2 Kings 25:30

2Ki 25:30 And his allowance [was] a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

Ver. 30. And his allowance was a continual allowance.] So is or might be every true believers’ portion: who should therefore "eat his bread with joy, and drink his wine with cheerfulness all the days of his life," which are not to be numbered by the hours, but measured by spiritual mirth; as moneys are not by tale, but by value.

All the days of his life.] Evilmerodach reigned little more than two years; being treacherously slain by Neriglissorus, his own sister’s husband; as Berosus, {a} cited by Josephus, {b} writeth: and some hold it probable from this text, that Jechoniah also died about the same time, being seven and fifty years of age.

{a} Rer. Chaldaic., lib. xxx.

{b} Lib. i., cont. Apion.

Soli Deo Gloria

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.

Meaning, that he had an ordinary in the court.

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

Verse 30. A continual allowance given him of the king] He lived in a regal style, and had his court even in the city of Babylon, being supplied with every requisite by the munificence and friendship of the king. In about two years after this, Evil-merodach was slain in a conspiracy; and it is supposed that Jehoiachin, then about fifty-eight years of age, fell with his friend and protector. Thus terminates the catastrophe of the Jewish kings, people, and state; the consequence of unheard-of rebellions and provocations against the Majesty of heaven.

MASORETIC NOTES ON THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF KINGS

WE have already seen that the Hebrews consider these two books as one: -

The NUMBER of verses in both is one thousand five hundred and thirty-four.

MASORETIC SECTIONS, thirty-five.

MIDDLE VERSE, 1Kg 21:6. And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me, &c.

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

(30) His allowance.—For the maintenance of his little court. Literally, And (as for) his allowance a continual allowance was given him from the king, a day’s portion in its day.

All the days of his (Jehoiachin’s) life.—He may have died before Evil-merodach was murdered. There would be nothing strange in this, considering his age and his thirty-seven years of imprisonment.

The writer evidently dwells with pleasure on this faint gleam of light amid the darkness of the exile. It was a kind of foreshadowing of the pity which afterwards was to be extended to the captive people, when the divine purpose had been achieved, and the exile had done its work of chastisement and purification. (Comp, Psa_106:46; Ezr_9:9; Neh_2:2.)

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

30. And his [R.V. for his] allowance] i.e. He was assigned a regular amount in money or in kind for the keeping of such attendants as a captive king might be supposed to require.

a daily rate for every day] R.V. every day a portion. This is the A.V. rendering in Jer_52:34, where the history says ‘until the day of his death all the days of his life’, an emphatic mode of expressing that the king’s mind did not change, nor was the arrangement altered by Evil-merodach’s successor.

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.

Allowance - From the treasury, in order to enable him to maintain the state proper to his rank, and in addition to his food at the royal table. Jehoiachin, to the day of his death, lived in peace and comfort at the court of Babylon (compare Jer 52:34).

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

His life, may be referred to Evilmerodach, unless Joachin was involved in his disgrace, and perished at the same time. Perhaps the king of Juda did not always eat at the table of Evilmerodach, but received his meat from it, as was customary. (Syriac, &c.) (Calmet) --- He received all that was necessary to support his household, daily. (Grotius) --- In Jeremias lii. 34., until the day of his death, seems to be an useless "tautology," which is omitted here, and in "our oldest manuscript," says Kennicott; who observes that whoever will compare these passages, "will find many variations, and some corruptions." But most of them may be easily explained, ver. 3, 8, 27, &c. (Haydock)

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).

30. A continual allowance — A daily apportionment for the support of the servants and attendants who ministered to the captive king. All this kind and honourable treatment of the long-imprisoned king of Judah was to the Jewish exiles a consolatory sign that Jehovah would dispose the heart of some king to release them from their exile, and restore them to their fatherland again. And thus this history appropriately closes with a ray of light breaking in upon the future of Judah, and assuring these exiles that Jehovah is “the tower of salvation for his king, and showeth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.” 2Sa_22:51.

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

And his allowance was a continual allowance. Keil supposes that this "allowance" was a daily "ration of food," intended for the maintenance of a certain number of servants or retainers. But it is quite as likely to have been a money payment. The word translated by "allowance tjrua does not point necessarily to food. It is a "portion" of any kind. Given him of the kingi.e. , out of the privy purse, by the king"s commanda daily rate for every day or, a certain amount day by dayall the days of his life (see the comment on the preceding verse). Beth the privileges accorded to Jehoiachin, his sustenance at the king"s table, and his allowance, whether in money or in kind, continued to the day of his death. Neither of them was ever revoked or forfeited. Thus this last representative of the Davidic monarchy, after thirty-six years of chastisement, experienced a happy change of circumstances, and died in peace and comfort. Probably, as Keil says, "this event was intended as a comforting sign to the whole of the captive people, that the Lord would one day put an end to their banishment, if they would acknowledge that it was a well-merited punishment for their sins that they had been driven away from before his face, and would turn again to the Lord their God with all their heart."

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

All the days of his life - Let none say, they shall never see good again, because they have long seen little but evil. The most afflicted know not what blessed turn providence may yet give to their affairs.

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