Exposition of the Whole Bible

Baruch his amanuénfis not being now with hinv? even all thefe words that are written againft Babjlony in this and the preceding chapter: this book writ-_ ten by Feremiah was a copy of them. Bais ¥. 61. And Feremiab faid to Seraiah, &c.] At the time he delivered the copy to him: when thon comet to Babylon, or art come to Babylon, t city of Babylon, and to the captive Jews t and foalt fee them, the captives; or rather the; and populous city of Babylon, its high walls, gates and towers, whofe deftruction is foretold in this book, and which might feem incredible. Abarbinel interprets it, of his looking into the book given.

looked into till he came to Babylon: and fhalt all thefe words; not before the king of Babylon, his princes, and yet not privately to himielf; but in fome proper place, in the prefence of the captive ‘ews, or the chief of them, convened for that knowledging this prophecy to be, of God; believing the accomplifhment of it; and praying over it, and for it, like a good man, as doubt- him; which he thinks was, not to. be hal rd

‘lefs he was: thou haft (poken againft this place, the city of Babylon, where Seraiah is now fuppofed. to be: to cut it off, that none fhall remain im it,, neé- ther man, nor beaft, but that it foall be defolate. for ever; this is the fubftance of the whole prophecy, that the deftruction of Babylon fhould. be an utter and a perpetual one; and which is expreffed in the fame words that are here ufed, ch. 1. 3, 13, 26, 40. eh e 63. ae it foall be, when thou haft made an end of reading this book, &c.| To, the captive Fews; and having alfo faid the show? beet encir prayer and approbation: that ‘hou fhalt bind a fone to it, and caft it into the midft of Euphrates; a river by which Babylon was fituated. The book. being read, was to be rolled up again, and then a ftone tied to it, and caft into the middle of the river, where the waters were deepeft, and from whence it could not be taken up; and this was a fign confirming the above prophecy; compare with this what was done by a mighty angel concerning myftical Babylon, in which there is an allufion to this, Rev. XViii, 21. cure

¥.64. And thou foalt fay, &c.] Not only ule the above fign and ceremony, but. explain. the meaning of it to tholejof his friends who mighs accompany him; and what he faid was in the name of the Lord, as the form and manner in which the following words are delivered fhew: thus fha Babylon fink, and foall not rife from the evil that E will bring upon ber; as this book, with the fto; bound to it does, and fhall no more rife than can; the evil of punifhment brought on Babylow will fink her to fuch a degree, that the will never be able to bear up under it; but be fo deprefied by it, as never to rife to her former ftate and grandeur any more: and they shall be weary; the inha bitants of it, to have no ftrength to refift their enemies; or rather, fhall be fo weak as not to be able to ftand up under the weight and_preffure upon them, but fhall fink under it; or fhal themfelves in vain to preferve their city from ruin, or reftore it when ruined; fee ¥. 58. Thus fa are the words of Jeremiah that is, concerni

ch. xlvili. 47. for what Maimonides ™ fays, that tho’ Feremiab lived fome time after, yet ceafed to prophefy; or that when he had finifhed his prophecy concerning Babylon, he prophefied no more, is not true; for it is certain, that many of his prophecies were delivered out after the date of this, tho’ this is recorded laft: or the fenfe may be, thus far are the prophetic words of Yeremiah; and fo the Targum, “ hitherto is the prophecy of the ‘* words of ¥eremiah;” what follows in the next chapter being hiftorical; for there is no neceffity to conclude from hence, that that was wrote by any other hand; either as many have thought by Azra, or by the men of the great fynagogue, as Abarbinel.

HIS chapter contains the hiftory of the befieging, taking and deftroying of Feru/alem, by the moving caufe of it, the wicked reign of Zedekiah, ¥. 1, 2, 3. the inftruments of it, the king of Bablylen and his army, which befieged and took it, ¥. 45 5, 6,7. into whofe hands the king of Fudab, his fons, and the princes of Fudab fell; and were very barbaroufly and cruelly ufed by them, ¥. 8,9, 10, 11. Then follows an account of the burning of the temple, the king’s palace, and the houfes in Feru/alem, and the breaking down of the walls of it, ¥. 12, 13, 14. and of thofe that were carried captive, and-of thofe that were left in the land by Nebuzaradan, y. 15,16. and of the feveral veflels and valuable things in the temple, of gold, filver and brafs, it was plundered of, and carried to Babylon, ¥. 1723. and of the murder of feveral perfons of dignity and character, ¥. 24, 25, 26,27. and of the number of thofe that were carried captive at three feveral times, ¥. 28, 29, 30. and the chapter is concluded with the exaltation of Feboiachim king of Fudab, and of the good treatment he met with from the king of Babylon to the day of his death, ¥. 31—34.

