The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 439

citi11:cn,i, Ncbuznr-adan proceeded to divide tage to a country. To be vinedrea■ers and the inhabitants of the city and oonntry husbandmen. Jeremiah adds that Nebu- into two bodies-those whom he would leave 11:e.r-adan "gave" these persons "vineyards in the land, and those whom be would aud field~ at the same time" (Jer. x:nix. 10). The Babyloninus did not wish Judm11 carry off'. The line of dr,mBl'Cl8,tion was, to lie waste, sinqe it could then have paid in R gc-neral WRY, a sociRI one. The rich no tribute. On the contrary, they designed and well-to-do he would take with him; the its continued oultivntion; ond Gedoliab, poor and insignificant he would leave be- the governor of their 11ppointment, made hind (vers. 11, 12). Among the former great eff'orls to have onltivation resumc1l aud extended (see Jer. :ll. 10, 12). were included the high 1>riest, the "second Ver. 13.-And the pillars of brass that priest," three of the temple Levites, the were in the house of the Lord. 'fhe two commandant of the city, a certain num- columns, Jaohin and Boaz, cast by Hiram ber of the royal councillors, the "prin- under the directions of Solomon (1 Kinas cipal scribe of the host," aucl sixty of the vii. 15-22), are intended. They we':e works of art of an elaborote character, but "princes" (vers. 18, 19). The latter were being too bulky to be co.rri01l off' entire, chiefly persons of the agricultura.l clnss, they were "broken in pieces." And the who were left t,o be "vinedressers and bases. "The bases" were the stands for husbandmen." From the temple, which had . the Javers, also me.de by Hiram for Solomon beeu already plundered twice (2 Chron. (1 Kings vii. 27-37), and very elaborate, having "borders" ornamented with lions, x:uvi. 7, 10), he carried off' such vessels in oxen, aud cherubim. And the brazen &8!1, gold and silver and bronze as were still that was in the house of the Lord. This remaining there, together with the bronze was the great laver, fifteen feet in diameter, of the two pillars Jachin and Bon.z, of the emplaced originally on the backs of twelve gree.t lo.ver, or "molten sea," and of the oxen, three fe.oing each way (I Kings vii. 23-26), which King Ahe.z had ta.ken down stands for the smaller laverd, all of which from off' the oxen (eh. xvi. 17) and "pot he broke up (ver. 13). Haying reached upon a. pavement of stones," but whioh Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar still was, Hezekiah had probably restored. The he delivered t:p to him botl.t the booty e.nd oxen are mentioned by Jeremiah (Iii. 20) the prisoners. Rather more than seventy among the objects which Nebuzar-adan carried off'. Did the Chaldeea break in of the latter Nebuchadnezzar punished with pieces-thus destroying the workmonship. death (ver. 21). The rest were taken to in which their value mainly consisted-and Babylon. carried the brass of them to Babylon. Brass, or rather bronze, was used by the Yer. 11.-lfow the rest of the people that Babylonians for veSBels, o.rws, a.rmolll", and were left in the city-i.e. that remained implements generally. b1ebind when the king and the garrison Ver. 14.-And the pots. The word need, fled-and the fugitives that fell away to n\i•i,,, is translated by "caldrons" in Jer. the King of Babylon, with the remne.nt of Iii. 18, e.nd "a.sh-pans" in Exod. xxvii. 3. the multitnde; rather, both the /u,gitifles that The latter is probably right. And the l,ad faUen away to the King of Babywn, and, shovels-appurtenances of the altar or burnt the remnant of the muUitude. The writer sacrifice - e.nd the snuffers - rather, the rneaus to divide "the reetof the people" into knfoes-and the spoons-or, incense-cups- two classes: (1) those who during the e.nd all the vessels of brass wherewith they siege, or before it, he.d deserted to the m.i.n.istered. It appears tbat after the two llabylonians, as no doubt many did. e.nd as previous spoliations of the temple by Nebu- .Jeremiah was accused of doing (Jer. :uxviL chadnezzar, in B.o. 605 a.nd in B.O. 597, 13); (2) those who were found inside the wherein so many of the more costly ve;;seld city when it we.s taken. Did Nebnzar- had been carried off (Dan. i. 2; eh. xxiv. adan the oaptain of the guard ca.rry away. 13), the ministrations had to be performed Ver. 12.-But the ca.ptain of the guard mainly with vessels of bronze. Took they left of the poor of the land. It was incon- away. Soldiers a.re often represented in ven ieut to deporl persons who bad little or the Assyrian sculptures as carrying oft' nothing. In tLr, .Assyrian sculpto.res we see vessels from temples, apparently on their thi, captives, who are carried off, generally own account (see • Ancient Mona.rohies,' vol. accompanied by their own baggage-animals, i. p. 475, 2nd edit.). and to.king with them a certain amount of Ver. 15.-And the flrepans, and thebowll; tLeir own household stuff. Pauper immi- rather, the ,nuff-di,11,(JB (Exod. xxv. 88; 1 ~raulli would not have been of any adve.n- Kings vii. 50) and, th6 bowls, or barin, (Exod on. xxv. 1-30.) THU SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 4:91