Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 25:7
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
7. slew the sons of Zedekiah ] This was done to prevent the rise of a new revolt under a successor. To do it in the sight of the father was to break down all his hope of any rightful successor taking his throne. The narrative in Jeremiah adds that Nebuchadnezzar ‘slew all the nobles of Judah’. Not only was the royal family destroyed, but the men of power and influence were all extinguished.
put out the eyes of Zedekiah ] This punishment the Philistines inflicted on Samson (Jdg 16:21) before they put him in the prison-house. The LXX. had this instance so much in mind that they say Zedekiah was put . The deprivation of the eyes was not uncommon in the East as a punishment (cf. Herod. 2Ki 7:18).
It is very striking to put side by side the two prophecies concerning Zedekiah uttered the one by Jeremiah, the other by Ezekiel. The former said (Eze 34:3) ‘Thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon (cf. Jer 32:4); the latter (2Ki 12:13) says of this king ‘I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldans, yet shall he not see it though he shall die there’.
and bound him with fetters of brass ] R.V. in fetters. There is no need to express the metal of which the fetters were made. In English on the contrary we speak of ‘putting a man in irons ’ and omit ‘fetters’. The Hebrew word is dual, and properly signifies ‘double fetters’. His legs as well as his hands were shackled.
and carried him to Babylon ] The narrative in Jeremiah adds ‘and put him in prison till the day of his death’.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Before his eyes – This refinement of cruelty seems to have especially shocked the Jews, whose manners were less barbarous than those of most Orientals. It is noted by Jeremiah in two places Jer 39:6; Jer 52:10.
And put out the eyes of Zedekiah – Blinding has always been among the most common of secondary punishments in the East (compare Jdg 16:2 l). The blinding of Zedekiah reconciled in a very remarkable way prophecies, apparently contradictory, which had been made concerning him. Jeremiah had prophesied distinctly that he would be carried to Babylon Jer 32:5; Jer 34:3. Ezekiel had said that he should not see Babylon Eze 12:13. His deprivation of sight before he was carried to the conquerors capital fulfilled the predictions of both prophets.
With fetters of brass – literally, (see Jer 39:7 margin), with two chains of brass. The Assyrians captives are usually represented as bound hand and foot – the two hands secured by one chain, the two feet by another. According to Jewish tradition Zedekiah was, like other slaves, forced to work in a mill at Babylon. Jeremiah tells us that he was kept in prison until he died Jer 52:11.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Thus two prophecies were fulfilled, which seemed contrary one to the other, that he should go to Babylon, Jer 32:5; 34:3, and that he should never see Babylon; which seeming contradiction, because Zedekiah the false prophet could not reconcile, he concluded both were false, and that Jeremiah was a false prophet; and it seems Zedekiah the king might stumble at this difficulty.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
[See comments on 2Ki 25:1]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) And they slew . . .The verbs are all singular in Jer. 39:6; Jer. 52:10-11; so that the acts in question are attributed directly to Nebuchadnezzar, to whose orders they were due. (So the versions, except that the Targum has they slew.) The blinding of Zedekiah need not have been done by the conqueror himself, although in the Assyrian sculptures kings are actually represented as blinding and otherwise torturing their captives. It is no argument against the singular, he carried him to Babylon, to say with Thenius that Zedekiah was sent to Babylon at once, while Nebuchadnezzar remained at Riblah. Qui facit per alium, facit per se.
The sons.Who fled with him (Comp. Jer. 41:10). In Jeremiah it is added that all the nobles or princes. of Judah were slain also.
Put out the eyes.A Babylonian punishment (Herod, vii. 18). This was the meaning of Ezekiels prediction; I will bring him to Babylon . . . yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there (Eze. 12:13).
With fetters of brass.Literally, with the double brass (2Ch. 33:12); i.e., with manacles and fetters, as represented on the Assyrian monuments.
Carried him to Babylon.Jer. 52:11; and put him in prison till the day of his death. So the Arabic of Kings.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Slew the sons before his eyes This was not only to intensify Zedekiah’s woes by making his sons’ execution the last sight of his eyes, but also to end his dynasty.
Put out the eyes of Zedekiah This barbarous and cruel punishment was practised by various ancient nations. Thus the Philistines punished Samson when he fell into their power, (Jdg 16:21,) and thus the Persians tortured great offenders. It was done by thrusting hot irons or a sharp lance into the eyes. On the monuments of Nineveh is the picture of a king piercing with a lance the eyes of some royal captive.
Fetters of brass Literally, double brass. See note on Jdg 16:21.
