By Eugene Garner

PART V

AN HISTORICAL POSTSCRIPT

From the Reign of Zedekiah to the Liberation of Jehoiachin

JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 52

FROM ZEDEKIAH'S REIGN

TO JEHOIACHIN'S RELEASE

    In this chapter one finds fuller vindication of Jeremiah's ministry through the fulfillment of his word. The content is very close to the record found in 2 Kings 24-25 and 2 Chronicles 36.

    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 And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence.

    1. Zedekiah began to reign in Judah when he was 21 years old, and reigned for 11 years, (vs. 1; comp. 2 Kings 24:18-20; 2 Chron. 36:11-13).
      a. He was a son of the good king Josiah, whom Jeremiah dearly loved.
      b. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
    2. He did evil in the Lord's sight, just as his brother, Jehoiakim had done, (vs. 2; comp. I Kings 14:22; Jer. 36:30-31).
    3. Their corruption surpassing the boundaries of God's endurance, He, in righteous indignation, cast them away from His presence, (vs. 3; comp. Isaiah 3:1, 4-5).

    Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 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 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 6 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 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 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 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 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 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.

    1. Though, by the name of Jehovah, he had sworn loyalty to king Nebuchadnezzar, the stiff-necked Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon, (vs. 3b; 2 Chron. 36:13).
    2. As a result of Zedekiah's rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar and his army set a siege around Jerusalem (in the 9th year, 10th month and 10th day of Zedekiah's reign); it was kept there until approximately 18 months later, when, in the midst of a sore famine in the city, a breach was made in the wall of Jerusalem, (vs. 4-la; 39:1; 2 Kings 25:1-7; comp. Ezek. 24:1).
    3. Thus, Zedekiah and all his men of war tried to escape by night, but were apprehended in the plains of Jericho - his army being scattered, (vs. 7b-8; 39:4-7).
    4. He was taken before Nebuchadnezzar, at Riblah, where sentence was passed upon him - illustrating the high cost of rebellion against the word of the Lord! (vs. 9-11).
      a. Nebuchadnezzar slew all the sons of Zedekiah before his very eyes (22:30; 39:6) - with all the princes of Judah.
      b. Then he put out the king's eyes (39:7; Ezek. 12:13), bound, him in chains, and took him to Babylon where he was imprisoned for the rest of his life.

    12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, 13 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 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 Then Nebuzaradan 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 the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

    1. Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, in the service of king Nebuchadnezzar, entered Jerusalem on the 10th day of the 5th month (586-585 B.C. vs. 12).
    2. He burned the temple, the king's palace, and the houses of all the prominent men of the city, (vs. 13; 2 Chron. 36:8, 19; Psa. 74:6-8; 79:1; Isa. 64:10-11; Lam. 2:7).
    3. Then he directed the soldiers that were with him in the breaking down of the walls that were around Jerusalem, (vs. 14; 2 Kings 25:10; Neh. 1:3).
    4. Having completed his task, he left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen - leading a number of captives to Babylon, (vs. 15-16; 2 Kings 25:11-12; Jer. 39:10; 40:2-6).

    17 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 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 And the basons, 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 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 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 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 And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.

    This passage describes the looting of the temple in Jerusalem before it was burned, and tells of its sacred vessels being taken to Babylon as a booty of the victor. Some of these vessels (of brass, silver and gold) were so large that it was necessary to break them in pieces for easier transportation.

    24 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: 25 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 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 27 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.

    Here is information that was not recorded in chapter 39. Nebuzaradan, took captive Seraiah, the chief priest, and Zephaniah, his assistant, three keepers of the doors, a eunuch of high military authority, seven of Zedekiah's counselors, a secretary to the commander who drafted men for military duty, along with 60 men of the land who were found in Jerusalem. These he brought to Nebuchadnezzar, at Riblah - all of whom he put to death.

    28 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 Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons: 30 In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan 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.

    Three different deputations are mentioned in this passage:
    1. In the 7th year (597-596 B.C.), 3,023.
    2. In the 11th year (593-592 B.C), 832.
    3. In the 23rd year (582-581 B.C.), 745 - making a total of 4,600.

    These figures surely did not include women and children. 2 Kings 24:14 mentions 10,000 being led away upon the removal of Jehoiachin - Ezekiel being among them, (Ezek. 1:1-3).

    31 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 Evilmerodach 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 And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, 33 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. 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.

(See: 2 Kings 25:27-30).

    1. In the 37th year of Jehoiachin's captivity Evil-merodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, came to the throne of Babylon.
    2. The new king set Jehoiachin free from prison and treated him with both kindness and respect, (Comp. Gen. 40:13, 20; Psa. 3:3; 27:6).
    3. His position was higher than that of any other (subdued) king that was with him in Babylon.
    4. Like Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, Jehoiachin was permitted to eat at the king's table, and was provided a daily allowance, for as long as he lived, (2 Sam. 9:7, 10, 13).

    This brief historical appendix reveals that the message of Jeremiah, a man so long derided and abused by his own unbelieving countrymen, has been translated into history. The long-threatened punishment of sin, rebellion, apostasy and gross iniquity has finally begun.
    Yet, in spite of the calamity that has befallen Judah, there lingers an underlying hope that the Lord will ultimately restore His people - both to the covenant-relationship, and to the land of their fathers.