Introduction
This chapter is a historical addition to the book of Jeremiah. It tells
1. about the fall of Jerusalem,
2. what the Babylonians did to the temple and its tools,
3. how Nebuchadnezzar treats Zedekiah, Jehoiachin and other officials, and
4. the number of Jews taken into exile.
The purpose of the chapter is to show how Jeremiah’s prophecies were fulfilled, in contrast to those of the false prophets (Jer 27:16-22; 28:1-17). The chapter is almost identical to the history in 2 Kings 24 (2Kgs 24:18-20; 25:1-30).
1 - 11 The Fall of Jerusalem
1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2 He did evil in the sight of the LORD like all that Jehoiakim had done. 3 For through the anger of the LORD [this] came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 Now it came about in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth [day] of the tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. 5 So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 6 On the ninth [day] of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 7 Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled and went forth from the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls which [was] by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah. 8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. 9 Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. 10 The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 11 Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death.
This chapter describes the fall of Jerusalem. God emphasizes the importance of the fall by including a fourfold description of it in His Word (Jer 39:1-14; 52:1-11; 2Kgs 24:18-20; 25:1-30; 2Chr 36:11-21). The fall takes place during the reign of Zedekiah, who reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years (verse 1). His reign is of the same evil character as that of his brother Jehoiakim (verse 2), who also reigned eleven years (2Kgs 23:36). He too does what is evil in the sight of the LORD.
The LORD can no longer bear it and must reject Jerusalem and Judah from His presence (verse 3; 2Kgs 24:18-20). To all his evil deeds, Zedekiah adds that he rebels against the king of Babylon. He has already been to Babylon once and promised to obey Nebuchadnezzar. However, he broke that promise (Eze 17:12-15). Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar has gone up against Jerusalem with all his army and is besieging the city (verse 4).
The date of his arrival at the city is accurately recorded (Eze 24:1-2). The arrival of Nebuchadnezzar is the beginning of the end of the city. He besieges the city for nineteen months, closing it hermetically (verse 5). No one can get in or out.
After the nineteen-month long siege, the city falls, on a day again named with date (verse 6). The city is starving. There is no strength left to fight. Then the city is broken into (verse 7). The resistance is broken. The men can no longer fight, but they can still flee. Among the refugees is King Zedekiah. In the darkness of the night, they run away. The escape route is accurately described. They go out of the city through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. The direction of escape is the Arabah.
The refugees, however, are quickly overtaken (verse 8). Zedekiah is seized when he is in the plains of Jericho. His army does not protect him. It is separated from him and scattered and thus made even more powerless than it already is. Zedekiah is taken to the king of Babylon, who is in Riblah and passes sentence on him (verse 9). It is a horrible judgment.
First Nebuchadnezzar slaughters the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes (verse 10). He also slaughters all the princes of Judah in Riblah. With the slaughter of his sons on his mind, Zedekiah’s eyes are blinded (verse 11). Thus, the man who is blind to the LORD is also literally blind. As if that were not enough to subdue this wicked and untrustworthy man, Zedekiah is also bound with two bronze chains. In this way he is taken to Babylon. There he is put in prison where he remains until the day of his death.
12 - 30 Consequences of the Fall of Jerusalem
12 Now on the tenth [day] of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who was in the service of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13 He burned the house of the LORD, the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every large house he burned with fire. 14 So all the army of the Chaldeans who [were] with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. 15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the artisans. 16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. 17 Now the bronze pillars which belonged to the house of the LORD and the stands and the bronze sea, which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried all their bronze to Babylon. 18 They also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the pans and all the bronze vessels which were used in [temple] service. 19 The captain of the guard also took away the bowls, the firepans, the basins, the pots, the lampstands, the pans and the drink offering bowls, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. 20 The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea, [and] the stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD—the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 21 As for the pillars, the height of each pillar [was] eighteen cubits, and it [was] twelve cubits in circumference and four fingers in thickness, [and] hollow. 22 Now a capital of bronze was on it; and the height of each capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these, including pomegranates. 23 There were ninety-six exposed pomegranates; all the pomegranates [numbered] a hundred on the network all around. 24 Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple. 25 He also took from the city one official who was overseer of the men of war, and seven of the king’s advisers who were found in the city, and the scribe of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city. 26 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27 Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land. 28 These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away into exile: in the seventh year 3,023 Jews; 29 in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons from Jerusalem; 30 in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile 745 Jewish people; there were 4,600 persons in all.