part, and broke a folemn covenant made with him an oath, which was highly difpleafing to God, and refented by him; the oath being made in his name, and by one that profeffed to worfhip him: this was an additional fin to thofe of the inhabitants of Fudab and Ferufalem, which provoked the Lord to anger. According to our verfion the fenfe is, that becaufe of the anger of the Lord for the fins of the Yews, God fuffered Zedekiah to rebel againft the king of Babylon, that fo he might be provoked to come againft them, and take vengeance on them; or for his former fins he fuffered him to fall into this, to his own and his peoples ruin.

¥. 4. And it came to pals in the ninth year of bis reign, &c.] Of Zedekiah’s reign: in the ‘tenth month, in the tenth day of the month; the month - Teber, which anfwers to part-of December, and part of Zanuary; hence the faft of the tenth month, on account of the fiege of Ferufalem, Zech. viii. 19: that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his army againft Ferufalem; from whence it appears, that he came in perfon with his army at firft to Ferufalem, but during the fiege, or fome part of it, retired to Riblah, perhaps upon the news y.1. Ledekiah was one and twenty years old when be began to reign, &c.] -Whofe name was Mattaniah; and who was fet on the throne by the king of Babylon, in the roony of his brother’s fon ¥eboiachim, 2 Kings xxiv. 17, 18: and he reigned eleven years in Ferufalem; fo that he was thirty-two years of age when he was taken and carried captive into Babylon: and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Feremiah of Libuab, fee 2 Kings xxiv. of the king of Egypt’s coming to the affiftance of the Fews: and pitched againft it, or encamped againft it: and built forts againft it round about; wooden towers, as Farchi and Kimchi explain it; from whence they could fhoot their arrows, and caft their ftones.

yy. 5. So the city was befieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiab.| The fiege continued about eighteen months; from the tenth day of the tenth

18. month, ‘in the ninth of Zedekiah’s reign, to the y.2. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, &c.] Tho’ we don’t read of any idolatry he was guilty of; yet he was difobedient; to the-word of the Lord, and did not humble himfelf before Feremiah the prophet of the Lord, that fpoke in his.name; and particularly he rebelled againft the king of Badylon, and violated the oath he made to him, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 12, 13: according to all that ‘Feboiakim had done an elder brother of his, who reigned after Fofiah, and before Yeninth day of the fourth month, in the eleventh year of his reign; as follows:.

y. 6. And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, &c.]. The month Tammuz °, which anfwers to part of June, and part of uly; hence the faft of the fourth month, for the taking of the city, Zech. viii. 19: the famine was fore in the city, fo that there was no bread for the people of the land; for the common people; tho’ there might be fome in the king’s palace, and in the houfes of princes hoiachim. and noblemen, and officers of the army; yet none y¥. 3. For thro’ the anger of the Lord it came to pals in Ferufalem and Fudab, &c.] Or, befides the anger of the Lord that was in, or againft Ferufalem and Fudab*, for their many fins and tranfgreffions committed againft him: t// be had cajt them out from bis prefence,; out of the-land of Fudea, out of Ferufalem, and the temple, where were the fymbols of his prefence; fo the Targum, ‘* tillhe re- « moved: them from the land of the houfe of his “ Shekinch;” or majelty: that.Zedekiah rebelled egainft the king of Babylon, ated a very perfidious for the foldiers, and the meaner fort of people; who therefore were difheartened and enfeebled, that they could not defend the city, or hold out any longer: the famine had been before this time, but was now increafed to a prodigious degree, fo that the people had no bread to eat; fee ch, xxxviii. 9.

