Chapter 25
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.
A. M. 3414. B.C. 590. in the ninth. This according to the computation of Archbishop Usher, was on Thursday, January 30th, A.M. 3414, which was a sabbatical year; wherein they proclaimed liberty to their servants, according to the law, but soon enthralled them again. (See Jer 34:8-10.)
2 Chronicles 36:17-21 Jeremiah 34:2,3-6 39:1-10 52:4,5-11 Ezekiel 24:1,2-14
Nebuchadnezzar
24:1,10 1 Chronicles 6:15 Jeremiah 27:8 32:28 43:10 51:34 Ezekiel 26:7
Nebuchadrezzar
pitched
Isaiah 29:3 Jeremiah 32:24 Ezekiel 4:1-8 21:22-24 Luke 19:43,44
And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
A. M. 3416. B.C. 588. the ninth day
Jeremiah 39:2 52:6 Zechariah 8:19
the famine
Leviticus 26:26 Deuteronomy 28:52,53 Lamentations 4:4-10 Ezekiel 4:9-17 5:10,12 7:15 14:21
there was no
And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.
the city
This being the ninth day of the fourth month, corresponded to Wednesday, July 27.
Jeremiah 5:10 39:2,3 52:6,7-11 Ezekiel 33:21
fled
Leviticus 26:17,36 Deuteronomy 28:25 32:24,25,30 Jeremiah 39:4-7
and the king
And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
and overtook
Isaiah 30:16 Jeremiah 24:8 39:5 52:8 Amos 2:14-16
So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.
they took
2 Chronicles 33:11 Jeremiah 21:7 34:21,22 38:23 Lamentations 4:19,20 Ezekiel 17:20,21 Ezekiel 21:25-27
Riblah
gave judgment upon him
Heb. spake judgment with him.
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
they slew
Genesis 21:16 44:34 Deuteronomy 28:34 Jeremiah 22:30 39:6,7 52:10,11
and put out
Heb. and made blind. Thus were fulfilled the apparently contradictory prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel--that his eyes should see the king of Babylon, but Babylon he should not see, though he should die there.
Jeremiah 32:4,5 34:3 Ezekiel 12:13-16
bound him
Judges 16:21 2 Chronicles 33:11 36:6 Psalms 107:10,11 149:8 Ezekiel 7:27 17:16-20
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
in the fifth month
This answered to Wednesday, August 24; and three days after he reduced the temple to ashes, and carried Judah captive; in the 11th year of Zedekiah; the 19th of Nebuchadnezzar; 424 years, 3 months, and 8 days from the foundation of the temple; 468 years from the beginning of the reign of David; 388 years from the division of the ten tribes; and 134 years from their captivity.
Jeremiah 52:12-14 Zechariah 8:19
the nineteenth
Nebuzar-adan
Jeremiah 39:9-14 40:1-4 52:12-16 Lamentations 4:12
captain
or, chief marshal.
And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire.
he burnt
1 Kings 9:8 2 Chronicles 36:19 Psalms 74:3-7 79:1 Isaiah 64:10,11 Jeremiah 7:14 26:9 Lamentations 1:10 2:7 Micah 3:12 Luke 21:5,6 Acts 6:13,14
the king's
Jeremiah 34:22 37:8,10 39:8 52:13 Amos 2:5
And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
brake
Nehemiah 1:3 Jeremiah 5:10 39:8 52:14-23
Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.
the rest
Jeremiah 15:1,2 39:9 52:12 Ezekiel 5:2 12:15,16 22:15,16
fugitives
Heb. fallen away.
But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.
left of the poor
24:14 Jeremiah 39:10 40:7 52:16 Ezekiel 33:24
And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.
the
20:17 2 Chronicles 36:18 Jeremiah 27:19-22 52:17-20 Lamentations 1:10
pillars
Exodus 27:3 1 Kings 7:15,27 2 Chronicles 4:12,13
bases
1 Kings 7:23-45 2 Chronicles 4:2-6,14-16
And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
the pots
Exodus 27:3 38:3 1 Kings 7:47-50 2 Chronicles 4:20-22 24:14
And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
and such things
Exodus 37:23 Numbers 7:13,14 1 Kings 7:48-51 2 Chronicles 24:14 Ezra 1:9-11 Daniel 5:2,3
The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
one sea
Heb. the one sea. the brass.
The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.
one pillar
1 Kings 7:15,16 Jeremiah 52:21-23
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
captain
Seraiah
1 Chronicles 6:14 Ezra 7:1 Jeremiah 52:24
Zephaniah
the second priest
Called by the Jews, sagan, who officiated for the high priest in case of any temporary incapacity.
door
Heb. threshold.
And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:
officer
or, eunuch. were in the king's presence. Heb. saw the king's face.
principal
or, scribe of the captain of the host.
And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:
and brought
Jeremiah 52:26,27 Lamentations 4:16
And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.
the king
These men were put to death as accessories to Zedekiah's rebellion; for the king of Babylon had no doubt found that they had counselled him to revolt.
So Judah
17:20 23:27 Leviticus 26:33-35 Deuteronomy 4:26 28:36,64 Jeremiah 24:9,10 25:9-11 Ezekiel 12:25-28 24:14 Amos 5:27
And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.
the people
Gedaliah
Ahikam
22:12 2 Chronicles 34:20 Jeremiah 26:24
And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
And when
Mizpah
There were several places of the name of Mizpah, or Mizpeh, and we do not certainly know which of them this was; but it is probable that it was that situated east of Jordan, in the mountains of Gilead, (Ge 31:49,) and most contiguous to Babylon; and therefore the most proper for the residence of Gedaliah.
And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.
sware to them
2 Samuel 14:11 19:23 Jeremiah 40:9,10 Ezekiel 33:24-29
and it shall be
But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.
seventh
Ishmael
royal
Heb. of the kingdom.
And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.
Jeremiah 41:16-18 42:14-22 43:4-7
And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;
A. M. 3442. B.C. 562. it came to pass
king of Babylon
lift up the head
And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;
kindly to him
Heb. good things with him. the throne.
Jeremiah 27:6-11 Daniel 2:37 5:18,19
And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.
changed
24:12 Genesis 41:14,42 Esther 4:4 8:15 Isaiah 61:3 Zechariah 3:4 Luke 15:22
he did eat bread
And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.
a daily rate
Nehemiah 11:23 12:47 Daniel 1:5 Matthew 6:11 Luke 11:3 Acts 6:1