After the city falls into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, he sends Nebuzaradan to Jerusalem (verse 12). The dating is now done, not to the reigns of the kings of Israel, but to those of the heathen king, to whom God has given world domination and also the rule over His people. Arriving in Jerusalem, Nebuzaradan burns all the houses, beginning with the house of the LORD (verse 13). This is followed by the king’s house and all the other houses, including those of the dignitaries. All these houses are destroyed because the LORD is no longer served in them, but only idols.
Furthermore, the walls of the city are broken down by the army (verse 14). The people of the cities are carried away into exile to Babylon (verse 15). Only a few of the poorest of the land are allowed to stay in Judah to take care of the land there as vinedressers and plowmen (verse 16).
In verses 17-23, a more detailed description of the plundering and destruction of the temple takes place. Some parts are broken down, while other parts are taken to Babylon. The bronze pillar, Boaz and Jachin, are broken down, as are the stands and the bronze sea (verse 17). All their bronze is carried to Babylon. The objects for use in the temple service suffer the same fate (verses 18-19). The amount of bronze from the pillars, the sea, and the twelve oxen is impossible to weigh (verse 20). To give an impression of that enormous amount of bronze, the pillars with everything attached are described in detail (verses 21-23).
More important still is the spiritual meaning. Even today, what should serve as pillars in God’s house is completely removed and taken away by the enemy. Bronze is a picture of the righteousness of God. It indicates that a man can only exist before God on the basis of the righteousness of God, offered to him by Who Christ is before God and what He has done. This is taken away in professing Christianity by the preaching of a social gospel of fellow humanity and living by virtue of one’s own righteousness.
After the remaining objects of the temple, some persons are now taken, who have been in connection with the temple service (verse 24). They are the high priest, the second priest and three officers of the temple i.e. the doorkeepers. Some people who have been in connection with the army and the king are also carried away. These are an official, seven of the king’s advisers, an army official, and sixty more men of the land who are in the city (verse 25).
The religious leaders, the warriors, and the common people are all taken to Nebuchadnezzar in Riblah (verse 26). There, in Riblah, in the land of Hamath, which is Syria, they are all killed (verse 27a). The priesthood is finished. All the rest is led away into exile (verse 27b).
Verses 28-30 list the various deportations. There were deportations in
1. the seventh year, 599 BC (verse 28; 2Chr 36:9-10),
2. the eighteenth year, 588 BC (verse 29; 2Chr 36:20) and
3. the twenty-third year, 584 BC (verse 30; verse 12),
in which a total of 4,600 people were taken into exile. Daniel and his friends are already in Babylon by then. They were taken there in an earlier transport, around 606 BC (Dan 1:1-6; 2Chr 36:6-7).
31 - 34 Jehoiachin Is Treated Kindly
31 Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the [first] year of his reign, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. 32 Then he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who [were] with him in Babylon. 33 So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and had his meals in the king’s presence regularly all the days of his life. 34 For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king of Babylon, a daily portion all the days of his life until the day of his death.
After the righteous judgment that the LORD had to bring upon His people through the king of Babylon, we now see that He also shows mercy to His people through that same king (verse 31; 2Kgs 25:27-30). Jehoiachin did do what was evil in the sight of the LORD, but he did not resist the king of Babylon. He surrendered to him (2Kgs 24:12). When he has been in prison for thirty-seven years, the king of Babylon pardons him. Jehoiachin is then fifty-five years old.
The king of Babylon speaks kindly to him and gives him a privileged place above the other kings he has subjugated (verse 32). Jehoiachin is given other clothes instead of his prison clothes (verse 33). For meals he is always allowed to join the king. For the rest of his life he is assured of his meals and the place where he may take them. Everything he needs to live on is given to him daily by the king of Babylon (verse 34). It is said in a double affirmation: it is “all the days of his life” and “until the day of his death”.