Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 24:10
At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
10. the servants of Nebuchadnezzar came up against [R.V. to ] Jerusalem ] There is no preposition in the Hebrew, only the accusative of direction. On ‘servants’ see note on 2Ki 5:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Came up against Jerusalem – The cause and circumstances of this siege are equally obscure. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar detected Jehoiachin in some attempt to open communications with Egypt.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Either,
1. Because the people had made Jehoiachin king without his consent. Or,
2. Because he had some notice, or at least a suspicion, of his intentions to rebel against him, and to join with Egypt against him, as Zedekiah his successor did. But whatsoever was the second and immediate cause of it, the chief cause was Gods commandment, or the direction of his providence, as it was said, 2Ki 24:3.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10-13. At that timewithinthree months after his accession to the throne. It was the spring ofthe year (2Ch 36:10); so earlydid he indicate a feeling hostile to the interests of his Assyrianliege lord, by forming a league with Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar sent hisgenerals to besiege Jerusalem, as Jeremiah had foretold (Jer 22:28;Jer 34:20), and soon after hefollowed in person. Convinced of the hopelessness of making anyeffectual resistance, Jehoiachin, going to the camp of the besiegers,surrendered (2Ki 24:12), inthe expectation, probably, of being allowed to retain his throne as avassal of the Assyrian empire. But Nebuchadnezzar’s clemency towardsthe kings of Judah was now exhausted, so that Jehoiachin was sent asa captive to Babylon, according to Jeremiah’s prediction (Jer22:24), accompanied by the queen mother (the same who had heldthat dignity under Jehoahaz) (2Ki23:31), his generals, and officers. This happened in the eighthyear of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, computing from the time when he wasassociated with his father in the government. Those that were leftconsisted chiefly of the poorer sort of people and the unskilledworkmen. The palace and the temple were ransacked. The smaller goldenvessels had been taken on the first capture of Jerusalem and placedby Nebuchadnezzar in the temple of his god as tokens of victory. Theywere used by Belshazzar at his impious feast [Da5:2], for the purpose of rewarding his army with these trophies,among which were probably the golden candlesticks, the ark, c.(compare 2Ch 36:7 Dan 1:2).Now the gold plating was torn off all the larger temple furniture.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
At that time,…. When Jehoiachin reigned:
when the year was expired; so it is in 2Ch 36:10 or at the revolution of the year; which some take to be autumn, the beginning of the civil year with the Jews; but rather it was the spring, the time when kings went out to battle, 2Sa 11:1
the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem; that is, his army, under proper generals and officers, and by his orders:
and the city was besieged; in form by the Chaldean army.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“At that time,” i.e., when Jehoiachin had come to the throne, or, according to 2Ch 36:10, “at the turn of the year,” i.e., in the spring (see at 1Ki 20:22), the servants (generals) of Nebuchadnezzar marched against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. The Keri is substantially correct, but is an unnecessary alteration of the Chethb , since the verb when it precedes the subject is not unfrequently used in the singular, though before a plural subject (cf. Ewald, 316, a.). The are different from the of 2Ki 24:2. As the troops sent against Jehoiakim had not been able to conquer Judah, especially Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar sent his generals with an army against Jerusalem, to besiege the city and take it.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(10) At that time.In the spring of the year (2Ch. 36:10). Thenius infers from Jer. 13:19 (the cities of the south land are shut up), that Nebuchadnezzar drew a cordon across that part of the country, to cut off any succours from Egypt.
The servantsi.e., generals. (Comp. 2Ki. 19:6.)
Was besieged.See margin; and 2Ki. 25:2; Jer. 52:5.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. Servants of Nebuchadnezzar His generals, with forces sufficient to besiege the city. As the bands mentioned in 2Ki 24:2 had failed to take Jerusalem, he now sends more imposing forces.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 24:10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
Ver. 10. At that time. ] About the spring. 2Ch 36:10 Much about the same time was Cyrus born for a scourge to Babylon, a but for a relief to God’s poor prisoners of hope there; according as Isaiah had foretold, Isa 47:1-2 ; Isa 13:16 and the psalmist. Psa 137:8-9 See Isa 44:28 ; Isa 45:1-4 .
a Cic. de Divin. ex Dionys.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the servants Of. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint and Syriac, omit these words, and read “came up”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Captivity Begins
2Ki 24:10-20
Jehoiachin followed the evil path of his predecessors. Again Jerusalem was besieged and Deu 28:48 began to be fulfilled. The ill-advised revolt of the young king ended in bitter disappointment, as Jeremiah had foretold, Jer 22:24-25; and the final tragedy came on apace, in spite of the insistence of the false prophets that the sacred vessels of the Temple should be returned from Babylon, Jer 27:16. Finally, a sad procession issued from the gate of the doomed city, and the king, his nobles and officials, presented themselves before the enemy, sitting on the ground, clothed in black, their faces covered in their mantles, Jer 13:18. They were at once deported to Babylon with thousands more. The treasures in the Temple and the palace were rifled; and a cry of agony and astonishment arose from Jeremiah and the whole land. See Jer 22:24; Jer 22:28; some add Psa 42:1-11; Psa 43:1-5.
