וַיִּקְחוּ עַם־הָאָרֶץ אֶת־יְהוֹאָחָז בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וַיַּמְלִיכֻהוּ תַחַת־אָבִיו בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃   36:1

2Chr. 36:1   Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem.

This verse constitutes the second part of 2Kin. 23:30.

בֶּן־שָׁלוֹשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה יוֹאָחָז בְּמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃   36:2

2Chr. 36:2   Joahaz was twenty-three years of age on his becoming king and he reigned three months in Jerusalem

This verse is similar to most of 2Kin. 23:31Joahaz’s mother is mentioned there.  In addition, here the name is shortened from Jehoahaz to Joahaz (the heh being omitted).

וַיְסִירֵהוּ מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וַיַּעֲנֹשׁ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ מֵאָה כִכַּר־כֶּסֶף וְכִכַּר זָהָב׃   36:3

2Chr. 36:3   when the king of Egypt removed him and fined the land a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

This verse summarizes what is told in 2Kin. 23:33.

וַיַּמְלֵךְ מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם אֶת־אֶלְיָקִים אָחִיו עַל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם וַיַּסֵּב אֶת־שְׁמוֹ יְהוֹיָקִים וְאֶת־יוֹאָחָז אָחִיו   36:4

 לָקַח נְכוֹ וַיְבִיאֵהוּ מִצְרָיְמָה׃

2Chr. 36:4   And the king of Egypt made Eliakim, his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim.  And Neco took Joahaz, his brother, and brought him to Egypt.

This verse is similar to 2kin. 23:34.

בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה יְהוֹיָקִים בְּמָלְכוֹ וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה   36:5

 אֱלֹהָיו׃

2Chr. 36:5   Jehoiakim was twenty-five years of age on his becoming king and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, and he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, his God.

This verse contains some of the information in 2Kin. 23:36 and 37.

עָלָיו עָלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וַיַּאַסְרֵהוּ בַּנְחֻשְׁתַּיִם לְהֹלִיכוֹ בָּבֶלָה׃   36:6

2Chr. 36:6   Nebuchadnezzer, king of Babylon, came up against him and bound him in chains to carry him to Babylon.

וּמִכְּלֵי בֵּית יְהוָה הֵבִיא נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר לְבָבֶל וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּהֵיכָלוֹ בְּבָבֶל׃   36:7

2Chr. 36:7   And Nebuchadnezzar brought some of the implements of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his Temple in Babylon.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יְהוֹיָקִים וְתֹעֲבֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה וְהַנִּמְצָא עָלָיו הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל   36:8

  וִיהוּדָה וַיִּמְלֹךְ יְהוֹיָכִין בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃

2Chr. 36:8   And the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and his abominations that he instituted and what was discovered about him, behold, they have been written on the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah, and Jehoiachin, his son, became king in his place.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 24:5 except that the kings of Israel are not mentioned there.

בֶּן־שְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים יְהוֹיָכִין בְּמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים וַעֲשֶׂרֶת יָמִים מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי   36:9

 יְהוָה׃

2Chr. 36:9   Jehoiachin was eight years of age on his becoming king and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem and he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 24:8, except that there we are told Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king.  Eighteen is probably the correct age.

וְלִתְשׁוּבַת הַשָּׁנָה שָׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר וַיְבִאֵהוּ בָבֶלָה עִם־כְּלֵי חֶמְדַּת בֵּית־יְהוָה וַיַּמְלֵךְ   36:10

 אֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ אָחִיו עַל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם׃

2Chr. 36:10   Then at the turn of the year the king, Nebuchadnezzar, sent and brought him to Babylon with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord and made Zedekiah, his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

2Kin. 24:17 tells a slightly different story than the one in this verse.

בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְאַחַת שָׁנָה צִדְקִיָּהוּ בְמָלְכוֹ וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃   36:11

2Chr. 36:11   Zedekiah was twenty-one years of age on his becoming king and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

This verse is the same as most of 2Kin. 24:18.  The rest of this chapter, except for vss. 36:22 and 23, tell about the fall of Judah and Jerusalem and is similar to what is in 2Kings Chapter 25.

וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו לֹא נִכְנַע מִלִּפְנֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא מִפִּי יְהוָה׃   36:12

2Chr. 36:12   And he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, his God.  He did not humble himself from before Jeremiah, the prophet, from the mouth of the Lord.

וְגַם בַּמֶּלֶךְ נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מָרָד אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁבִּיעוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים וַיֶּקֶשׁ אֶת־עָרְפּוֹ וַיְאַמֵּץ אֶת־לְבָבוֹ מִשּׁוּב   36:13

 אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2Chr. 36:13   And he also rebelled toward king Nebuchadnezzar, who made him swear by God, but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning to the Lord, God of Israel.

גַּם כָּל־שָׂרֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהָעָם הִרְבּוּ (לִמְעֹול) [לִמְעָל]־מַעַל כְּכֹל תֹּעֲבֹות הַגֹּויִם וַיְטַמְּאוּ אֶת־בֵּית   36:14

  יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר הִקְדִּישׁ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃

2Chr. 36:14   All the leaders of the priests and the people also did more to transgress greatly than all the abominations of the nations and they defiled the house of the Lord that He had hallowed in Jerusalem.

