Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 52:34
And [for] his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
34. until the day of his death, all the days of his life ] The latter of these clauses (absent from LXX) is probably either an addition to, or originally a substitution for, the former, in order to avoid the inauspicious ending with the word death.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 34. And – there was a continual diet given him] This was probably a ration allowed by the king for the support of Jehoiachin’s household. For other particulars, 2Kg 25:30.
All the days of his life.] I believe these words have been by mistake added from the preceding verse. There, they are proper; here, they are tautological. They are wanting in the Septuagint and in the Arabic.
The preceding words, ad yom motho, “to the day of his death,” are wanting in two of De Rossi’s and one of Kennicott’s MSS.
Coverdale ends thus: All the days of his life untill he died. This is better than the common Version.
Immediately after this verse my old MS. Bible adds the following words: And done is aftir that into caitifte is brougt Israel, and Jerusalem is bestroide, satte Jeremye the prophet weepund, and weiled with this lamentation Jerusalem; and with bitter inwit sighand and criand weilawai, seide. Then follows in red letters: Here beginneth the Lamentation of Jeremye, that is intitle Cenoth; with the sortynge out of Ebrue letters.
ALEPH: How sitteth aloon the city, &c. See something of a similar kind from other authorities, at the beginning of Lamentations.
MASORETIC NOTES
Number of verses in this Book, 1365.
Middle verse, Jer 28:11.
Masoretic sections, 31.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He treated him like a prince, with a respect becoming his former state, took care both for his habit and diet: for his habit, that it should be decent, such as became a person of his quality, though a captive: for his diet, that he should have it in his court, thereby learning others that humanity which becometh all men to treat others with that are fallen under their power; that decency which becometh them as men, and as men whose circumstances have been better; doing to others as we would they should do unto us. Thus Jehoiachins lot was different from that of his father Jehoiakim, whose body was cast out, as we heard before; as also from that of his uncle Zedekiah, who did not only die in Babylon, but died a prisoner; his nephew Jehoiachin died there, and a captive, but not in durance.
Thee four last verses are found also 2Ki 25:27-30; and being found here in a narrative form, related as a piece of history relating a thing done not in a prophetical style, are an argument (as was said before) that this whole chapter is no part of the prophecy of Jeremiah, and probably not wrote by him; for he beginning his prophecy in the thirteenth year of Josiah, who reigned thirty-one years, and continuing it three months during the reign of Jehoahaz, and eleven years during the reign of Jehoiakim, and three months during the reign of Jehoiachin, (or Jeconiah,) and eleven years during the reign of Zedekiah, and Jehoiachin outliving the reign of Zedekiah twenty-five years, it must needs be sixty-five years and a half after the word of the Lord first came to Jeremiah before the death of Jehoiachin; so as the prophet, if he lived to that time, must be near a hundred years old, which is not probable.
Here now endeth the history of the kingdom of Judah. I shall only note the severe judgment of God upon this people, whose kingdom was made up of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and half the tribe of Manasseh. In the numbering of the persons belonging to these two tribes, Num 1, (counting half of the number of the tribe of Manasseh,) we find one hundred twenty-six thousand one hundred. Num 26, we find of them one hundred forty-eight thousand four hundred and fifty. Here, Jer 52:30, we find no more of them carried into captivity than four thousand and six hundred. From whence we may judge what a multitude of them were slain by the sword, or killed by the famine and the pestilence, though we make a great allowance for such as were left in the land to dress vineyards and to till the ground. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, to mock his messengers, despise his words, and misuse his prophets, till there be no remedy, as this people did, 2Ch 36:16.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
34. every day a portionrather,”its portion,” (compare 1Ki8:59, Margin).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And [for] his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon,…. This seems to design not food only, and for himself, which he had daily at the king’s table, but all necessary provisions for himself, family, and servants:
every day a portion, until the day of his death, all the days of his life; that is, of Jeconiah’s; how long he lived after this is not known; he was now fifty five years of age, and cannot be thought to have lived a great while after, having been imprisoned so many years; and it is certain he did not live to the return from the captivity. Of the death of Zedekiah we have no account, only that he died in prison. The Jews say x he died at this very time, when Jeconiah was advanced. The account here given of Jeconiah has led some to conclude that this chapter was not written by Jeremiah; since it cannot be well thought he should live so long as to the death of this prince; and, besides, had given an account of the destruction of Jerusalem in the thirty ninth chapter, which he would hardly repeat: though that he might do, partly for the sake of new circumstances here added; and partly as an introduction to the book of the Lamentations, which follows.
x Seder Olam Rabba, c. 28. p. 81.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
REFLECTIONS
READER! what vast subjects open to our most devout meditation, while going over in the perusal those prophetical writings of the mournful Prophet Jeremiah. How gracious to his Church and people, the Lord is here manifested! How patient, and long suffering! And, finally, what an issue to his mercy! How tried, afflicted; distressed, and exercised, his faithful servant the Prophet! And what a series of the most aggravated provocations, rebellions, and sins, did the people of Israel and Judah set up against the Lord; and against Jeremiah!
Reader! solemnly ponder well the whole subject. Then call to mind the Covenant faithfulness of Jehovah, as the one only cause of Israel’s salvation. Oh! the blessedness of that rich mercy and grace given the Church in Christ Jesus, before the world began. Here Reader! centre all your views. Here trace all mercies to their source. In Jesus behold the whole purpose of redemption: and from Jesus see that you draw all your consolation. God in Christ reconciling the world to himself, explains the whole mystery of redemption, and places the whole on a firm foundation, not to be shaken. May a gracious God, give both to him that writes, and to him that reads, more and more to rest on this Rock of Ages, and to be looking forward with holy faith to that hour when the Lord will bring again, Zion, and overthrow all the enemies of the Church, as Babylon, with an everlasting destruction! Amen.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
until, &c. Note the items above, which are supplemental to 2Ki 25.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
there was: 2Sa 9:10, Mat 6:11
every day a portion: Heb. the matter of the day in his day, Luk 11:3
Reciprocal: Ezr 3:4 – as the duty of every day required Pro 30:8 – convenient for me Ecc 5:18 – it is his Jer 9:26 – Egypt
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 52:34. Jehoiachin not only dined with the king, but was given a daily serving out of the provisions that had been prepared for the Babylonian king. We are not given the information as to the cause of this special friendship between this captive and bis master, a favor he enjoyed to the end of his life.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
52:34 And [for] his food, there was a {q} continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
(q) That is he had allowance in the court, and thus at length he had rest and quietness because he obeyed Jeremiah the Prophet, while the others were cruelly ordered that would not obey him.