2 Kings 25:7-21

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 25:1-7

We left king Zedekiah in rebellion against the king of Babylon (2 Kgs. 24:20), contriving and endeavouring to shake off his yoke, when he was no way able to do it, nor took the right method by making God his friend first. Now here we have an account of the fatal consequences of that attempt. I. The king of Babylon's army laid siege to Jerusalem, 2 Kgs. 25:1. What should hinder them when the country was already in their possession? 2 Kgs. 24:2. They built forts against the city round about,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 25:8-21

Though we have reason to think that the army of the Chaldeans were much enraged against the city for holding out with so much stubbornness, yet they did not therefore put all to fire and sword as soon as they had taken the city (which is too commonly done in such cases), but about a month after (compare 2 Kgs. 25:8; 2 Kgs. 25:3) Nebuzar-adan was sent with orders to complete the destruction of Jerusalem. This space God gave them to repent, after all the foregoing days of his patience, but in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 25:1-7

And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign ,.... Of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. From hence to the end of 2 Kings 25:7 , the account exactly agrees with Jeremiah 52:4 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 25:8-12

And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month ,.... In Jeremiah 52:12 it is the tenth day of the month; which, how to be reconciled; see Gill on Jeremiah 52:12 . which is the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar ; who, according to Ptolemy's canon, reigned forty three years; Metasthenes F21 De Judicio Temp. & Annal. Pers. fol. 221. 2. says forty five; and from hence, to the end of 2 Kings 25:12 facts are related as in Jeremiah 52:12 whither the reader is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 25:13-17

And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord ,.... The two pillars in the temple, Jachin and Boaz. Benjamin of Tudela says F23 Itinerar. p. 13. , that in the church of St. Stephen in Rome these pillars now are with the name of Solomon engraved on each; and the Jews at Rome told him, when there, (in the twelfth century,) that on the ninth of Ab (the day the temple was destroyed) every year sweat was found upon them like water; the one, I suppose, will equally be believed... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 25:18-21

And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest ,.... The sagan, or deputy priest, who officiated for the high priest, when by any means he was rendered unfit and incapable; so Joseph, the son of Ellem, as Josephus F24 Antiqu. l. 17. c. 6. sect. 4. relates, officiated for Matthias, when defiled with a nocturnal pollution; and seven days before the day of atonement they always substituted one under the high priest, lest anything of this kind... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 25:8

In the fifth month - On the seventh day of the fifth month, (answering to Wednesday, Aug. 24), Nebuzar-adan made his entry into the city; and having spent two days in making provision, on the tenth day of the same month, (Saturday, Aug. 27), he set fire to the temple and the king's palace, and the houses of the nobility, and burnt them to the ground; Jeremiah 52:13 , compared with Jeremiah 39:8 . Thus the temple was destroyed in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the nineteenth of... read more

Adam Clarke

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 25:18

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 25:19

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

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