Seraiah the chief priest - Zephaniah - The person who is here called the second priest was what the Jews call sagan , a sort of deputy, who performed the functions of the high priest when he was prevented by any infirmity from attending the temple service. See on 2 Kings 23:4 ; (note). read more
And five men of them that were in the king ' s presence - These were principal counselors, and confidential officers. In Jeremiah 52:25 , it is said he took seven men who were near the king's person, and the same number is found in the Arabic in this place; and the Chaldee has no less than fifty men; but in Jeremiah this, as well as all the rest of the versions, reads seven. Probably they were no more than five at first, or, perhaps Jeremiah reckoned with the five... read more
The king of Babylon smote them - He had, no doubt, found that these had counselled Zedekiah to revolt. read more
And it cams to pass in the ninth year of his —i.e. Zedekiah's— reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month. Extreme exactness with respect to a date indicates the extreme importance of the event dated. In the whole range of the history contained in the two Books of the Kings, there is no instance of the year, month, and day being all given excepting in the present chapter, where we find this extreme exactness three times ( 2 Kings 25:1 , 2 Kings 25:4 , and 2 Kings 25:8 ... read more
LAST SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM . The open rebellion of Zedekiah was followed almost immediately by the advance into Judaea of a Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar in person, and the strict investment of the capital. We learn the circumstances of the siege from Jeremiah, in the prophecy which bears his name, and in the Book of Lamentations. It lasted one year and seven months, and was accompanied by a blockade so strict that the defenders were reduced to the last extremity,... read more
The fall of Judah and Jerusalem a warning for all time to all nations. Jerusalem had defied Zerah with his host of a minion men ( 2 Chronicles 14:9-15 ), and had triumphed over Sennacherib at the head of all the armed force of Assyria ( 2 Kings 19:35 , 2 Kings 19:36 ): why did she succumb to Nebuchadnezzar? It is quite certain that Babylon was not a stronger power than either Egypt or Assyria when in their prime. There is no reason to believe that Nebuchadnezzar was a better general... read more
The fall and destruction of Jerusalem. With this account of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar should be compared the narrative of its later destruction by Titus (A.D. 70). History does not always repeat itself; but in this instance it does so with marvelous fidelity. The close investment of the city, the desperate resistance, the horrors of famine within, the incidents of the capture, the burning of the temple, the demolition of the walls, and the captivity of the people, present... read more
The last days of Jerusalem. The shameful story of Judah's disobedience and sin is now drawing to a close. Here we have an account of the capture of Jerusalem and its king by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon. Zedekiah, the king, was taken prisoner. His sons were first put to death before his eyes. Then his own eyes were put out. He was bound in fetters of brass, and carried sway to Babylon. Jerusalem itself, the city of David and Solomon, was a scene of desolation. Nebuzar-adan, captain of the... read more
THE LAST SIEGE OF JERUSALEM . THE JEWS LED INTO CAPTIVITY . HISTORY OF THE REMNANT LEFT BEHIND . RELEASE FROM PRISON OF JEHOIACHIN . read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 25:10
Brake down the walls - In the same fifth month, Jeremiah 1:3 , the walls of Jerusalem being razed to the ground, all that were left in the city, and all that had fled over formerly to Nebuchadnezzar, and all the common people of the city, with all the king's treasures, those of the nobles, and the whole furniture of the temple, did Nebuzar-adan carry off to Babylon. See Jeremiah 39:8 , Jeremiah 39:9 ; Jeremiah 52:14 , Jeremiah 52:23 . And thus was Judah carried away out of... read more