2 Chronicles Chapter 36
1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem.
2 Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
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.
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.
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.
6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of the LORD's house to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
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.
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.
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.
11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
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.
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.
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.
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;
16 but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the LORD's wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.
17 Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, 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 grey-headed. He gave them all into his hand.
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.
19 They burnt God's house, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels.
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,
21 to fulfil 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 fulfil seventy years.
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,
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 amongst you of all his people, the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.' "
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2 Chronicles Chapter 36 Guide
This is the record of the final movements in the downward course of Judah. They are graphically given. First Jehoahaz reigned for three months, and was deposed by the king of Egypt. Jehoiakim succeeded by appointment of Pharaoh, and after eleven years of continued evil courses was carried prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.
In turn he was succeeded by Jehoiachin, who persisted in the same evil courses for three months and ten days, and in turn was carried away by Nebuchadnezzar.
Zedekiah, appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to the succession, rebelled against him, and continued the same evil history for eleven years, during which corruption became practically universal, the priests and the people sharing therein. Through all these dark days God still patiently waited, sending His messengers because of His compassion. The men who had rebelled against His government contemned His mercy, until the Chaldeans, a people without compassion, swept down upon them like a terrible scourge, and carried the remnant away captive to Babylon.
The Book closes with a statement of the proclamation of Cyrus, which also opens the Book of Ezra.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
2 Chronicles Chapter 36 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The destruction of Jerusalem. -- (1-21)
- The proclamation of Cyrus. -- (22, 23)
Verses 1-21
The ruin of Judah and Jerusalem came on by degrees. The methods God takes to call back sinners by his word, by ministers, by conscience, by providences, are all instances of his compassion toward them, and his unwillingness that any should perish. See here what woful havoc sin makes, and, as we value the comfort and continuance of our earthly blessings, let us keep that worm from the root of them. They had many times ploughed and sowed their land in the seventh year, when it should have rested, and now it lay unploughed and unsown for ten times seven years. God will be no loser in his glory at last, by the disobedience of men. If they refused to let the land rest, God would make it rest. What place, O God, shall thy justice spare, if Jerusalem has perished? If that delight of thine were cut off for wickedness, let us not be high-minded, but fear.
Verses 22, 23
God had promised the restoring of the captives, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, at the end of seventy years; and that time to favour Zion, that set time, came at last. Though God's church be cast down, it is not cast off; though his people be corrected, they are not abandoned; though thrown into the furnace, they are not lost there, nor left there any longer than till the dross be separated. Though God contend long, he will not contend always. Before we close the books of the Chronicles, which contain a faithful register of events, think what desolation sin introduced into the world, nay, even into the church of God. Let us tremble at what is here recorded, while in the character of some few gracious souls, we discover that the Lord left not himself without witness. And when we have looked at this faithful portrait of man by nature, let us contrast with it that same nature, when recovered by Almighty grace, through the justifying and soul-adorning righteousness of Christ our Saviour.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.