2 Chronicles 36:1-21

2 Chronicles 36:1-21

[1] Then the people  of the land  took  Jehoahaz  the son  of Josiah,  and made him king  in his father's  stead in Jerusalem.  [2] Jehoahaz  was twenty  and three  years  old  when he began to reign,  three  months  in Jerusalem.  [3] And the king  of Egypt  put him down  at Jerusalem,  and condemned  the land  in an hundred  talents  of silver  and a talent  of gold.  [4] And the king  of Egypt  made Eliakim  his brother  king  over Judah  and Jerusalem,  and turned  his name  to Jehoiakim.  And Necho  took  Jehoahaz  his brother,  and carried  him to Egypt.  [5] Jehoiakim  was twenty  and five  years  old  when he began to reign,  eleven  years  in Jerusalem:  and he did  that which was evil  in the sight  of the LORD  his God.  [6] Against him came up  Nebuchadnezzar  king  of Babylon,  and bound  him in fetters,  him to Babylon.  [7] Nebuchadnezzar  also carried  of the vessels  of the house  of the LORD  to Babylon,  and put  them in his temple  at Babylon.  [8] Now the rest  of the acts  of Jehoiakim,  and his abominations  which he did,  and that which was found  in him, behold, they are written  in the book  of the kings  of Israel  and Judah:  and Jehoiachin  his son  reigned  in his stead. [9] Jehoiachin  was eight  years  old  when he began to reign,  three  months  and ten  days  in Jerusalem:  and he did  that which was evil  in the sight  of the LORD.  [10] And when the year  was expired,  king  Nebuchadnezzar  sent,  and brought  him to Babylon,  with the goodly  vessels  of the house  of the LORD,  and made Zedekiah  his brother  king  over Judah  and Jerusalem.  [11] Zedekiah  was one  and twenty  years  old  when he began to reign,  eleven  years  in Jerusalem.  [12] And he did  that which was evil  in the sight  of the LORD  his God,  and humbled  not himself before  Jeremiah  the prophet  speaking from the mouth  of the LORD.  [13] And he also rebelled  against king  Nebuchadnezzar,  who had made him swear  by God:  but he stiffened  his neck,  and hardened  his heart  from turning  unto the LORD  God  of Israel.  [14] Moreover all the chief  of the priests,  and the people,  transgressed  much  after all the abominations  of the heathen;  and polluted  the house  of the LORD  which he had hallowed  in Jerusalem.  [15] And the LORD  God  of their fathers  sent  to them by  his messengers,  rising up betimes,  and sending;  because he had compassion  on his people,  and on his dwelling place:  [16] But they mocked  the messengers  of God,  and despised  his words,  and misused  his prophets,  until the wrath  of the LORD  arose  against his people,  till there was no remedy.  [17] Therefore he brought  upon them the king  of the Chaldees,  who slew  their young men  with the sword  in the house  of their sanctuary,  and had no compassion  upon young man  or maiden,  old man,  or him that stooped for age:  he gave  them all into his hand.  [18] And all the vessels  of the house  of God,  great  and small,  and the treasures  of the house  of the LORD,  and the treasures  of the king,  and of his princes;  all these he brought  to Babylon.  [19] And they burnt  the house  of God,  and brake down  the wall  of Jerusalem,  and burnt  all the palaces  thereof with fire,  and destroyed  all the goodly  vessels  thereof. [20] And them that had escaped  from the sword  carried he away  to Babylon;  where they were servants  to him and his sons  until the reign  of the kingdom  of Persia:  [21] To fulfil  the word  of the LORD  by the mouth  of Jeremiah,  until the land  had enjoyed  her sabbaths:  for as long as  she lay desolate  she kept sabbath,  to fulfil  threescore and ten  years. 

What is the context of 2 Chronicles 36:1-21?

What does 2 Chronicles 36:1-21 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The sovereignty of the Davidic kings over Judah had ended. With the death of Josiah, Judah fell under the control of foreign powers, first Egypt and then Babylonia. God used other more powerful kings and kingdoms to punish His people (cf. 2 Kings 23:31 to 2 Kings 25:17). The temple motif in Chronicles also climaxes in this section with its destruction.