MPV Commentary

Zedekiah's Reign.

11. Zedekiah was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to rule Judah. His original name was Mattaniah, but it was changed to Zedekiah, a common practice among Oriental conquerors. Although he was the son of Josiah (1 Chronicles 3:15; Jeremiah 1:2-3; 37:1), he is referred to as the brother of Jehoiachin (2 Chronicles 36:10), indicating their familial relationship in a broader sense, similar to other Hebrew expressions of kinship (see 2 Kings 24:18; 25:1-21).

13. Zedekiah had sworn an oath by God to remain loyal to the king of Babylon, which he was required to do when he accepted his crown (Ezekiel 17:13). However, he broke this oath by forming an alliance with Pharaoh-hophra, king of Egypt, making him guilty of perjury. The root causes of Judah's downfall were Zedekiah's own pride and stubborn refusal to listen to God's prophets, combined with the nation's entrenched idolatry and disregard for divine warnings. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar, the instrument of God's judgment, launched a third siege on Jerusalem, which lasted for a year and a half before the city fell in the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign (2 Kings 25:1-7; Ezekiel 12:13; 17:16). The consequences were devastating, including the destruction of the temple and the overthrow of Judah's kingdom.

21. The land was to enjoy its sabbaths, a period of rest every seventh year for all classes, including the land itself (Leviticus 26:34). However, this divine institution was neglected, as indicated by Moses' prophecy (see Leviticus 26:34) and Jeremiah's words in this passage (Jeremiah 25:9-12), which foretold that Judah would remain desolate for seventy years due to God's retribution. The unusual decision not to colonize the conquered province of Palestine can be attributed to God's sovereign providence.

22, 23. Cyrus' Proclamation.

22. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus (see Ezra 1:1-3), who issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.