The word in the parentheses, translated as to transgress, contains a superfluous vav.  The correction in the brackets removes it.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם עֲלֵיהֶם בְּיַד מַלְאָכָיו הַשְׁכֵּם וְשָׁלוֹחַ כִּי־חָמַל עַל־עַמּוֹ וְעַל־מְעוֹנוֹ׃   36:15

2Chr. 36:15   And the Lord, God of their ancestors, had sent on their behalf by the hand of His messengers early and often, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place,

וַיִּהְיוּ מַלְעִבִים בְּמַלְאֲכֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וּבוֹזִים דְּבָרָיו וּמִתַּעְתְּעִים בִּנְבִאָיו עַד עֲלוֹת חֲמַת־יְהוָה בְּעַמּוֹ   36:16

עַד־לְאֵין מַרְפֵּא׃

2Chr. 36:16   but they had been making jokes at the messengers of God and holding their words in contempt and ridiculing to His prophets, while the “wrath” of the Lord was rising toward His people until there was no remedy.

וַיַּעַל עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־מֶלֶךְ (כַּשְׂדִּיִּים) [כַּשְׂדִּים] וַיַּהֲרֹג בַּחוּרֵיהֶם בַּחֶרֶב בְּבֵית מִקְדָּשָׁם וְלֹא חָמַל   36:17

 עַל־בָּחוּר וּבְתוּלָה זָקֵן וְיָשֵׁשׁ הַכֹּל נָתַן בְּיָדֹו׃

2Chr. 36:17   Then He brought up the king of the Chaldeans against them, and he slew their young men by the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and he had no compassion on young man or young woman, old man or feeble; He delivered all into his hand,

The word in the parentheses, translated as the Chaldeans, contains an extra yad.  The correction in the brackets removes it.

וְכֹל כְּלֵי בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים הַגְּדֹלִים וְהַקְּטַנִּים וְאֹצְרוֹת בֵּית יְהוָה וְאֹצְרוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְשָׂרָיו הַכֹּל הֵבִיא   36:18

 בָבֶל׃

2Chr. 36:18   as well as all the implements of the house of God, the large ones and the small ones, and the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king and his princes; everything he brought to Babylon.

וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ אֶת־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וַיְנַתְּצוּ אֵת חוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְכָל־אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ שָׂרְפוּ בָאֵשׁ וְכָל־כְּלֵי   36:19

 מַחֲמַדֶּיהָ לְהַשְׁחִית׃

2Chr. 36:19   And they burned the house of God and threw down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its palaces to ashes, and every article of its desirable things was destroyed.

וַיֶּגֶל הַשְּׁאֵרִית מִן־הַחֶרֶב אֶל־בָּבֶל וַיִּהְיוּ־לוֹ וּלְבָנָיו לַעֲבָדִים עַד־מְלֹךְ מַלְכוּת פָּרָס׃   36:20

2Chr. 36:20   And he carried those left from the sword into exile to Babylon, and they were to be servants for him and for his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia,

לְמַלֹּאות דְּבַר־יְהוָה בְּפִי יִרְמְיָהוּ עַד־רָצְתָה הָאָרֶץ אֶת־שַׁבְּתוֹתֶיהָ כָּל־יְמֵי הָשַּׁמָּה שָׁבָתָה   36:21

 לְמַלֹּאות שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה׃

2Chr. 36:21   to accomplish the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah until the land was paid its Sabbaths.  All the days of its desolation it rested, to the completion of seventy years.

If the Sabbaths are to be counted as weekly, then seventy years would represent about 840 Sabbaths.  If they are to be counted as seven-year Sabbaths (remember these are Sabbaths of the land), then they would represent 10 Sabbaths.  I’m not sure if there is any meaningful significance to this observation.

וּבִשְׁנַת אַחַת לְכוֹרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס לִכְלוֹת דְּבַר־יְהוָה בְּפִי יִרְמְיָהוּ הֵעִיר יְהוָה אֶת־רוּחַ כּוֹרֶשׁ   36:22

מֶלֶךְ־פָּרַס וַיַּעֲבֶר־קוֹל בְּכָל־מַלְכוּתוֹ וְגַם־בְּמִכְתָּב לֵאמֹר׃

2Chr. 36:22   Then in the first year for Cyrus, king of Persia, to accomplish the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he had a proclamation passed throughout his entire kingdom and it was also written saying,

These last two verses of the bible, 36:22 and 23. are similar to Ezra 1:1 to 1:3.

כֹּה־אָמַר כּוֹרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס כָּל־מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהוּא־פָקַד עָלַיֹ   36:23

לִבְנוֹת־לוֹ בַיִת בִּירוּשָׁלִַם אֲשֶׁר בִּיהוּדָה מִי־בָכֶם מִכָּל־עַמּוֹ יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו עִמּוֹ וְיָעַל׃

2Chr. 36:23   “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia:  The Lord, God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me and He has laid a charge on me to build a house in Jerusalem for Him, which is in Judah.  Whoever among you from any of His people, may the Lord, his God, be with him as he goes up.”

 

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2Chronicles 36