| y. 7. Then the city was broken up, &c.] Either its gates were broke open, fome one or other of them; or a breach was made in the walls of it, thro’ which the Chaldean army entered: and all the men of war fled, the foldiers, with. their officers, not being able to ftand before the army of the king of Babylon’: aid went forth out of the city by night; at which time very probably the attack was made, and the gates of the city forced open, or the walls broke down; Yo/epbus? fays, it was taken in the middle of the night: dy the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden, {ee the note on ch. xxxix. 4: now the Chaldeans were by the city round about; as part of their army entered into it, the other part furrounded it; or however, were placed at the gates and avenues all around,. that none might efcape: aad they went by the way of the plain; that is, the men of war or foldiers that fied, together with king Zedekiab, his

. ¥. 8. But thevarmy of the Chaldeans purfued after the king, 8&c.] Not finding him in his palace, and being. informed of his flight, and which way he took: azd overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Fericho; fee the note on ch. xxxix. 5: and all bis army was feattered from him, when they faw the enemy purfuing them, and near unto them, they left him, as Fofephus 4 fays, and fhifted for them- x. 9. Then they took the king, 8c.] King Zedekiah, being left alone, excepting fome few with him: «and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; which is fuppofed to be Antioch in Syria y where he gave judgment upon him; or, fpake with him judgments"; chid and reproached him for his perfidy and ingratitude; expoftulated and reafoned with him upon this fubject, expofing his iniquity; and then paffed fentence upon him, which was after executed; fee the note on ch. Xxxix. 5,

¥. 10. And the king of Babylon flew the fons of Zedekiah before bis eyes, &c.| Or however ordered them to be flain; fee the note on ch, xxxix. 6: he flew alfo all the princes of Fudab in Riblab, who, together with the king’s fons, were taken with him; or however, were taken in Yerufalem, and brought to Ridlzh; which of them is not certain, very probably ‘the former. 4 vy. 11, Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, &c.| After he had feen his children and princes exeeuted, which muit be very terrible to him); fee the note on ch. xxxix. 7: and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon; in chy xxxkix. 7. it 8 faidy he bound him, éo carry him there; here it is affirmed he did carry him thither: and ’tis added, aad put bim in prifon. till the day of bis death, from this place only we learn; that king Zedekiah was put into. a prifon, and died a prifoner.

. ¥. 12. Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day \

of the wionth, &c.} Hence the faft of the. fifth month,.for the burning of the city, which was the month 4, and anfwers to part of Ful, and part of Aaguft, Zech. viii. rq: which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; that is, the nineteenth year of his reign; who reigned in all forty-three years, according to Ptolemy’s canon: came Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, which ferved the king of Babylon, into Ferufalem; ot, ftood

‘underftand it of the f{chools, where the law thal;. he was fent, and. came from Rib/ab, to Ferufalem, with a commiffion to burn the city, In the 2 Kiags xxv. 8. it is faid to be on the feventh day of the fifth month that he came thither, here on the tenth day; which difficulty may be folved,. without fuppofing different copies, or any error = he might fet out from Rid/eb on the feventh day,. and come to Yerufalem on the tenth; or he might come thither on the feventh, and not fet to the city till the tenth; or if he fet fire to, the feventh, it might be burning to the tenth, be— fore it was wholly confumed. The Yews* account for it thus, ‘* ftrangers’entered into the’ cy “* and eat in it, and defiled it, the feventhoahd

** they fet fire to it; and it burned and continued ‘* all that whole day, as ‘it is faid, Fer. viiiy.” R. Fobanan was faying, if & had been in that generation, I fhould have fixed on that day, for the greateft part of the temple was burnt on that’ day. The authors of the Univerfal Hiftory fay *, it was. on Wednefday the 11th of the 4th month,»anfwering to our 27th of Fuly; but according to the exprefs words of the text, the city was broke'up on the ninth of the fourth month, and burnt on the tenth day of the fifth month; and which was; ‘according to bifhop Uber”, the 27th of Auguft,°on a fabbath-day, and in the year of the world 3416, and before Chrift 588; and is placed by them:in the fame years; and by Mr. Whiffon* in 589 5 ‘and by Mr. Bedford» in the year 587. ‘This was a month after the taking of the city. 16g

¥. 13. And burnt the honfe of the Lord, &e.} The temple built by Solomon, afterit had ftood four hundred and feventy years, fix months, and ten days, according to Fofephus*; but the Jews fay it ftood but 410 years*: and the king’s houfe; thé royal palace, probably that which was built-by Solomon, 1 Kings vii..1: and all the-boufes of Ferufalem of any note or ftrength: and all the houfes of the great men burnt he with fire; of the princes. and nobles in Ferufalems it is in the fingular’number, and every boufe of the great one; Or, every great houfe*; Farchi interprets it of the fynagogues, where prayer was magnified; and others, «he fays,

magnified. * DB v.14. And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, 8c.) Which he