Zedekiah, Josiahs youngest son, enticed into a league with neighboring nations against the conqueror, brought upon himself and his people a yet more disastrous overthrow. How foolish mans wisdom becomes when he departs from the living God! A wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed, Jam 1:6.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
At that time: Dan 1:1, Dan 1:2
was besieged: Heb. came into siege, 2Ki 25:2
Reciprocal: Deu 28:52 – General 2Ki 25:1 – Nebuchadnezzar 2Ch 36:10 – when the year was expired Ezr 5:12 – into the hand Jer 6:3 – they shall Eze 17:3 – came Eze 17:12 – Behold Eze 21:14 – let the Oba 1:11 – in the day that the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE GOD-FORSAKEN CITY
The city was besieged.
2Ki 24:10
When wrong has been going on for some time it gathers a momentum, which gets beyond mens power to control. It is like a carriage without a brake descending a steep hill. All is easy and pleasant at first, but as the descent continues the carriage gets beyond the drivers control, and is dashed to pieces, and not only does the careless driver suffer, but those who are in the carriage suffer also, and some of them may even be killed.
I. King after king had done wrong in Judah, and as each king came to the throne he inherited the evil that his predecessors had done.For a time the catastrophe was stayed by the long reigns of good men like Hezekiah and Josiah. But it had got beyond control, beyond the possibility of prevention. And as the new kings cameJehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiahthey seemed to grow more reckless the nearer the danger came, till at last the hand of God came down upon them and they and their country suffered the due reward of their deeds.
II. Yes, it was the hand of God. That is stated in a most striking way.It is said that Zedekiah went on with his wickedness, and even rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, because God was angry with him. We may think that God should have warned him and prevented him from doing so disastrous a thing as to rebel against the powerful King of Babylon. But God had warned till warning was no use. Nothing was of any use now except punishment. And so God must punish. If He did not punish He would not be the merciful God that He is. He punishes that the evil and all its misery may be stopped.
III. Zedekiah suffered terribly.He first saw his sons killed before his eyes, and then his eyes were put out. After that he was loaded with chains and carried to Babylon. He suffered more, you may think, than his sins deserved. But he suffered for the sins of his friends as well as for his own. Just as we are benefited if we live with those who are good, so also we suffer if we live with those who are bad. We are bound together, and one who does wrong may not only suffer for it himself, but cause great suffering to others also. And one who does right will be blessed himself and a blessing to all who know him.
Illustrations
(1) In the place of Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Jehoiachins uncle Zedekiah as tributary king of Judah.
For the first few years of his reign Zedekiah was faithful to the Babylonian supremacy. Egypt, however, was, as usual, busily employed in trying to form a Palestinian alliance against Babylon. In the fifth year of his reign (593 b.c.), when the Babylonians were busily engaged in suppressing the Elamite insurgents in the east, Zedekiah suffered himself to be entangled in this conspiracy. Four years later (589 b.c), in the ninth year of Zedekiahs reign, Nebuchadnezzar found himself free to deal with the Palestinian insurrection. Again the Babylonian army appeared in Syria. And now what Jeremiah had predicted so often was about to come to pass.
(2) Jeremiah wrote a book of sorrow over the distress. While food or money lasted, a few who had hoarded it away could have a little bread, or buy a drink of water or a little wood to cook the last meal. But the days came when people fainted for hunger, were parched with thirst; children cried for bread, but no one could give it; ladies who had worn robes of scarlet searched in heaps of filth for a mouthful of food. Sickness came with starvation; wounds with war; arrows tipped with fire came flying in the streets; noises like thunder were heard night and day, as great battering-engines pushed by companies of men shook the walls or hurled great stones which wounded and killed the brave soldiers within, who were doing their best to keep their enemies out.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
2Ki 24:10. The servants of Nebuchadnezzar came up against Jerusalem Either, 1st, Because the people had made Jehoiachin king without his consent: or, 2d, Because he had some notice, or at least a suspicion, of his intentions to rebel and join with Egypt against him, as Zedekiah his successor did. But whatever was the second and immediate cause of it, the chief cause was Gods commandment, or the direction of his providence, as was said 2Ki 24:3.