2 Chronicles chapter 36

Jehoahaz becomes king of Judah. Then Jehoiakim. Then Jehoiachin. Then Zedekiah. The Fall of Jerusalem. Seventy years of exile in Babylon.

 


 

NOTE. This chapter parallels 1 Esdras 1:34-58

 


 

JEHOAHAZ BECOMES KING OF JUDAH

 

VERSE 1. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem.

Jehoahaz the son of Josiah. He is another evil king.

 

VERSE 2. Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

 

VERSE 3. The king of Egypt removed him from office at Jerusalem, and fined the land one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

talent. A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces

 

VERSE 4. The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

 

JEHOIAKIM BECOMES KING OF JUDAH

 

VERSE 5. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in the LORD his God’s sight.

Jehoiakim. He is another evil king.

 

VERSE 6. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.

 

VERSE 7. Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of the LORD’s house to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

 

VERSE 8. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

 

JEHOIACHIN BECOMES KING OF JUDAH

 

VERSE 9. Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight.

Jehoiachin. He is another evil king.

 

VERSE 10. At the return of the year, king Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of the LORD’s house, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

 

ZEDEKIAH BECOMES KING OF JUDAH

 

VERSE 11. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

Zedekiah. He is another evil king.

 

VERSE 12. He did that which was evil in the LORD his God’s sight. He didn’t humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the LORD’s mouth.

Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the LORD’s mouth. Previously, the prophets delivered both words and real miracles.

The words were like lightning from God, and the miracles were like thunder.

But now the miracles have pretty much ended. Now, what remains is the words.

He didn’t humble himself before Jeremiah. Jeremiah is speaking those words. But the king is not listening.

 

VERSE 13. He also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God; but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.

 

VERSE 14. Moreover all the chiefs of the priests and the people trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the LORD’s house which he had made holy in Jerusalem.

 

VERSE 15. The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place;

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of 2 Chronicles and from the entire Bible.

because he had compassion on his people. How deep is the loving mercy of God! How much he cares for us! How his heart must fill with compassion.

 

VERSE 16. but they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the LORD’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.

scoffed at his prophets. The prophets are speaking. But nobody is listening.

 

THE FALL OF JERUSALEM

 

VERSE 17. Therefore he brought on them the king of the Kasdim, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm. He gave them all into his hand.

the king of the Kasdim. That is, Nebuchadnezzar.

 

VERSE 18. All the vessels of God’s house, great and small, and the treasures of the LORD’s house, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon.

 

VERSE 19. They burned God’s house, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels.

They burned God’s house. Nebuchadnezzar destroys the temple, reducing it to rubble.

broke down the wall of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar destroys the wall around Jerusalem, reducing it to rubble.

burned all its palaces with fire. The palaces of the king are burned to the ground, reducing them to rubble.

 

SEVENTY YEARS OF EXILE IN BABYLON

 

VERSE 20. He carried those who had escaped from the sword away to Babylon, and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia,

He carried those who had escaped. Those who escaped death were taken to Babylon. They will be slaves.

until the reign of the kingdom of Persia. Babylon will fall to Persia in 539 BC.

 

VERSE 21. to fulfill the LORD’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. As long as it lay desolate, it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

to fulfill seventy years. Jeremiah prophesied that the exile in Babylon would last for seventy years. Read more »

 

VERSE 22. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

Cyrus king of Persia. King Cyrus II of Persia is commonly known as “Cyrus the Great.” He founded the Achaemenid Persian Empire. He reigned from 550 to 530 BC. Read more »

 

VERSE 23. “Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.’ ”

 


next chapter »
(Ezra chapter 1)

« previous chapter


2 CHRONICLES

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Mount Moriah, The Cloud of Glory

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.