}brought with him from Ridl/ab, or were left ‘at

Serufalem by thofe that purfued after Zedekiab when the city was taken, which the captain of the guard now had the-command of: Jdroke down a tbe walls of Ferufalem round about, fee the note on*ch.

y. 15. Fhen Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, &c.] That is, of the city, as’ diftin& fromthe poor of thé land of Fudea hé left, afterwards obferved: and the réfidue of the people that remained in the city; that died not by the fword or famine, and fled not pombe: or, even the refidue of the people; and fo are the fame with the poor’ people in the former claufe; tho’ Kimchi ci iuiea ae “© fome of the poor of the people. he

“S tive, and fome of them he left:” and th that Sell away, that fell to the king of Babylon

off from the Fews, and furrendered tothe king of

Babylon during the fiege; or that voluntarily came:

in;,and put themfelves into the hands-ef the captain of the guard: end the reft of the multitude, of the people, both in city and country. v.16. But Nebuzaradan the capiain-of the guard deft certain of the poar of the land, &c.| Of the land of Fudea, who lived in the, country, and had not been concerned. in defending the city againft, the Chaldeans: for vine-dreffers, and for bhufbandmen, to look after the vineyards and fields, and drefs and _ manure them, that the king of Badylon might re- _- ‘cerve fome advantage by the conqueft he had made; ~ fee the note on ch. xxxix. 10. chelke a7. Alfo the pillars of brafs that were in the houfe of the Lord, &c.|. The two pillars in the temple, called Yachin and Boaz, which were made of caft brafs, 1 Kings vii. 15: and the bafes; which were in number ten, and which were alfo made of caft brafs, and were all of one meafure and fize; »and on which the ten lavers.of brafs were fet, five on the right fide, and five on the left fide of the houfe, 1 Kings vii. 27, 375 385 39: and the brazen fea that was in the houfe of the Lord; called the molten fea; a fea, becaufe of the large quantity of water it held; and brazen and molten, becaufe made of molten brafs, 1 Kiags vii. 23: the Chaldeans broke, and carried. all the brafs of them to Badylon,; they broke them to pieces, that they might carry them the more eafily.. This account is given, and which is continued in fome following verfes, partly to fhew the accomplifhment of the prophecy of Feremiah, ch. xxvii. 19. and partly to fhew, that what was left in the temple at the former captivities of Feboiakim and Feconiah, were now carried clear off, y. 18. Lhe cauldrons alfo, &c.] Or pots, as it is rendered, 2 Kings xxv. 14. which were made of bright brafs,.1 Kings vii. 45. thefe, were ufed to boil the flefh.of the facrifices in: and the shovels; ufed to remove the afhes from off the altar of burnt-offerings, and were of brafs alfo: the Zarguim renders them.defoms, whofe handles perhaps were of brafs: and the fnuffers; the Vulgate Latin tranflates it p/alteries; and fo Farchi interprets it of mufical inftruments; fome think songs are meant: and the bowls; or bafons; either to drink out of, or to receive the blood of the facrifice:. and the jpoons 5 ladles, cups, or difhes, veflels ufed about the facrifices: and all the veffels.of brafs wherewith they mimifired, that is, the priefts, in the. temple: took they away; the Chaldeans took them away.

_ ye 1g» And the bafons, &c.J, Or bowls; thefe are omitted,.2 Kings xxv.15. they, were of gold, 1 Kings vii. 50: aud the fire-paus, or cenfers; thefe were thofe of gold, which belonged to the golden altar, 1, Kings viiv 50:.,.and, the. bowls or bafons; there, were a hundred of them.made of gold; 2 Chron. iv. 8: and the cauldrons 3 or pots; thefe are not mentioned, 2: Kings xxv. 15.. what.they thould be, that were either of gold or. filver,; cannot ‘be faid.: end. the.candlefticks 3 of which there were ten in number, made.of pure gold, five on the right fide, and‘ five on the wleft,..before the, oracle, 1 Kings vii. 49: and the, fpoons.; which were alfo of gold, 1 Kings vii. 50: and the cups; the word js gendered dawls, to, cover. withal, Exod. xxv.

according to Farchi, thefe were little golden forks, upon which they placed the fhew-bread, to keep it from moulding; according to the Mi/na<, there were four of them: shat which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of filver, in filver, took the captain of the guard away, that is, every thing that was of gold.or filver he took away; the golden things by themfelves, and the filver things by themfelves, as fome think.).

