4. carried him--Jehoahaz.
to Egypt--There he died ([Jr 22:10-12]).
[2Ch 36:5-8]. Jehoiakim, Reigning Ill, Is Carried into Babylon.
5. 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 ([Jr 22:13-19]). 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 ([2Ki 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 ([2Ki 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 ([Da 1:2]; ). 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 [2Ki 24:2-7]; also [Jr 22:18], ; ).
9-10. Jehoiachin was eight years old--called also Jeconiah or Coniah ([Jr 22:24])--"eight" should have been "eighteen," as appears from [2Ki 24:8], and also from the full development of his ungodly principles and habits (see [Eze 19:5-7]). His reign being of so short duration cannot be considered at variance with the prophetic denunciation against his father ([Jr 36:30]). But his appointment by the people gave umbrage to Nebuchadnezzar, who, "when the year was expired" ([2Ch 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 [2Ki 24:8-17]).
[2Ch 36:11-21]. Zedekiah's Reign.
11. Zedekiah--Nebuchadnezzar appointed him. His name, originally Mattaniah, was, according to the custom of Oriental conquerors, changed into Zedekiah. Though the son of Josiah ([1Ch 3:15]; [Jr 1:2], ; 37:1), he is called the brother of Jehoiachin ([2Ch 36:10]), that is, according to the latitude of Hebrew style in words expressing affinity, his relative or kinsman (see [2Ki 24:18]; [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 ([Eze 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 [2Ki 25:1-7]; [Eze 12:13]; [Eze 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 [Le 26:34]), and of Jeremiah in this passage (see [Jr 25:9-12]), 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.
[2Ch 36:22], . Cyrus' Proclamation.
22. the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus--(See on [Ezr 1:1-3]).