Commentari biblici

In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. — Son of Nabopolassar who founded the Babylonian monarchy.

Came up, — sc., After that he had beaten the king of Egypt’s forces at Charchemish. Jeremiah 46:2

Then he turned and rebelled against him. — Defectione tam turpi quam exitiosa. The king of Egypt by fair promises prevailed with him to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar, as also by threats, that otherwise he would restore Jehoahaz now prisoner in Egypt; which yet Jeremiah assured him should never be. Jeremiah 22:11-12

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And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.

And the Lord sent against him bands. — Latrunculos the Vulgate renders it. Soldiers that fight in an evil cause are no better than robbers and spoilers. Josephus saith that Nebuchadnezzar, bringing from that siege of Tyre Ezekiel 26:7 some part of his army, entered therewith Jerusalem, slew Jehoiakim, and cast him out unburied, according to Jeremiah 22:18-19 , carrying away three thousand and three and twenty Jews. Jeremiah 52:28 And here began the seventy years’ captivity: now was Daniel and his companions brought to Babylon, Daniel 1:3-7 according to Isaiah 39:7 .

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Surely at the commandment of the LORD came [this] upon Judah, to remove [them] out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;

Surely at the commandment of the Lord. — Heb., At the mouth, i.e., Ex praestituto. God’s holy hand is in all the miseries that befall his people. Amos 3:6

For the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did. — Or, For the like sins to those which Manasseh had done, as Tremellius rendereth it, Traiectio, as in Genesis 5:29 Judges 18:31 .

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And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

And also for the innocent blood. — Of this crying sin Jehoahaz also and Jehoiakim were deeply guilty. Jeremiah 22:17 Ezekiel 19:1-14

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Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

Now the rest of the acts. — See 1 Kings 15:23 .

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So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers. — Respectu habito ad communem naturae legem; Jehoiakim died, being slain in Jerusalem, and as "an ass cast forth beyond the gates"; Jeremiah 22:18-19 or else, going captive to Babylon, he died by the way, ingloria vita recessit, without burial or mourning. 2 Chronicles 36:6 He is also cut out of the roll of the kings of Judah. Matthew 1:11

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And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.

For the king of Babylon had taken. — About this time died Nabopolassar the father of Nebuchadnezzar: whereupon he, committing the care of his captives to his friends in the army, hastened to Babylon, where, taking upon him the empire, he distributed the captives by colonies into fit places in the country of Babylon, as saith Berosus. Rer. Chald., lib. xxx.

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Jehoiachin [was] eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name [was] Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

Jehoiakin was eighteen years old, — sc., When he began to reign alone. See 2 Chronicles 36:9 . Mutavit Iudaea dominos, non miserias. This king is also called Jechonias, Matthew 1:11 and Coniah - that is, prepared, sc., for destruction; Jeremiah 22:24 the name of God - whom he had forsaken - being defalked. [Withdrawn; i.e., Je (Jehovah) left out of his name Jeconiah.]

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