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
The Fall of JerusalemThis is a brief record of the reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, and of the destruction of Jerusalem.The first twenty vv. of this chapter are abbreviated from 2 Kings 23:30 to 2 Kings 25:21, with some variations of statement.6. Nebuchadnezzar] He was the son of Nabopolassar, the conqueror of Nineveh.Bound him in fetters] This is not recorded in Kings. Perhaps this was the ’purpose’ of the invasion described in 2 Kings 24:2, but Jehoiakim may have... read more
(4) And the king of Egypt made Eliakim.—The verse agrees with 2 Kings 23:34.Carried him to Egypt.—Made him come. Kings, “and he came to Egypt, and died there.” Comp. Jeremiah 22:10-12. The LXX. adds: and the silver and the gold he gave to the Pharaoh. Then the land began to be assessed, in order to give the money into the mouth of Pharaoh. And each according to ability used to demand the silver and the gold from the people of the land to give to Pharaoh-necho.” read more
THE LAST KINGS OF JUDAH2 Chronicles 34:1-33; 2 Chronicles 35:1-27; 2 Chronicles 36:1-23WHATEVER influence Manasseh’s reformation exercised over his people generally, the taint of idolatry was not removed from his own family. His son Amon succeeded him at the age of two-and-twenty. Into his reign of two years he compressed all the varieties of wickedness once practiced by his father, and undid the good work of Manasseh’s later years. He recovered the graven images which Manasseh had discarded,... read more
9. The Final Decline and Apostasy CHAPTER 36:1-14 1. Jehoahaz’s reign (2 Chronicles 36:1-7 ) 2. Jehoiachin’s brief reign (2 Chronicles 36:8-10 ) 3. Zedekiah (2 Chronicles 36:11-14 ) As the complete record of these three final rulers is given in the second book of Kings, the annotations are made there. Nothing needs to be added. It was the final plunge before the awful judgment overtook Jerusalem and Judah. And there will be a final plunge into apostasy in connection with the professing... read more
JEHOIAKIM'S REIGN AND CAPTIVITY (vv.5-8) Jehoiakim was evidently older than Jehoahaz for he was 25 when he began to reign (cf.v.2). He reigned 11 years in Judah, but he also dishonoured the memory of his father, Josiah by his ungodly actions. It was not Necho who came against him, however, but Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He took Jehoiakim captive to Babylon. At the same time he took some of the articles from the temple and put them in his own temple at Babylon. The Lord allowed this as... read more
MANASSEH TO THE CAPTIVITY MANASSEH AND AMON (2 Chronicles 33:0 ) The history of the first-named is divided into three parts: (1) the outline of his character and reign down to the crisis of his punishment (2 Chronicles 33:1-10 ); (2) his affliction and repentance in Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:11-13 ); and (3) his later career and death (2 Chronicles 33:14-20 ). The first part was considered in Kings. For the reference to “groves” and “the host of heaven,” compare Deuteronomy 16:21 ;... read more
The very short reign of Jehoahaz furnished but little subject of observation. The time was now hastening when Judah, like Israel, should cease to be a kingdom. Here is the Egyptian king triumphing over Judah, putting down one king and setting up another, and changing his name at his pleasure. Is this God's Judah? alas! what hath sin wrought! Here Jeremiah's account appears to have been marked with truth when he said, The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron. Jeremiah 17:1 . read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 2 Chronicles 36:1-4
1. Jehoahaz 36:1-4In these few verses, the will of the king of Egypt contrasts with the will of Judah’s people. Whereas the people still held out hope that a descendant of David would lead them to the great glories predicted for David’s greatest Son (e.g., Psalms 2), such was not to be the case any time soon. Other superpowers now dominated Judah’s affairs. God had given His people over into their hands in discipline (cf. Deuteronomy 28:32-57). This king of Judah, rather than lifting the... read more