¥. 20. The two pillars, one fea, and twelve brazen bulls, &c.] The two pillars of Sachin and Bonz before-mentioned, and the molten or brazen fea, with the twelve bulls. or oxen the fea ftood upon, t Kings vii. 25: that were under the bafes; or by the bafes, as Farchi; or rather, that were infead of bafes*, for the twelve oxen were the bafes on which the molten. fea ftood: which king Solomon had made in the houfe of the Lord; this. is. mentioned to fhow, that thefe were the felf-fame. pillars, fea, and oxen, and, other veffels, that Solomon made, that. were now carried away; for tho’? Abaz took down the fea from off the brazen oxen, and put it on a pavement of ftones, yet it feems. not to have been deftroyed; and might be reftored to its proper place by Hezekiah, or fome other prince: the brafs of all thefe veffels was without weight there was no weight fufficient to weigh them; the weight of them could not very well be told; they were fo heavy, that in Solomon’s time the: weight of them was. not taken, when they were placed in the temple, fo neither when they were taken away, 1 Kings vii..47. _ ¥. 21. And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, &c.] As in 1 Kings vii. 15. faid to be thirty-five, 2 Chron, iii. 15. 0f the reconciliation of which, fee the note there: and @ fillet of twelve cubits did compafs it; a thread or line of that meafure encompafied each of the pillars, 1 Kings.vii. 15: and the thickne/s thereof was four fingers, either of the pillar, or the fillet about it; that.is, the brafs of it was four fingers thick: it was hollow; that is, the pillar was hollow.

¥. 22. And a chapiter of brafs was upon it, &c.] Or a coronet of brafs, of molten: bra{s, was: fer upon the, top of the pillar:..and the height of one chapiter was five cubits; asin 1 Kings viie 16.) but in 2 Kings, xxv. 17. the height is faid to be but three cubits; which is reconciled by the Fewi/b Rabdins thus, the three fuperior cubits of it were with ornaments, the two inferior without any; the whole together was. five cubits; but, as ornamented, only three:, with met-work, and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of.brafs; the nets were of chequer-work, and -wreaths of chain-work, and there were feven of them to each chapiter, 1 Kings vii. 17: the fecond-pillar alfo, and the pomegranates were like unto thefe; one pillar was exactly like the other, and the ornaments of it the fame.

¥. 23. nd there were ninety and fix pomegranates on a fide, &c.|] Or, to the wind‘; to the four winds; towards every corner or wind twenty-four, which make up ninety-fix: and all the pomegranates upon the net-work were an hundred round about; four, ftanding upon the four angles, made the ninety-fix an hundred; in 1 Kings vii. 20. they are faid to -be,two hundred; and in.2,Chrom iv. 13.

.29. it was fome kind of inftrument or veffel ufed are faid to be four hundred upon the two wreaths;

about the fhew-bread-table, made of pure gold;

