Verse 3

Him. Joachaz had attempted to defend himself, and had been conducted prisoner to Reblatha, 4 K. xxiii. 33., and Ezechiel xix. 4. He was now deposed in from, and a tribute laid upon the people. C.

Verse 4

Brother. From the time of David, the son had always succeeded his father. W.

Verse 6

Babylon, but sent him back soon after; (T.) unless he altered his first design, (D.) and slew him disgracefully at Jerusalem. Lyranus. E. C. 4 K. xxiii. 5. --- He allowed him to reign as a vassal other three years, but took Daniel, &c. captives. The seventy years of Jeremias, (xxv. 11.) are to be dated from this event. The year of the world 3402. Usher.

Verse 7

The vessels. Heb. and Sept. "a part of the vessels;" probably the most precious, (v. 10) breaking the rest in pieces, as he left none behind, v. 18. --- Temple of his God, Daniel i. 2.

Verse 8

In him. The Jews explain this of the diabolical characters forbidden, Lev. xix. 28. Denis the Carthusian; R. Sal., &c. --- But it may simply denote the hidden sins of the king, which God will bring to light, or his rebellious conduct. Amama) Gen. xliv. 16. C.

Verse 9

Eight years old. He was associated by his father to the kingdom, when he was but eight years old; but after his father's death, when he reigned alone, he was eighteen years old, 4 K. xxiv. 8. Ch. --- He only enjoyed the throne three months and ten days. T. --- We must however observe, (H.) that the Alexandrian Sept., the Syriac, and Arabic read here, eighteen. C. --- "It is, in my opinion, a pity that the translators have not mended such apparent errata of the scribe of the present Hebrew out of 2 K. xxiv. 8., or out of Sept., or out of common sense." Wall) Kennicott --- These eight years may be dated from the captivity, and not from the king's birth. Usher) D.

Verse 10

Year, in spring, when kings go out to war. C. --- Uncle. Sept. "brother of his father," which comes to the same sense, and was certainly the case. Heb. "his brother." Abraham indeed gives the title to his nephew, Gen. xiii. 8. C.

Verse 13

By God, to be faithful. T. --- This enhances his crime. C.

Verse 15

Early. Prot. "betimes, and sending: because," &c. H. --- Like a good master, God (T.) sent his servants to work at day-break, (H.) omitting nothing to induce them to return to him, that he might not be forced to punish them with severity. C.

Verse 16

Remedy. All attempts to convert them proved in vain; (T.) and God, perceiving that they even despised his calls, became inexorable. C.

Verse 18

Vessels. Only a few remained, to be restored by Cyrus, v. 19. C.

Verse 20

Sons; Evilmerodac and Baltassar. --- Persia; Cyrus, who subdued the country.

Verse 21

Sabbaths, every seventh year, Lev. xxv. 2., and xxvi. 43., and Jeremias xxv. 11., and xxix. 10. --- Expired: not that the earth was quite neglected, all that time, from the third year of Joakim, the year of the world 3398 till 3468. C. --- But it was almost: particularly after the murder of Godolias, (M.) the public worship was at a stand, &c. H. --- During this fifth age, the true religion subsisted invariable, not only in the kingdom of Juda, but also in that of Israel. See W. H.

Verse 22

First. Cyrus had ruled over Persia from the year of the world 3444. He was now emperor of the east. The year of the world 3468. C. --- These two verses are repeated by Esdras, which evinces that he was the author of this work also, (T.) adding them when he restored (W.) or revised (H.) the holy scriptures. W.

Verse 23

The Lord, (Jehova.) In Esdras we find yehi, "Let," his God. H. --- Up. The sentence is completed in the following book, which makes it probable that these verses are here inserted improperly, by some transcriber. The book of Chronicles, though for many ages the last in the Hebrew MSS. was, perhaps, once followed by Ezra, as in Camb. MS. 1., (Kennicott) and as it is now in the Protestant version, taken from the Hebrew. H.

Verse 27

CHAPTER XXXVI.