Carried him to Babylon But being sightless, he did not see Babylon and the land of the Chaldeans, so that Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning him came literally to pass, (Eze 12:13,) as well as that of Jeremiah, (Jer 32:4,) that he should “ surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes should behold his eyes.” This latter was fulfilled at Riblah. He died in the land of his captivity, (Eze 12:13,) probably in prison, and not long after his capture and imprisonment. Josephus says he was honoured with a magnificent burial.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 25:7. And put out the eyes of Zedekiah, &c. Josephus takes notice, that the seeming contradiction in the prophesies of Ezekiel and Jeremiah concerning the fate of Zedekiah, made that prince give no heed to what was foretold. Ezekiel’s prophesy runs thus: I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans, yet shall he not see it, though he die there, chap. 2Ki 12:13. Jeremiah’s thus: He shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes, Jer 32:4. Both of which were literally accomplished; for Zedekiah was carried to Riblah, where he saw the king of Babylon, and spake to him, and beheld his children executed, but had afterwards his eyes put out, and was then carried to Babylon, which however he was incapable of seeing. The reflection which Josephus makes upon this event as excellent: “This may serve to convince even the ignorant,” says he, “of the power and wisdom of God; and of the constancy of his counsels through all the various ways of his operations. It may likewise shew us, that God’s foreknowledge of things is certain, and his providence regular in the ordering of events; and besides it holds forth a most exemplary instance of the danger of our giving way to the motions of sin and infidelity, which deprive us of the means of discerning God’s judgments, even though ready to fall upon us;” Antiq. lib. 10: cap. 11.
REFLECTIONS.Zedekiah soon felt what an unequal match he was for the king whom he had by rebellion provoked; for, how could he hope to resist, who had not only the powers of earth but the arm of God against him?
1. Jerusalem is besieged, and, after suffering the greatest extremities of famine, Eze 5:10, Jer 52:6 taken by storm. How terrible is war!
2. The king is taken prisoner as he attempted to escape, forsaken of his guards, and brought back with shame to the camp of the Chaldeans, to behold those miseries which, had he followed Jeremiah’s advice, chap. Jer 38:17 he might have escaped. He is condemned to suffer the reward of his deeds; first, to behold the tormenting sight of his sons all murdered before his eyes, and then for ever to close them upon this mournful scene, as left in misery to ruminate on the cause; while, languishing in fetters of iron, he passed his wretched days, a miserable spectacle, and monument of the wages of sin. Note; (1.) They who refuse God’s counsel to escape, will find the vanity of their own contrivances. (2.) The impenitent sinner’s doom is, to be bound in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Ki 25:7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
Ver. 7. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah. ] Who were, likely, taken with him, and consenting to his rebellion. a
Before his eyes.
And put out the eyes of Zedekiah.
a Josephus
b Turk. Hist., 262.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
put out the eyes. So that he did not “see” Babylon, though he was to die there (Eze 12:13). But he did “see” the king of Babylon, according to Jer 32:4; Jer 34:3. See note on Gen 19:11.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
they slew: Gen 21:16, Gen 44:34, Deu 28:34, Jer 22:30, Jer 39:6, Jer 39:7, Jer 52:10, Jer 52:11
and put out: Heb. and made blind, Thus were fulfilled the apparently contradictory prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel – that his eyes should see the king of Babylon, but Babylon he should not see, though he should die there. Jer 32:4, Jer 32:5, Jer 34:3, Eze 12:13-16
bound him: Jdg 16:21, 2Ch 33:11, 2Ch 36:6, Psa 107:10, Psa 107:11, Psa 149:8, Eze 7:27, Eze 17:16-20
Reciprocal: Deu 28:36 – bring thee 1Sa 31:2 – Saul’s sons 2Ki 17:4 – bound him 1Ch 10:2 – the sons Neh 9:32 – on our kings Ecc 4:14 – also Ecc 8:9 – there is Isa 39:7 – of thy sons Jer 20:4 – thine Jer 38:23 – they shall Lam 2:9 – her king Eze 19:12 – strong Hab 1:10 – scoff Zep 1:8 – the princes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 25:7. They slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes Though they were but children, that this spectacle, the last he was to behold, might leave a deep and durable impression of grief and horror upon his spirit. And in slaying his sons they in effect declared that the kingdom was no more, and that neither he nor any of his breed were fit to be trusted: therefore not fit to live. And put out his eyes, and carried him to Babylon Thus two prophecies were fulfilled, which seemed contrary the one to the other. Jeremiah foretold, That he should be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, and should speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes should behold his eyes, and that he should go to Babylon, Jer 32:4; Jer 34:3; and Ezekiel prophesied, That he should never see Babylon, though he should die there, Eze 12:13. This seeming contradiction, Zedekiah the false prophet could not reconcile, and therefore concluded that both prophecies were false, and, if we may credit Josephus, Zedekiah the king stumbled at this difficulty. Both, however, were literally accomplished. The reflection which Josephus makes on this event, is worthy of the readers attention: This may serve to convince even the ignorant, of the power and wisdom of God; and of the constancy of his counsels through all the various ways of his operations. It may likewise show us that Gods foreknowledge of things is certain; and his providence regular in the ordering of events; and besides, it holds forth a most exemplary instance of the danger of our giving way to the motions of sin and infidelity, which deprive us of the means of discerning Gods judgments, even though ready to fall upon us. Antiq., lib. 10., cap. 11.