§ 53.-NOTE. The narrative should be compared wherever possible with the historical notices to be found in Jeremiah. But Jeremiah rightly spells Nebuchadrezzar (though not always, e. g. 29. 1, 3), and reads Jechoniah for Jehoiachin (Jer. 24. 1; cf. 1 Chron. 3. 16), also giving the shortened form Coniah (Jer. 22. 24, 28). B.. The LXX readings in B. vary, but the omission of the 'ten' in B. is manifestly a copyist's error, though an ancient one. .בן שמנה עשרה .4 8 10 A. 2 Kings 24. (Continued.) was evil in the sight of the LORD, [according to all that his father had done.] At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and 11 the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came unto the city, while his 12 servants were besieging it; and Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth 13 year of his reign And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the 14 LORD, as the LORD had said. And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths; none remained, save the poorest sort 15 of the people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon; and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the chief men of the land, carried he into captivity 16 from Jerusalem to Babylon. And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths a thousand, all of them strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. ($ 54.) In the following section B. is inserted at the foot, and C. is taken from the historical part of Jeremiah. The variations between A. and C. are simply an ancient copyist's slips and omissions, and there are no indications of differences of age between the MSS. They illustrate the variations to be seen in copies of contemporary documents, and show how impossible it seems to have been for a Hebrew scribe to copy with absolute accuracy. taken as the original. 11 C. is the fullest, and may be C. Jeremiah 52. Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter 2 of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he Idid that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all 3 that Jehoiakim had done. For through the anger of the LORD did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence: and 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 encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. 5 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 6 [In the fourth month,] on the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the B. 2 Chron. 36. Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign; 12 and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God; he humbled not him13 self before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened § 54. The text in A. and C. is Hamital, but Keri Hamutal. usually; but in Jeremiah the more correct spelling is usually found. here and in Ezekiel. d Compare the narrative in Jer. 39. b So A. c Only K 4 land. A. 2 Kings 25. (Continued.) Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war. by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden : (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about:) and he went by the way of the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was 6 scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah ; and they gave judgement upon him. 7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, 8 7 land. C. Jeremiah 52. (Continued.) Then a breach was made in the city, 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 against the city round about:) and they went by the way of the Arabah. 8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was 9 scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah [in the land of Hamath], and he gave judgement upon him. 10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: [he slew also all the princes of Judah and he put out the 11 in Riblah.] And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and eyes of Zedekiah; and [the king of Babylon] bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, [and put him in prison till the day of his death.] bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon. f Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem : 12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, which stood before the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem : B. 2 Chron. 36. 14 his heart from turning unto the LORD, the God of Israel. Moreover all the chiefs of the priests, and the people, trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the heathen; and they polluted the 15 house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And 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 16 on his dwelling place: but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the 17 LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man or ancient: he gave them Lit. judgements. festly a copyist's error. f The LXX retains both the texts, yet one is mani Perhaps C.'s reading grew out of a var. lect. of . עבד for עמד A. 2 Kings 25. (Continued.) 9 and he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burnt 10 he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem 11 round about. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude. 12 But the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. C. Jeremiah 52. (Continued.) 13 and he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned 14 he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were [with] the captain of the guard, brake down [all] the walls of Jerusalem 15 round about. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive [of the poorest sort of the people, and] the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude. 16 But [Nebuzaradan] the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver, the captain of 16 the guard took away. k The two pillars, the one sea, and B. 2 Chron. 36. (Continued.) 18 all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of 19 the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the 20 goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword .לבית .B .בית .A i The resemblance between the words for snuffers (p) and basons (1) accounts for the omission, but those below have to be accounted for. k C. omits the def. art. |