a MDa AN wr Gai chant in Joco bafiam, Pifeator. s; ad omnem ventum, Tigurine verfion; io Ben Melech; verfus ventos, Schmidt; ventum verfus, Pifcator; in which may be accounted for thus, there were two rows rows of them on each pillar, in every row wete a tives at thefe feveral times, in hundred, which made two hundred in one pillar, and four hundred in both. Thefe were the things in the temple carried away in the laft captivity. y¥. 24. And the captain of the guard took Seraiab the chief prief, &c.) That is, out of the temple, where he was miniftring, or fled for fafety; this is fuppofed to be the father of Ezra, 1 Chron. vi. 14. Ezra vii. 1: and Zephaniah the fecond prieft; or deputy-prieft; the Jagan of the priefts, as the Targum calls him, who was deputed to minifter for the high-prieft, in cafe any thing happened which hindered him from officiating; fuch an one there always was in later times on the day of atonement, as appears from the Mifna‘; this man is thought to be the fame with Zephaniah the fon of Meaajeiah the prieft, ch. xxi. 1. and xxix. 25: and the three keepers of the door; that is, of the temple. The Targum calls them, three Amarcalin, who had, as ‘Jarchi fays, the keys of the court committed to them The number feems better to agree with the Gizbarim or treafurers; of whom, it is faid, they never appoint lefs than three treafurers, and feven Amarcalin *. ¥. 25. He tock alfo out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war, &c.|' The mutter-mafter-general of the army: and feven men of them which were near the king’s perfon, or, faw the face of the king, or rather, made to fee his face»; thefe were minifters of ftate, who were always ‘at court, and affifted in councils of ftate, and introduced perfons into the king’s prefence; in 2 Kings xxv. 19. they are faid to be but frve; but Fofephus* has feven, as here; perhaps two of them were of lefs note, and fo not reckoned, as Farchi obferves: fome will have it, that the two fcribes of the judges are left out; but others more probably, Jeremiah and Baruch, who were firft taken, and afterwards difmifled: and the principal {cribe of the hoft, who muftered the people of the land; or the fcribe of the prince of the army, as the Targum; the general’s fecretary: and threefcore men of the people of the land that were found in the midft of the city; perfons of prime note, who, upon the invafion, betook themfelves from the country to the city of Feru/alem with their effects, and to defend it. ‘ofephus * calls them, rulers or governors. ¥. 26. So Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took thei, &c.] In the city, and made them captives: and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblab; to know his mind concerning them; how they fhould be difpofed of; and for him to pafs fentence on them; as he had done on the king of Fudab, his fons, and his princes, in the fame place. y¥. 247. And the king of Babylon {mote them, 8c.] Or ordered them to be {mitten with the*fword; to have their heads cut off, according to Fofephus?: and put them to death in Riblab, in the land of Hamath; thefe being fuch, no-deubt, who obftinately defended the city, and perfuaded the prince and people not to furrender the city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and therefore were put to death in colt blood: thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land; at different ‘times, of which this was the completion; and of which a-particular account is given, even of-the number of the cap-

¥. 28. This is the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried‘away captive in the feventh year, &c.] That is, of his reign: in 2 Kings xxiv. 12. it is faid te be in the eighth year of his reign; it be the latter end of the feventh, and the beginnir the eighth, as Kimchi obferves; this was the ¢ tivity of ‘fecaniah: the number of the captives t were, three thoufand Fews, and three and twenty, but in 2 Kings xxiv. 14. they are faid to be ten thoufand; which may be reconciled thus, there were three thoufand twenty and three of the tribe of Fudah, here called Fews; and the reft were of the tribe of Benjamin, and of the ten tribes that were mixed among them; fee 2 Kings xxiv. 16. —

¥. 29. In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, &c.] Said to be the nineteenth, ¥. 12. it was at the end of the eighteenth, and the beginning of the nineteenth, as Kimchi; or this was before the taking of the city, when he raifed the fiege, and departed to meet the king of Egypt, at which time he might carry captive many, as here faid: be carried away captive from Ferufalem, eight hundred. thirty and two perfons, which is more likely to be then done, than at the taking of the city; when, it is very probable, a greater number was carried captive, which are not here taken notice of.

¥. 30. In the three and twentieth year of Nebtm chadnezzar, &c.| In this year of his reign, the Yews fay ™, Tyre was delivered into his hands; and he carried off the Jews in Moab, Ammon, and the neighbouring nations, to the number after-mentioned; tho’ fome think thefe were the poor people of the land he took. from thence,. after the murder of Gedaliah, and in revenge of that: Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried away captive of the Fews, feven hundred forty and five perfons + all which being put together, make the followin fum: all the perfons were four thoufand and fix bundred; this is the fum total of the three mentioned. captivities.:

¥. 31. And it came to pafs in the feven and thire tieth year of the captivity of Feboiachim king of Fudab, &c.| He was eighteen years of age when he was carried captive; fo that he muft be now fiftyfive years old; fee 2 Kings xxiv. 8: in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month; the month Adar, which anfwers to part of Fe-. bruary, and part of March: in the 2 Kings xxv. 27. the favour fhown by the king of Babylon to Feconiah, after related, is faid to be in the swenty- Jeventh day of the month; it might have been determined and notified on the 25th, but not executed till the 27th; or it might be begun to be put in execution on the 25th, and not finithed till the 27th. The ews, in their Chronicle, fay », that Nebuchadnezzar died on the 25th, and was buried; that on the 26th, Evé/-merodach took him out of his grave, and dragged him about, to abolith his decrees, and to confirm what is faid of him in Jf xiv. 19, and on the 27th he brought Yeconiah out of prifon; — but this is no reconciliation at all; the former is beft. That Lvil-merodach king of Babylon, in the firft year of bis reign, who fuceeeded Nebuchadnezzar, having reigned forty-three years; this king is

Evil-maluruch, by Fofephus 1, Abila-marodach, but by Berofus*, as here: his proper name was Meredach, a name of one of the Chaldean idols, ch. 1. 2. Evil wasa nick-name, whieh fignifies foolif>;) he was called foolith Meredach, on account of his ill conduct, or bad life:

throne, he lifted up the head of Feboiachim king Judah, and brought bim forth out of prifon, that is, he changed his condition for the better; he raifed him out of a low eftate to a more honourable one; he brought him out of a ftate of imprifonment and mifery into a ftate of liberty and honour; what was the teafon of this, is not eafy to-fay. The Fews have a tradition, that Nebuchadnezzar, after jeven years madnefs, coming to himfelf, and to his kingdom, and underftanding that his fon Zvi/- merodach had been guilty of male-adminiftration during that time, and particularly that he rejoiced at his madnefs, caft him into prifon, where he contraéted a friendthip with Feconiah, and when he came to the throne, upon the death of his father, releafed him: but others think, that Yeconiah being a comely young man,’ when he was brought a he captive to Zadylon, and about the age of this prince; he took a liking to him, and pitying his cafe, thewed him this favour, as foon'as he had‘an opthe particular refpect the king of Babylon had for him. | y. 33. And changed his prifon-garments, 8«c.} Which were filthy, and of an ill fmell; and put as foon as he came to the jon him raiment more comfortable, as well as more of honourable, and fuitable to his dignity, and more fit to appear in, in the prefence of the king and his court: and he did continually edt bread before him all the days of bis life; either at the fame table with the king; or at another near him, in his fight, in the fame apartment; though the former feems more likely; and this he did as long as he lived; either Eval-merodach, or rather Feconiah; tho’ perhaps they both died much about the fame time. All this was done about the year of the world 3444, and about 560 years before Chrift, according to Bifhop Ufeer * and Mr. Bedfcrd*; the authors of the Univerfal Hiftory™ place it a year earlier.

¥. 34. dnd for bis diet, there was a continual dict given him of the king of Babylon, &c.] This feems to defign not food only, and for himfelf, which had daily at the king’s table, but all neceffary provifions for himfelf, family, and fervants: every day a portion, until the day of bis death, all the days of bis life; that is, of Feconiab’s; how long he portunity. lived after this is not known; he was now iifty- y. 32. And fpake kindly unto him, &c.| Ufed him with great familiarity, treated him with great reipect: or, fpake good things to bim*, comforted him in his captive ftate, and promifed him many faveurs; and was as good as his word: and fet his throne above the throne of the kings that were with bim in Babylon, thefe kings were either petty-kings over the feveral provinces that belonged to the Chaldean monarchy, that were occafionally at Babylon; or rather, the kings Nebuchadnezzar had conquered, and taken captive, as Feboiachim, fuch as the kings of Moab, Ammon, Edom, &c. thefe, notwithftanding they were captives, had thrones of ftate, partly in confideration of their former dignity, and partly for the glory of the monarch; now Yehbviachim’s throne was higher, five years of age, and cannot be thought to have lived a great while after, having been imprifoned fo many years; and it is certain he did not live to the return from the captivity. Of the death of Zedekiab we have no account, only that he died \in prifon. The Fews fay *, he died at this very time, when Feconiah was advanced... The account here given of Fecomab, has led fome. to conclude, that this chapter was not written by Feremiah; fince it cannot be well thought he fhould live fo long, as to the death of this prince; and befides, had given an account of the deftruction of Feru/elem in the xxxixth chapter, which he would hardly repeat; tho’ that he might do, partly for the fake of new Babylonifh circumitances here added, and partly as an introduction to the book of the Lamentations, which and more grand and ftately than the reft, to fhow ‘follows.