2 Kings 25:19

2Ki 25:19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land [that were] found in the city:

Ver. 19. That was set over the men of war.] Lieutenant-general, likely, to General Sophar. {Jer 25:1-38}

And five men of them.] Jeremiah saith seven men; two of them, perhaps, were less considerable, or taken at another time.

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.

Jeremiah maketh mention of seven, but here he speaketh of them that were the chiefest.

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

five men of them that were in the king's presence--that is, who belonged to the royal retinue. It is probable that there were five at first, and that other two were found afterwards (Jer 52:25).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 19. And five men of them that were in the king's presence] These were principal counsellors, and confidential officers.

In Jer 52:25, it is said he took seven men who were near the king's person, and the same number is found in the Arabic in this place; and the Chaldee has no less than fifty men; but in Jeremiah this, as well as all the rest of the versions, reads seven. Probably they were no more than five at first, or, perhaps Jeremiah reckoned with the five the officer that was set over the men of war, and the principal scribe of the host mentioned here, as two with the five; and thus made seven in the whole.

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

(19) The city.—Thenius is probably right in explaining the city of David.

An officer that was set over the men of war—i.e., a royal officer commanding the garrison of the city of David. He was probably not an eunuch (2Ki_20:18; 2Ki_24:12), though in the Byzantine empire, at all events, eunuchs were sometimes great soldiers—e.g., the heroic Narses.

And five men of them . . .—See margin. The phrase is explained by the seclusion affected by Oriental sovereigns. The LXX., Syriac, and Vulg., read five; the Targum, fifty. Jeremiah 52 and the Arabic read seven. The numeral letter denoting 5 had probably become partially obliterated in the MS. used by the writer of Jeremiah 52. The persons in question were royal counsellors. They may have dissuaded the king from flight, and so held out to the last (Thenius).

The principal scribe of the host.—See margin. This scribe was an officer on the staff of the commander-in-chief, who had himself either fallen fighting or accompanied the king in his flight.

Which mustered the people of the land—i.e., enrolled the names of such persons as were bound to serve in the army.

Threescore men of the people of the land . . .—i.e., apparently the remains of the garrison of the citadel. Keil thinks such as had distinguished themselves above others in the defence, or had been ringleaders in the rebellion.

That were found . . .—This expression seems to imply that they were the few survivors of a much larger force.

In the city.—Jeremiah 52 in the midst of the city, an expression which seems to point to the city of David, which was the strategical centre of Jerusalem.

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

19. five men of them that were in the king’s presence] R.V. that saw the king’s face. For the expression, cf. Est_1:14. The officer over the men of war, and the five persons admitted to closest intimacy with the king, together with the scribe, represented the remaining conspicuous persons in the city: Seraiah and the others were prominent among the servants of the temple.

principal scribe of the host] R.V. the scribe, the captain of the host. This was the chief military secretary, Secretary at War. Some would render ‘the scribe of the captain of the host,’ and suggest that his superior officer had been already taken away, or had fled.

threescore men of the people of the land] These, though undefined, had made themselves obnoxious in some way or other; else they would not have been taken and put to death among the distinguished people named before them.

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.

Out of the city - This clause shows that the five persons mentioned in 2Ki 25:18 were taken out of the temple.

Five men - Or, “seven men,” according to Jer 52:25. It is impossible to say which of the two numbers is correct.

Of them that were in the king’s presence - See the margin. A mode of speech arising from the custom of Eastern rulers to withdraw themselves as much as possible from the view of their subjects.

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

Eunuch. Protestants, "officer." (Haydock) --- Five. Arabic and Jeremias lii. 25., read seven, as two were probably discovered afterwards, (Calmet) or had fled. (Du Hamel) --- These were chief officers. --- Sopher. Septuagint, "and the secretary of the general." Syriac, "the secretary and chiefs of the armies." (Calmet) --- Protestants, "the principal scribe." (Haydock) --- It is not clear whether the general have this title of sopher, "scribe," himself; or it rather designates his secretary, or scribe, Judges viii. 14. (Calmet) --- Many date the 70 years captivity from the last year of Joachin. (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).

Of them that were in the king’s presence, i.e. of them who constantly attended upon the king’s person: see 1Ki 10:8; Est 1:14.

Object. These were seven, Jer 52:25.

Answ. Either five were first taken, and two after them; or two of the seven were of an inferior rank, who therefore are here omitted.

Threescore men of the people of the land; who had been most forward or active in the rebellion.

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

19. An officer — Hebrew, a eunuch, but evidently not one in the strict sense, (see note on 2Ki_20:18,) for this officer was a military commander.

Five men — According to Jer_52:25, seven. Compare note on 2Ki_25:8. These were in the king’s presence, that is, were among his most intimate counsellors, (comp. Est_1:13,) but they had not fled with their royal master, but seem to have concealed themselves in the city where they were found.

Principal scribe of the host — Rather, scribe of the prince of the host, that is, his clerk, or aid-de-camp. The prince himself, whose office was to muster the army or levy for military service, had probably, as Thenius suggests, fled along with the king.

Threescore… of the land — Probably leading men from the land of Judah, who had distinguished themselves during the siege.

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

And out of the city he took an officer literally, a eunuchthat was set over the man of war eunuchs were often employed in the East as commanders of soldiers. Bagoas, general of the Persian monarch, Ochus, is a noted exampleand five men of them that were in the king"s presence literally, of them that saw the king"s face; i.e. that were habitually about the court; Jeremiah says (Jer_50:25) "seven men" instead of five which were found in the city the majority of the courtiers had, no doubt, dispersed, and were not to be found when Nebuzar-adan searched for themand the principal scribe of the host; rather, as in the margin, the scribe of the captain of the host (toa tou arcontov thv dunamewv, LXX). "Scribes" or "secretaries" always accompanied the march of Assyrian armies, to count and record the number of the slain, to catalogue the spoil, perhaps to write dispatches and the like. We may gather that Jewish commandants were similarly attended. Which mustered the people of the landi.e., enrolled them, or entered them upon the army list, another of the "scribe"s" dutiesand threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city. Probably notables of one kind or another, persons regarded as especially responsible for the revolt.

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

The scribe of the general of the army. Who knew the number of each city, how many men it enlists into the army.

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.