II Chronicles 36:21

To fulfill the word of the Lord - See Jer 25:9, Jer 25:12; Jer 26:6, Jer 26:7; Jer 29:12. For the miserable death of Zedekiah, see Kg2 25:4, etc.

until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths--The return of every seventh was to be held as a sabbatic year, a season of rest to all classes, even to the land itself, which was to be fallow. This divine institution, however, was neglected--how soon and how long, appears from the prophecy of Moses (see on Lev 26:34), and of Jeremiah in this passage (see Jer 25:9-12), which told that for divine retribution it was now to remain desolate seventy years. As the Assyrian conquerors usually colonized their conquered provinces, so remarkable a deviation in Palestine from their customary policy must be ascribed to the overruling providence of God.

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 36 This chapter records the reigns of the four kings of Judah, and the captivity of the Jews, the short reign of Jehoahaz, deposed by the king of Egypt, and his brother Eliakim or Jehoiakim set up in his room, Ch2 36:1, the reign of Jehoiakim, who was bound and carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, Ch2 36:5, the reign of Jehoiachin his son, who also in a short time was taken and carried to Babylon by the same king, Ch2 36:9, the reign of Zedekiah, who also rebelled against the king of Babylon, and he and his people were taken and carried captive by him for his sins, which are here mentioned, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, and where the Jews continued until the reign of the kingdom of Persia, Ch2 36:11 and the chapter is concluded with the proclamation of Cyrus king of Persia, and with which also the next book begins, Ch2 36:22.

We have here, I. A short but sad account of the utter ruin of Judah and Jerusalem within a few years after Josiah's death. 1. The history of it in the unhappy reigns of Jehoahaz for three months (Ch2 36:1-4), Jehoiakim (Ch2 36:5-8) for eleven years, Jehoiachin three months (Ch2 36:9, Ch2 36:10), and Zedekiah eleven years (Ch2 36:11). Additions were made to the national guilt, and advances towards the national destruction, in each of those reigns. The destruction was, at length, completed in the slaughter of multitudes (Ch2 36:17), the plundering and burning of the temple and all the palaces, the desolation of the city (Ch2 36:18, Ch2 36:19), and the captivity of the people that remained (Ch2 36:20). 2. Some remarks upon it - that herein sin was punished, Zedekiah's wickedness (Ch2 36:12, Ch2 36:13), the idolatry the people were guilty of (Ch2 36:14), and their abuse of God's prophets (Ch2 36:15, Ch2 36:16). The word of God was herein fulfilled (Ch2 36:21). II. The dawning of the day of their deliverance in Cyrus's proclamation (Ch2 36:22, Ch2 36:23).

36:21 The length of the captivity had been predicted by Jeremiah (Jer 25:11-12; 29:10; see study note on Ezra 6:15). • The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest: See Lev 26:34-35, 43, where the punishment for disobedience is exile; the land is left unused for all the Sabbaths of which it had been deprived. The land’s time of rest was also a preparation for the time of restoration. • the prophet: That is, Jeremiah.