2 Kings 24:12

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 year of his reign.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) And Jehoiaehin the king of Judah went out . . .—Despairing of the defence, he threw himself upon the clemency of Nebuchadnezzar. The queen-mother (Jeremiah 22:2) and all his grandees and courtiers accompanied the king, who probably hoped to be allowed to keep his throne as a vassal of Babylon.

Took him—i.e., as a prisoner.

In the eighth year of his (i.e., Nebuchadnezzar’s) reign.—This exactly tallies with the data of Jeremiah 25:1; Jeremiah 46:2.

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 24:12. Jehoiachin went out to the king of Babylon — Yielded up himself and the city into his hands; and this by the counsel of Jeremiah, and to his own good. In the eighth year of his reign — Of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, as appears by comparing this with 2 Kings 25:8; and because Jehoiachin reigned not half a year. Had he made his peace with God, and taken the method that Hezekiah did in the like case, he needed not to have feared the king of Babylon, but might have held out with courage, honour, and success. But, wanting the faith and piety of an Israelite, he had not the resolution of a man.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

24:8-20 Jehoiachin reigned but three months, yet long enough to show that he justly smarted for his fathers' sins, for he trod in their steps. His uncle was intrusted with the government. This Zedekiah was the last of the kings of Judah. Though the judgments of God upon the three kings before him might have warned him, he did that which was evil, like them. When those intrusted with the counsels of a nation act unwisely, and against their true interest, we ought to notice the displeasure of God in it. It is for the sins of a people that God hides from them the things that belong to the public peace. And in fulfilling the secret purposes of his justice, the Lord needs only leave men to the blindness of their own minds, or to the lusts of their own hearts. The gradual approach of Divine judgments affords sinners space for repentance, and believers leisure to prepare for meeting the calamity, while it shows the obstinacy of those who will not forsake their sins.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The eighth year - Jeremiah calls it the seventh year Jeremiah 52:28, a statement which implies only a different manner of counting regnal years.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ki 24:10-16. Jerusalem Taken.

10-13. At that time—within three months after his accession to the throne. It was the spring of the year (2Ch 36:10); so early did he indicate a feeling hostile to the interests of his Assyrian liege lord, by forming a league with Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar sent his generals to besiege Jerusalem, as Jeremiah had foretold (Jer 22:28; 34:20), and soon after he followed in person. Convinced of the hopelessness of making any effectual resistance, Jehoiachin, going to the camp of the besiegers, surrendered (2Ki 24:12), in the expectation, probably, of being allowed to retain his throne as a vassal of the Assyrian empire. But Nebuchadnezzar's clemency towards the kings of Judah was now exhausted, so that Jehoiachin was sent as a captive to Babylon, according to Jeremiah's prediction (Jer 22:24), accompanied by the queen mother (the same who had held that dignity under Jehoahaz) (2Ki 23:31), his generals, and officers. This happened in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, computing from the time when he was associated with his father in the government. Those that were left consisted chiefly of the poorer sort of people and the unskilled workmen. The palace and the temple were ransacked. The smaller golden vessels had been taken on the first capture of Jerusalem and placed by Nebuchadnezzar in the temple of his god as tokens of victory. They were used by Belshazzar at his impious feast [Da 5:2], for the purpose of rewarding his army with these trophies, among which were probably the golden candlesticks, the ark, &c. (compare 2Ch 36:7; Da 1:2). Now the gold plating was torn off all the larger temple furniture.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Went out to the king of Babylon, i.e. yielded up himself and the city into his hands; and this by the counsel of Jeremiah, and to his own good.

Of his reign, i.e. of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign; as appears by comparing this with Jeremiah 25:8, and because Jehoiachin reigned not half a year.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Jehoiachin king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon,.... Not to fight with him, but to submit to him, and to surrender the city to him, and be at his mercy:

he and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers; the royal family, courtiers, and nobles:

and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign; Of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, and which was the eighth of the first captivity, and from whence the seventy years' captivity were reckoned.

Geneva Study Bible

And Jehoiachin the king of Judah {d} 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 year {e} of his reign.

(d) That is, yielded himself to him by the counsel of Jeremiah.

(e) In the reign of the king of Babylon.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. Jehoiachin … went out to the king of Babylon] He did as Rab-shakeh invited the people to do on a former occasion (2 Kings 18:31) ‘Come out to me.’ This was to submit himself to Nebuchadnezzar, and in the hope of making an impression on the Babylonian king, Jehoiachin goes, taking with him the queen-mother, and all his chief men. On the influential position occupied in many Eastern states by the queen-mother, see note on 1 Kings 2:19.

in the eighth year of his reign] i.e. Of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. We know from Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:1) that the fourth year of Jehoiakim was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar. So the time just admits of the three months’ reign of Jehoiachin, as his father reigned eleven years (Jeremiah 23:36). In connexion with this captivity should be read the prophecy of Jeremiah 24 where under the type of good and bad figs, he speaks of the fate of the two sorts of people, those that are sent into the land of the Chaldæans for their good, and the rest, who like Zedekiah inclined to a league with Egypt. To this time belongs also Jeremiah’s letter to the captives, full of wise advice and comforting promises (Jeremiah 29:1-23).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - And Jehoiachin the King of Judah went out to the King of Babylon (for the use of the expression, "went out to," in this sense of making a surrender, see 1 Samuel 11:3; Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 38:17, etc.), he, and his mother (see the comment on ver. 8), and his servants, and his princes, and his officers - rather, his eunuchs (see the comment on 2 Kings 20:18) and the King of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. Nebuchadnezzar succeeded his father, Nabopelassar, in B.C. 605; but his first year was not complete till late in B.C. 604. His "eighth year" was thus B.C. 597. 2 Kings 24:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Then Jehoiachin went out to the king of Babylon to yield himself up to him, because he perceived the impossibility of holding the city any longer against the besiegers, and probably hoped to secure the favour of Nebuchadnezzar, and perhaps to retain the throne as his vassal by a voluntary submission. Nebuchadnezzar, however, did not show favour any more, as he had done to Jehoiakim at the first taking of Jerusalem, but treated Jehoiachin as a rebel, made him prisoner, and led him away to Babylon, along with his mother, his wives (2 Kings 24:15), his princes and his chamberlains, as Jeremiah had prophesied (Jeremiah 22:24.), in the eighth year of his (Nebuchadnezzar's) reign. The reference to the king's mother in 2 Kings 24:12 and 2 Kings 24:15 is not to be explained on the ground that she still acted as guardian over the king, who was not yet of age (J. D. Mich.), but from the influential position which she occupied in the kingdom as הגּבירה (Jeremiah 29:2 : see at 1 Kings 14:21). The eighth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar is reckoned from the time when his father had transferred to him the chief command over the army to make war upon Necho, according to which his first year coincides with the fourth year of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 25:1). As Nebuchadnezzar acted as king, so far as the Jews were concerned, from that time forward, although he conducted the war by command of his father, this is always reckoned as the point of time at which his reign commenced, both in our books and also in Jeremiah (cf. 2 Kings 25:8; Jeremiah 32:1). According to this calculation, his reign lasted forty-four years, viz., the eight years of Jehoiakim and the thirty-six years of Jehoiachin's imprisonment, as is evident from 2 Kings 25:27.