2 Kings 25

2Ki 25:1-3.

JERUSALEM

AGAIN

BESIEGED.

1. 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

Eze 24:1;

Jer 39:1; 52:4-6);

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 21:1-14; 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

(La 2:20, 22; 4:9, 10;

Eze 5:10).

This was a fulfilment of the prophetic denunciations threatened on the

apostasy of the chosen people

(Le 26:29;

De 28:53-57;

Jer 15:2; 27:13;

Eze 4:16).

2Ki 25:4-30.

ZEDEKIAH

TAKEN.

4. 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

(2Ch 32:5; 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

(Ne 3:15)

at the pool of Siloam, that is, at the mouth of the Tyropæon. A

trace of the outermost of these walls appears to be still extant in the

rude pathway which crosses the mouth of the Tyropæon, 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, 7. 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

(2Ki 23:33).

they gave judgment upon him--They, that is, the council

(Jer 39:3, 13;

Da 6:7, 8, 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; 34:2; 38:17).

His sons and the nobles who had joined in his flight were slain before

his eyes

(Jer 39:6; 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;

Eze 12:13; 17:16).

8-18. 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

(Ge 37:36; 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

(2Ki 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

(Ezr 7:1),

his sagan or deputy, a priest of the second order

(Jer 21:2; 29:25, 29; 37:3).

18. the three keepers of the door--not mere porters, but officers

of high trust among the Levites

(2Ki 22:4;

1Ch 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).

22-26. 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, 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, 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, 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

(Da 4:32, 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

(2Sa 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.

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