Zedekiah's Reign and Rebellion
Study note
This historical appendix was probably added by someone other than Jeremiah to provide a final record of the events his prophecies had predicted. Zedekiah became king at age twenty-one and ruled for eleven years. Like King Jehoiakim before him, he did evil in God's sight. Because of God's anger against Judah's continued sin, he allowed these events to unfold. Zedekiah's rebellion against Babylon triggered the final siege.
1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king. He ruled from Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from the town of Libnah. Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2 Zedekiah did things that the Lord saw as evil. He followed the same wicked path as Jehoiakim before him. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3 Everything that happened to Jerusalem and Judah was a result of the Lord's anger. In the end, the Lord drove them out of his presence completely. Then Zedekiah decided to rebel against the king of Babylon. For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
The Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Study note
Nebuchadnezzar's siege began on the tenth day of the tenth month of Zedekiah's ninth year and lasted about eighteen months. The famine became so severe that there was no food left. When the city wall was breached, Zedekiah and his soldiers fled at night through a gap between two walls near the king's garden. The Babylonian army caught Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho. He was brought to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, where his sons were executed before his eyes and then his own eyes were put out. He was bound in chains and taken to Babylon, where he remained in prison until his death.
4 In the ninth year of Zedekiah's rule, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem with his whole army. They set up camp around the city and built walls to block every way in or out. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.
5 The city stayed under siege all the way until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign. So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
6 By the ninth day of the fourth month, the hunger in the city was so bad that there was no food left at all for the people to eat. And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.
7 Then the enemy broke through the city wall. All the soldiers fled the city that night, sneaking out through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden. Even though Babylonian troops had the city completely surrounded, the soldiers slipped away toward the Jordan Valley. Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.
8 But the Babylonian army chased after them. They caught King Zedekiah on the open plains near Jericho. By then, every one of his soldiers had already run away and left him. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
9 They seized the king and hauled him before King Nebuchadnezzar at the city of Riblah in the territory of Hamath. That is where Nebuchadnezzar pronounced judgment on him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.
10 Before Zedekiah, the king of Babylon killed all of his sons. He also killed every official of Judah who was at Riblah. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.
11 Then he gouged out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and transported him to Babylon. Zedekiah remained locked up in prison until the day he died. Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
The Temple Is Destroyed and Its Treasures Taken
Study note
About a month after the city fell, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard arrived in Jerusalem. He burned the Lord's temple, the royal palace, and all the important buildings. The Babylonian army tore down the city walls. The remaining people were taken captive, except for the poorest who were left to tend the vineyards and farms. The bronze pillars, the bronze sea (a large washing basin), and all the gold and silver items from the temple were broken apart and carried to Babylon. These items had been the pride of Solomon's temple for nearly 400 years. The detailed description of the pillars and their decorations preserves a record of what was lost.
12 On the tenth day of the fifth month, during the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar's rule, Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem. He was the captain of the royal guard, a personal servant of the king of Babylon. Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,
13 He burned down the Lord's temple, the royal palace, and every significant building in the city. He turned them all to ashes. And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:
14 The whole Babylonian army tore down every wall around Jerusalem. They served under the captain of the guard. And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.
15 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, rounded up several groups. He sent them into exile. He took some of the poorest people and the rest left in the city. He took those who had given up to Babylon and the skilled workers. Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.
16 But Nebuzaradan did leave behind some of the very poorest people in the land. He put them to work caring for the vineyards and farming the fields. But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.
17 The Babylonians took apart the large bronze pillars at the Lord's temple, along with the bronze stands and the enormous bronze basin known as the Sea. They hauled every bit of the bronze back to Babylon. Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.
18 They also took the pots, shovels, and wick trimmers. They took the bowls, serving dishes, and every bronze item used in temple worship. The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
19 The captain took the basins, firepans, bowls, and cooking pots. He took the lampstands, dishes, and cups. He took anything made of pure gold or pure silver. And the basins, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.
20 The two massive pillars, the Sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that supported the stands -- all of these had been built by King Solomon for the Lord's temple. The combined weight of the bronze in all these items was far too great to measure. The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
21 Each of the two pillars stood twenty-seven feet tall and measured eighteen feet around. They were hollow inside, with walls about three inches thick. And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.
22 Sitting on top of each pillar was a bronze capital that stood seven and a half feet high. It was decorated all around with a woven pattern of bronze pomegranates. The second pillar was identical. And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.
23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides. The total number of pomegranates around the whole pattern was one hundred. And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.
Leaders Executed and People Exiled
Study note
Nebuzaradan arrested the chief priest Seraiah, the second priest Zephaniah, three doorkeepers, and other officials and soldiers. They were taken to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, where he had them executed. The chapter provides specific numbers for three deportations: 3,023 Jews in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, 832 from Jerusalem in his eighteenth year, and 745 in his twenty-third year. The total was 4,600 people. These numbers may count only adult males, with the actual total being much larger when families are included.
24 The captain of the guard seized Seraiah the head priest. He took Zephaniah, second in rank. He took the three men who guarded the temple doors. And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
25 From inside the city, he also captured a military commander. He found seven of the king's closest advisors hiding in the city. He took the army commander's chief secretary, who was in charge of drafting soldiers. He also seized sixty ordinary people who were caught inside the city walls. He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.
26 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took all of these prisoners and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
27 The king of Babylon put them all to death there at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. And so the people of Judah were ripped from their homeland and carried off into exile. And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.
28 Here is the count of people taken. In Nebuchadnezzar's seventh year, he took 3,023 Jews. This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:
29 In the eighteenth year of his rule, 832 people were taken from Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:
30 During the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took away another 745 Jewish people. The total number of all people taken away was 4,600. In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.
Jehoiachin Released from Prison
Study note
The book ends with a ray of hope. In the thirty-seventh year of King Jehoiachin's exile, the new Babylonian king Evil-Merodach (Amel-Marduk) released Jehoiachin from prison. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor above the other captive kings in Babylon. Jehoiachin exchanged his prison clothes for royal clothing and ate at the king's table for the rest of his life. This event, confirmed by Babylonian records that mention food rations for 'Yaukin king of Judah,' shows that God preserved the royal line of David even in exile, keeping alive the hope of a future restoration.
31 King Jehoiachin of Judah had been in prison for thirty-seven years. Then something good finally happened. On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, King Evil-Merodach of Babylon began to rule. He was kind to Jehoiachin and let him out of prison. And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,
32 He treated Jehoiachin with respect. He gave him a seat of honor above all the other captive kings living in Babylon. And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,
33 So Jehoiachin was able to take off his prison clothes for good. For the rest of his life, he was invited to eat his meals at the king's own table. And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.
34 The king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin food every day for the rest of his life, all the way up to the day he died. 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.