2 Kings 24:12

2Ki 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.

Ver. 12. And the king of Babylon took him.] Suscepit eum; gratiose scilicet; he gave him quarter for his life, and in the end, for a reward of his obedience and piety towards his country, he was much advanced by Evilmerodaeh, Nebuchadnezsar’s successor. {2Ki 25:27}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 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 2Ki 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.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 (Kg2 24:15), his princes and his chamberlains, as Jeremiah had prophesied (Jer 22:24.), in the eighth year of his (Nebuchadnezzar's) reign. The reference to the king's mother in Kg2 24:12 and Kg2 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 (Jer 29:2 : see at Kg1 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 (Jer 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. Kg2 25:8; Jer 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 Kg2 25:27.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

That is, yielded himself unto him by the counsel of Jeremiah.

In the reign of the king of Babylon.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 12. Jehoiachin - went out] He saw that it was useless to attempt to defend himself any longer; and he therefore surrendered himself, hoping to obtain better terms.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(12) And Jehoiaehin the king of Judah went out . . .—Despairing of the defence, he threw himself upon the clemency of Nebuchadnezzar. The queen-mother (Jer_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 Jer_25:1; Jer_46:2.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. Jehoiachin … went out to the king of Babylon] He did as Rab-shakeh invited the people to do on a former occasion (2Ki_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 1Ki_2:19.

in the eighth year of his reign] i.e. Of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. We know from Jeremiah (Jer_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 (Jer_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 (Jer_29:1-23).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he carried away all Jerusalem,.... The inhabitants of it; not every individual of them, but the chief of them, the more honourable, rich, and useful; for the poorer sort were left, as afterwards expressed:

and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives; which was the number of them in the whole; the particulars are after delivered:

and all the craftsmen and smiths; besides the nobles and the soldiers, he took all the artificers that exercised any handicraft trade or business; carpenters and blacksmiths, as some interpret these two words; so that there were none left to make arms for them; the last word may be rendered "enclosers", and are by some interpreted of enclosers of jewels in metals, as gold and silver:

none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land; who were left to till it, and to dress the vines; see Kg2 25:12.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Went out. Josephus (Jewish Wars vi. 8.) insinuates, to save the vessels of the temple. --- Jeremias had persuaded him to desist from making resistance. (Tirinus) --- Nabuchodonosor did not comply with his promise, (Menochius) but took the king and all the artificers (ver. 14.) to Babylon, that the former might not attempt to revenge the injuries done to his father, nor the latter contribute to fortify the towns. The Philistines had deprived the Israelites of blacksmiths, with the same design, 1 Kings vii., and xiii. (Angelomus.) (Tirinus) --- Eighth; commencing, or at the end of the seventh, Jeremias lii. (Du Hamel)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

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 Jer 25:8, and because Jehoiachin reigned not half a year.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. Jehoiachin… went out — To make a voluntary and complete surrender, probably hoping that such ready submission would secure for himself the favour of the Babylonian monarch, and the privilege granted by the same monarch to his father seven years before, (2Ki_24:1,) of continuing at Jerusalem as a vassal king. His mother… servants… princes…

officers — It was a complete and unconditional surrender, involving all the chief persons of the kingdom of Judah in the fate of the king. The word rendered officers is סריסי, eunuchs, showing that the kings of Jerusalem had at this time introduced this class of servants and officials into the Jewish court. They doubtless borrowed the custom from the eastern monarchs.

Took him — As a captive.

Eighth year of his reign — That is, of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. The first year of Nebuchadnezzar was the fourth of Jehoiakim, (Jer_25:1,) and in that year he smote Carchemish (Jer_46:2) and received Jehoiakim’s submission. 2Ki_24:1, note. Jehoiakim reigned seven years after that event, (chap. xxiii, 36,) so that the surrender of Jehoiachin, who had ruled three months, must have fallen in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 1Sa_11:3; Jer_21:9 Jer_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 2Ki_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.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Went out - Yielded up himself and the city into his hands; and this by the counsel of Jeremiah, and to his own good. His reign - Of Nebuchadnezzar's reign; as appears by comparing this with chap. xxv, 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.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

the king

Nebuchadnezzar’s eighth year. Jer 25:1.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Yehoyachin king of Yehudah, came out to the king of Bavel. That he do to him as he wishes, and not for war.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.