2 Kings 24:15
Ver. 15. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon,.... Where he continued at least thirty seven years, 2Ki 25:27
and the king's mother; whose name was Nehushta, 2Ki 24:8and the king's wives; for though he was so young, it seems he had many wives, as was the custom of those times; or his "women", who were either his concubines, or servants in his family:and his officers; in his court: and the mighty of the land; the princes and nobles thereof; or "the fools of the land", as the word is written; so the people generally were:those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon; which, according to Bunting {s}, were six hundred and eighty miles distant from each other.{s} Travels, &c. p. 198. 2 Kings 24:16Ver. 16. And all the men of might, even seven thousand,.... The particulars of the 10,000 carried captive are here given; 7000 of which were the principal men of the land:and craftsmen and smiths one thousand; which made 8000:all that were strong, and apt for war; of these consisted the other 2000; so Abarbinel reckons them; but, according to the Jewish chronologer {t}, which Jarchi and other Jewish commentators follow, the 7000 were out of the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the tribes, and the 3000 out of the tribe of Judah, which are supposed to be those Jeremiah speaks of, Jer 52:28,even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon; among these were Ezekiel the prophet, and Mordecai, the uncle of Esther.{t} Seder Olam Rabba, c. 25. 2 Kings 24:17Ver. 17. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead,.... The third son of Josiah, 1Ch 3:15and changed his name to Zedekiah; for the same reason the king of Egypt changed the name of Eliakim, 2Ki 23:34 to signify his subjection to him; though some think it was to put him in mind of the justice of God, as the name signifies, that would overtake him, should he be treacherous to him, and rebel against him; so the Jewish Midrash. 2 Kings 24:18Ver. 18-20. Zedekiah was twenty years old when he began to reign,.... So that he was but between nine and ten years of age when his father Josiah died; for Jehoahaz reigned three months, Jehoiakim eleven years, and his son three months and ten days:and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah; by which it appears that he was the brother of Jehoahaz by father and mother's side, 2Ki 23:31. This and the two following verses are expressed in the same words as in Jer 52:1,See Gill on "Jer 52:1",See Gill on "Jer 52:2",See Gill on "Jer 52:3", in 2Ch 36:10, besides what is here said, is written, that he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet of the Lord, that spoke in his name, but opposed him; and rebelling against the king of Babylon, broke his oath, and hardened his neck and heart against the Lord, and was obstinate, stubborn, and self-willed. 2 Kings 24:19Ver. 19. See Gill on "2Ki 24:18". 2 Kings 24:20Ver. 20. See Gill on "2Ki 24:18".
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.