2 Chronicles 36:13 . Who had made him swear by God Who had required him to swear fealty and constant obedience to him, by the true God, whom he called upon to be a witness against him if he broke his oath. So his rebellion was aggravated with perjury and horrid contempt of God. But he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart He added obstinacy and incorrigibleness to his sins. read more
Failure, defeat and captivity (36:1-23)The Chronicler spent much time describing the reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah, impressing upon his readers that good kings tried to be faithful to the Mosaic and Davidic covenants. They had to follow the Levitical order if they were to enjoy the promises given to the dynasty of David. With the death of Josiah, Judah quickly returned to its former ungodly ways. Successive kings followed disastrous policies, both political and religious, which resulted in... read more
humbled not himself, &c. Compare Jeremiah 34:8 ; Jeremiah 37:2 , and Jeremiah 38:17 , &c. mouth. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for what is spoken by it. read more
made him swear. Ezekiel refers to this (Ezekiel 17:11-20 ). read more
XIX. ZEDEKIAH (598-587 B.C.);ZEDEKIAH'S WICKEDNESS REACHES A POINT OF NO RETURN"Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah his God; he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of Jehovah. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart, against turning unto Jehovah,... read more
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 (1 Chronicles 3:15; Jeremiah 1:2; Jeremiah 1:3; Jeremiah 37:1), he is called the brother of Jehoiachin (Jeremiah 37:1- :), that is, according to the latitude of Hebrew style in words expressing affinity, his relative or kinsman (see 2 Kings 24:18; 2 Kings 25:1-21). read more
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 ( :-); 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... read more
Q. The Last Four Kings 36:1-21The sovereignty of the Davidic kings over Judah had ended. With the death of Josiah, Judah fell under the control of foreign powers, first Egypt and then Babylonia. God used other more powerful kings and kingdoms to punish His people (cf. 2 Kings 23:31 to 2 Kings 25:17). The temple motif in Chronicles also climaxes in this section with its destruction. read more
IV. THE REIGNS OF SOLOMON’S SUCCESSORS CHS. 10-36"With the close of Solomon’s reign we embark upon a new phase in Chr.’s account of Israel’s history. That account can be broadly divided . . . into the pre-Davidic era, the time of David and Solomon, and the period of the divided monarchy up until the Babylonian exile." [Note: McConville, p. 150.] ". . . the Chronicler never regarded the northern monarchy as anything but illegitimate and a rebellion against God’s chosen dynasty. As far as he was... read more
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Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Chronicles 36:12
2 Chronicles 36:12. And humbled not himself By repentance for his past errors and obedience to God’s express commands, which he would not yield to, through the pride of his heart, as is intimated by this phrase, and expressed Jeremiah 38:19. read more