciled; Nebuchadnezzar Wolphius.died the 25 day, and being buried the 26 day, his son Evilmerodach coming to the crown the 27 day, caused his dead bodie to be taken up again, and drag'd about the streets, that it might appear to all men, that he was verily dead, and then causing it to be cut in pieces, it was given to the vultures to be devoured, that he might be sure, that he could never live again to put him by, as he had once done, when after his seven years living amongst the beasts of the field, he returned to his kingdome, and put his sonne Evilmerodach in prison, who in that time had taken the kingdome upon him. Now because Evilmerodach haply being at his fathers death in prison with him, spake comfortably to him, and promised him deliverance; Ieremiah sets down this as the day, but because he was not fully delivered till two dayes after, when Evilmerodach had obtained the kingdome, here it is set down the seven and twentieth day. But Wolphius himselfe bringeth another solution, viz. that Evilmerodach held a consultation about his deliverance, and propounded it the 25 day, but it was not actually performed, till the 27. Some others, he was losed from his bands the 25, and the funerall rites being performed the 26 day, in the 27 he was fully delivered. But who shall accurately compare the places together, will rather encline to think, that Ieremiah setteth forth the day of his coming out of prison, and the Kings, the day of his being so preferred, above other captive kings then in Babylon, because, in Ieremiah it is said, he lifted up his head bringing him out of prison; but in the Kings, he lifted up his head from the prison house, intimating two degrees of favour done to him. First, in freeing him from prison, for this was one lifting up of his head. Secondly, in raising him from being a prisoner to royall Majestie, and maintaining him accordingly all his dayes, for this was another lifting up of his head, being now out of prison. What moved Evilmerodach to shew this great favour to Iehojakin is not said, in any of both these places, but if that be true, which the Rabbins report, that Evilmerodach was by his father Nebuchadnezzar put into the same prison where Iehoiakin lay, it may easily be conjectured, that some friendship that grew between them in that time was the cause, and Iehoiakins acquainting him with his first voluntarie putting of himself into Nebuchadnezzars hands, hoping, that he would not have dealt so hardly with him. For this could not but work upon a good nature, to seek to make him some amends in doing him a greater favor, then to any of the kings about him. But if we would know the true efficient cause, it was Gods singular providence, whereby this was brought to passe for the verifying of his word, and the encouraging of all kings and men to obey his prophets, as Iehoiakin did in so freely yielding himself to the king of Babylon, that his citie Ierusalem and the temple might be spared. For Ier. 24. 5. Iehoiakin and the Iews, who were carried away with him, are said to have been sent away by the Lord, and to have been beloved as good figs, and chosen to have good done unto them, whereas they that were carried away afterwards under Zedekiah were as evill figs, that could not be eaten, and therefore condemned to dispersion and destruction. It was long indeed, before this good was fulfilled to Iehoiakin, and his captived subjects, but now at the end of 37 years it was performed. For although nothing be said of his subjects here, but of him onelyonly, yet it cannot be thought, but he faring thus well, they participated with him in the comfort. And for the story before going of Nebuchadnezzar, and of his body being cut in pieces and given to the vultures, there seemeth to be some ground for it, Esa. 14. 19, 20. where it is threatned, that he should not, as all other kings, enjoy the honour of a sepulture, but his dead corps should be cast out. Evilmerodach is by some expounded Iunior Merodach, by others foolish Merodach, because he was drawn, as some suppose, by Daniel, who was gracious at the court of the king of Babylon, to do for Iehoiakin and his people, according to the word of the Lord by the prophet Ieremiah, for this prophane men count simplicitie. But if for this reason he had been so called, the pen-man of the Scripture would not in following such unworthy authors so have called him. I hold therefore rather with the former reason, that he was Merodach the younger, because there was another of the same name before.
And here is an end of the history of the kings of Iudah, who came of David, but not an end of his posterity, which continued untill Christ, the promised seed of David, as is declared Matth. 1. 12. where twelve generations more are named after Jechonias, the first whereof are Shealtiel and Zerubabel, but 1 Chron. 3. 17. Shealtiel, Pedaiah, and Zerubabel. But of this Genealogie see enough upon Matth. 1.
To conclude, I have in explaining the history of the Kings, so interlaced the Chronicles also, from Saul and David, cha. 10, 11. throughout, that both those books are with the same labour explained also, and the seeming differences reconciled, so that here is nothing passed over but onelyonly genealogies from Adam to Abraham, and from Abraham to Ishmael, and to Isaac, and Iacob, and his issue; and the captivitie and their return from it. All which was done by Ezra, as Iunius saith, together with the following supplement of the history of the Kings of Iudah, being for the most part omitted in the history of the Kings, or so briefly delivered, that the reader could not thereby onelyonly be acquainted with many memorable things concerning them and their times. And the genealogies being for the most part such, as in divers places of the holy Scripture have been already set forth, and containing onelyonly names, shall not need to be any further insisted upon. Wherefore leaving these books, I will hasten towards the book called Ezra, and shew so farre as I can finde any light, what followed after the last captivitie under Zedekiah, to the Iews return therefrom, and at and about their return, and after before the comming of CHRIST.
OnelyOnly whereas some think it not probable, that the Chronicles were written by Ezra, because nine genealogies are mentioned after Zorubbabel, unto which Ezra could not live. I grant indeed, if Ezra had been contemporanean with Zorubbabel, 1 Chron. 3. 19, 20, &c.he could not in the course of nature have lived so long, but forsomuch as he came after Zorubbabel about 78 years, as is shewed, ch. 7. For he was anno 1o. of Ezra 7.Cyrus, and Ezra, anno 7o. of Artaxerxes Longimanus, and for ought we know, might live 30 or forty years after, and if so he attained to above 100 years after Zorobabels coming to Ierusalem, and if he grant that he had a son then, he also might have a sonne soon after his coming thither, so that here are two generations, and who doubts but that in a hundred years and odde there might be seven generations more, seeing Kings amongst the Iews may be noted to have begotten at thirteen or fourteen years of age, so prolifious were that people, by Gods singular blessing to make good his promise to Abraham. But if Ezra lived not altogether so long, this argueth not, that the book was not written by him, no more then that Deuteronomy was not written by Moses; because his death and something after it is therein recorded. For as that was done by another hand, as God in his providence appointed; so might two or three genealogies be by some other added to Ezraes, and yet the book may be said to be written by him.
And it is thought that the books of the Chronicles, were written last of all others of the old testament, yea, after the books called Ezra; because by the Hebrews they are placed after it.