Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 36:16
But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till [there was] no remedy.
16. mocked the messengers ] Jeremiah was imprisoned, beaten, and threatened with death, Urijah (Jer 26:20-23) was put to death. Of the fate of Habakkuk (who also lived during the Chaldean period, Hab 1:6) nothing is known.
misused his prophets ] R.V. scoffed at his prophets.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Misused his prophets – Rather, scoffed at his prophets. The allusion is to verbal mockery, not to persecution.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
They mocked the messengers of God; of which see instances, Eze 11:3; 20:49.
Misused his prophets; imprisoning and persecuting them, as they did Jeremiah. Or, seduced themselves by his prophets, i.e. by their prophecies, which they perverted or misconstrued. An eminent instance we have in this, that because Jeremiah prophesied that Zedekiah should be led to Babylon, Jer 32:5, and Ezekiel, that he should not see Babylon, Eze 12:13, therefore they believed neither, as the Hebrew writers relate.
Till there was no remedy; because the people would not repent, and God would not pardon them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words,…. Which was the treatment Jeremiah and Ezekiel frequently met with:
and misused his prophets; imprisoned them, as Micaiah and Jeremiah were:
until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people; which burned like fire in his breast, and broke out to the consumption of them:
till there was no remedy; or healing of them; there was no reclaiming or recovering of them, no bringing them to repentance, and no pardon for them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(16) But they mocked.And they were mocking, malbm; only here (an Aramaism).
Misused.Mittatem, only here. Derided, strictly, stammered. Another form of this verb occurs in Gen. 27:12. (Comp. for the fact Isa. 28:9-14; Ezekiel 33, 30; Jer. 17:15; Jer. 20:7-8.)
Till there was no remedy.Healing; i.e., deliverance, (comp. 2Ch. 21:18). God is said to heal, when he averts calamity (2Ch. 30:20).
The wrath . . . arose.Went up (lh), like smoke (Psa. 18:8; 2Sa. 11:20).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till [there was] no remedy.
Ver. 16. But they mocked the messengers of God. ] Yea, misused them, murdered them. See 2Ch 30:10 Mat 21:34-36 .
Until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people.
Till there was no remedy.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
they mocked = they kept mocking. Compare Mat 23:37. Especially Urijah (Jer 26:20-23) and Jeremiah 37 and Jeremiah 38.
God. Hebrew. Elohim.(with Art.) = the [true] God. App-4.
no remedy. These words, occurring as they do on the last page of the Hebrew Bible, led to the conversion of the late Joseph Rabinovitch, of Kischeneff.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
mocked: 2Ch 30:10, Psa 35:16, Isa 28:22, Jer 5:12, Jer 5:13, Jer 20:7, Luk 18:32, Luk 22:63, Luk 22:64, Luk 23:11, Luk 23:36, Act 2:13, Act 17:32, Heb 11:36
despised: Pro 1:24-30, Luk 16:14, Act 13:41, 1Th 4:8
misused: Jer 32:3, Jer 38:6, Mat 5:12, Mat 21:33-41, Act 7:52
the wrath: Psa 74:1, Psa 79:1-5
till: Pro 6:15, Pro 29:1
remedy: Heb. healing
Reciprocal: Gen 19:14 – as one Gen 21:9 – mocking Lev 26:15 – despise Deu 6:15 – lest Deu 8:20 – so shall ye perish Jos 23:15 – so shall Jos 24:19 – he will not Jdg 2:14 – the anger Jdg 2:17 – they would 2Sa 24:19 – as the Lord 1Ki 22:8 – but I hate him 2Ki 1:10 – If I be a man 2Ki 2:23 – mocked 2Ki 17:13 – and against 2Ki 17:15 – testimonies 2Ki 21:9 – they hearkened 2Ki 21:14 – the remnant 2Ki 22:17 – shall not be 2Ki 23:26 – Notwithstanding 1Ch 19:4 – sent them 2Ch 24:19 – Yet he sent 2Ch 33:10 – General Ezr 5:12 – But after Ezr 9:7 – into the hand Neh 9:26 – slew Job 33:23 – a messenger Pro 1:25 – ye Pro 5:12 – and my Pro 9:7 – General Pro 13:13 – despiseth Isa 5:25 – the anger Isa 7:13 – to weary Isa 27:11 – therefore Isa 28:10 – For precept Isa 30:9 – will not Isa 65:12 – because Jer 2:30 – your own sword Jer 6:10 – the word Jer 7:13 – and I spake Jer 13:10 – evil Jer 14:19 – no healing Jer 19:15 – because Jer 20:8 – the word Jer 22:21 – I spake Jer 25:4 – rising Jer 26:8 – the priests Jer 30:12 – General Jer 32:33 – rising Jer 34:14 – but Jer 35:14 – rising Jer 42:18 – As mine Jer 44:5 – they Jer 44:23 – ye have burned Lam 2:5 – he hath swallowed up Israel Lam 3:43 – thou hast slain Eze 2:3 – I send Eze 3:19 – if thou Eze 24:8 – it might Dan 9:6 – have we Hos 9:17 – because Hos 11:2 – they called Amo 5:10 – hate Amo 8:14 – shall fall Zep 2:2 – before the fierce Zec 1:4 – unto Zec 7:12 – therefore Zec 8:14 – I repented Mat 14:10 – and beheaded Mat 21:34 – he sent Mat 21:35 – General Mat 23:37 – how Mar 12:3 – they Luk 3:20 – General Luk 6:23 – for in Luk 11:48 – for Luk 13:34 – killest Luk 20:10 – sent Act 19:9 – divers Jam 5:10 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH
The wrath of the Lord arose against His people, etc.
2Ch 36:16
At last the hour of retribution had struck. Like the northern kingdom of Israel, nearly one hundred and fifty years before, Judah must pay the penalty of transgression, and as an independent nation cease to exist.
