Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/5_600_p.lzh/5_697.TXT

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him, who was deputed to minister for the high-priest,
in case any thing happened which hindered him from
officiating; such an one there always was in later
times on the day of atonement, as appears from the
Misnaf; this man is thought to be the same with Ze-
phaniah the son of Mansetab the priest, oh. xxi. 1. and
xxix. 25: and the three keepers o. f the door; that is,
of the temple. The Targum calls them three amar-
calin; who had, as Jarchi says, the keys of the court
committed to them. The number seems better to agree
with the gizbarimor treasurers; of whom, it is said,
they never appoint less than three treasurers, and seven
amarcalin g.
Vet. 2S. He took also out of the city an eunuch,
which had the charge of the men of war, &c,]] The
muster-master-general of the army: and seven men of
them which were near the king's person; or, saw the
face of the king: or rather, made to see his face {h};
these were ministers of state, who were always at
court, and assisted in councils of state, and introduced
persons into the king's presence; in 2 Kings xxv. 19.
they are said to be but five; but Josephus {} has seven,
as here; perhaps two of them were of less note, and
so not reckoned, as Jarchi observes: some will have
it, that the two scribes of the judges are left out;
but others, more probably, Jeremiah and Baruch, who
were first taken, and after'wards dismissed: and the
principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of
the land; or the Scribe of the prince of the army, as
the Targum; the general's secretary: and threescorye
men of the people of the land, that were found in the
midst of the city: persons of prime note, who, upon
the invasion, betook themselves from the country to
the city of Jerusalem with their effects, and to defend
it. Josephus {k} calls them rulers or governors.
Ver. 26. SoNebuzaradancaptain of the guard took them,
&c.] In the city, and made them captives: and brought
them to the Icing of Babylon to Riblab; to knew his
mind concerning them; how they should be disposed
of; and for him to pass sentence on them: as he had
done on the king of Judah, his sons, and Iris princes,
in the same place.
Ver. 27.  And the king of Babylon smote them, &c.']
Or ordered them to be smitten with the sword; to
have their heads cut off, according to Josephus {}: and
put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath;
these being such, no doubt, who obstinately defended
the city, and persuaded the prince and people not
to surrender the city into the hand of the Chaldeans;
and therefore were put to death in cold blood: thus
Judah was carried away captive out of his own land:
at different times, of which this was the completion;
and of which a particular account is given, even of the
number of the captives at these several times, in the
three following' verses.
Ver. 28. This is the people whom Nebuchadnezzar
carried away captive in the seventh year, &c.] That
is, of his reign: in 2 Kings xxiv. 12, it is said to be in
the eighth year of his reign; it being at the latter end
of the seventh, and the beginning of the eighth, as
Kimchi observes; this was the captivity of Jeconiah:
the number of the captives then were three thousand
clews, and three-and-twenty; but in o. Kings xxiv. 14.
they are said to be ten thousand; which may be re-
conciled thus, there were three thousand twenty and
three of the tribe of Judah, here called Jews; and the
rest were of the tribe of Benjamin, and of the tentribes
that were mixed among them; sea 2 Kings xxiv. 16.
Ver. 29. In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar,
&c.] Said to be the nineteenth, yet. 12. it was at the
end of the eighteenth, and the beginning of the nine-
teenth, as Kimchi; or this was before the taking of
the city, when he raised the siege, and departed to
meet the king of Egypt, at which time he might carry
captive many, as here said: he carried away captive
.from Jerusalem, eight hundred thirty and two persons;
which is more likely to be then done than at the taking
of the city; when it is very probable a greater number
was carried captive, which are not. here taken notice of.
Ver. 30. In the three-and-twentieth year of Nebuchad-
nezzar, &c.] In this year of his reign, the Jews say {m},
Tyre was delivered into his hands; and he carried off
the Jews in Moab, Ammon, and the neighbouring
nations, to the number after mentioned; though some.
think these were the poor people of the land he took
from thence, after the murder of Gedal iah, and in re-
venge of t b a t: Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried
away captive of the Jews seven hundred ffbrty and five
persons; all which being put together make the follow-
ing sum: all the persons were four thousand and six
hundred; this is the sum-total of the three mentioned
captivities.
Ver. 31. And it came to pass in the seven-and-thir-
tieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachim king of Judah,
&c.] He was eighteen years of age when he was car-
ried captive; so that he must be now fifty4ive years
old; see 9 Kings xxiv. 8: in the twelfth month, in the
five-and-twentieth day of the month; in the month Adar,
which answers to part of February, and part.of March:
in 2 Kings xxv. 27, the favour shewn by the king
of Babylon to Jeconiah, after related, is said to be in
the twenty-seventh day of the month; it might have
been determined and notified on the 2Sth, but not ex-
ecuted till the 27th; or it might be begun to be put in
execution on the 25th, and not finished till the 27tb,
The Jews, in their chronicle, say {} that Nebu-
chadnezzar died on the 25th, and was buried; that,
on the 26th, Evil-merodach took him out of his
grave, and dragged him about, to abolish his decrees,
and to confirm What is said of him in Isa. xiv. 19.
and on the 27th he brought Jeconiah out of prison;
but this is no reconciliation at all; the former is
best. That Evil-merodaCh Icing of Babylon, in the
first year of his reign; who succeeded Nebuchad-
nezzar, having reigned forty-three years; this king
is called by Ptolemy ° Iloarudamus; by Abydenus {p}

{f} Yoma, c. I. sect. 1.
{g} Misn. Shekalim, c. 5. sect. 2.
{h} \^Klmh ynp yarm\^ ex videntibus facies, vel faciem regis, Montanus,
Piscator; de videre facientibus facies regis, Schmidt.
{i} Antiqu. 1. 10. c. 8. sect. 5.
{k} Ibid.
{l} Antiqu. I. 10. c. 8. sect. 5.
{m} Seder Olam Rabba, c. 26. p. 77.
{n} Seder Olam, c. 28. p. 81.
{o} Canon, Ed. Bainbridge, p. 48.
{p} Aptud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. 1.9. c. 41. p. 457.