I. There were three stages of captivity.(1) The first was when Nebuchadnezzar, at the commencement of his reign, came up against Jehoiakim in the fourth year of his reign (b.c. 605) and carried off Daniel and his companions to Babylon, and also vessels from the Temple. (2) The second stage was reached in the reign of Jehoiachin (b.c. 597), who, having rebelled against Babylon, was attacked by Nebuchadnezzar. Jerusalem was taken, and the king, with large numbers of the leading people, and also treasures from the Temple and the kings house, were taken to Babylon. The captives numbered ten thousand, and among them was the prophet Ezekiel. (3) The third and final stage was in the reign of Zedekiah, brother of Jehoiakim (b.c. 586), when the city was destroyed. This chapter treats of this final catastrophe.
II. What were its causes?(1) Political. Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. He had made a solemn covenant with him, and dishonourably broke it shortly afterwards. Ezekiel scathingly refers to this (2Ch 17:11-19). It was to punish such a flagrant breach of faith that Nebuchadnezzar came up against Jerusalem, resolved this time to be satisfied with no half measures. Trickery in the end defeats itself in national and political life as well as in private conduct. (2) But the political complications and difficulties had their roots in the religious condition of the nation. Had the people and king faithfully served Jehovah, neither Babylon nor Egypt need have been feared. God would have given them a happy issue out of all their afflictions. The causes of the captivity were chiefly religious, and it is on these Jeremiah mainly dwells. (a) The king, though having his good qualities, as might be expected in a son of Josiah, stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning unto the way of the Lord God of Israel. (b) The chief of the priests went after the abominations of the heathen. (c) The people mocked the messengers of God and misused His prophets. Therefore He brought upon them the king of the Chaldees. In the end Judah come to know that it was their sins that brought upon them captivity, not the superior power of Babylon. The same laws work still in the history of nations. Obedience to God is the primary condition of firm freedom and permanent prosperity.
III. The consequences of rebellion and disobedience are concisely stated in the latter portion of the chapter.There was a terrible siege, with all the horrors of famine. Mothers boiled and ate the flesh of their own little ones. When the city fell there was (a) a pitiless slaughter of young and old; (b) the Temple and palaces were destroyed by fire and the wall of the city broken down; (c) those who were not slain by the cruel soldiery were carried away captive to Babylon. The kings sons were slain before his eyes, which were then put out, and he was later taken in chains to Babylon, where he remained in prison till the day of his death (Jer 52:7-11). Thus the nation perished in blood and fire. Its sin had found it out. The dread issues of sin may be postponed, but cannot be ultimately avoided. The mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small. Slow and sure is the Divine method of judgment as revealed in history. The pity is that because judgment against evil work is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Yet postponement is not abandonment. Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. This dire calamity did not come upon the people without warning or appeal.
IV. God had compassion on the people.He did not willingly or quickly afflict. The Divine compassion was manifested by sending his messengers to turn them from their evil ways. Jeremiah, Urijah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, had all lifted up their warning voice. But each was as a voice crying in the wilderness. The chastisements already afflicted upon the kings and people were a further revelation of righteousness. Yet, though Manasseh had been brought low, Jehoiakim buried with the burial of an ass, Jehoiachin led away to nearly forty years captivity, the city encompassed again and again by the enemies of its independence, and though the horrors of the siege were rapidly leading to the tragic consummation, all these voices of condemnation and compassion passed unheeded. The nation persisted in its wickedness till there was no remedy. The cancer was incurable. Thus the words of Jeremiah were fulfilled. To disregard them was not to destroy them. He had the melancholy satisfaction, not given to every prophet and reformer, of seeing his predictions justified. He himself was preserved in that terrible day of the Lord. Offered by Nebuchadnezzar the option of going as a free man to Babylon or remaining in the land, he patriotically chose the latter course. Soon after he passed to Tahpanhes in Egypt, and after all the years of strife and contention he ended his days in peace, not without hope of a dawn of a better day when, purified by affliction, the people should return to their own land, rebuild the Temple, and rejoice in the lovingkindness of the Lord, which by their sin was seemingly eclipsed, but really was shining upon them all the time. The land kept Sabbath to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Illustrations
(1) The captivity.Most striking object-lesson in worlds history. Evidence indisputable; no infidel arguments can erase the effect or deny the cause. No human mind could have conceived such prophecies, still less have them brought to pass. Proof of Gods foreknowledge and Almighty power. Same God lives to-day. Fear, love, and obey Him.
(2) A certain portion of the river, rushing on with increasing speed to the Falls of Niagara, is known as Past Redemption Point. Once a boat has passed that spot no effort of the rowers can pull it up the stream again. The nation had passed its redemption point. The disastrous termination of the national life became inevitable.
(3) What a long process it was to bring the Hebrew people into a condition by which the whole world might be blessed through their instrumentality! What pruning this stock was exposed to ere Christ came of it! Evidently we are in the midst of a vast process, during which we are being fitted, as individuals and nations, for mighty destinies.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
2Ch 36:16. But they mocked the messengers of God Of which see instances Eze 11:3; Eze 20:49. Misused his prophets Imprisoning and persecuting them as they did Jeremiah; or, seduced themselves by his prophets; that is, by the prophecies of his prophets, which they perverted, or misconstrued. An eminent instance of which we have in this, that because Jeremiah prophesied that Zedekiah should be led to Babylon, (Jer 32:5,) and Ezekiel, that he should not see Babylon, (Eze 12:13,) and therefore they believed neither, as the Hebrew writers relate. Till there was no remedy Because the people would not repent, and God would not pardon them without repentance.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till [there was] no {g} remedy.
(g) Till God could no longer allow their sins, but must punish them.