Bible Chapter Summary
2 Chronicles 36 Summary
Decline and Fall of Judah's Kingdom
The people of the land make Jehoahaz, Josiah's son, king, but Egypt's Pharaoh deposes him after three months, condemning the land in a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold, then makes Jehoiakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. Jehoiakim reigns eleven years and does evil in God's sight, so Nebuchadnezzar comes and binds him to carry him to Babylon, taking the vessels of the LORD's house to his own temple. Jehoiachin, his son, reigns only three months and ten days before Nebuchadnezzar brings him to Babylon with the goodly vessels and makes Zedekiah king. Zedekiah reigns eleven years, does evil, refuses to humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, and rebels against Nebuchadnezzar. The people transgress greatly and pollute the house of the LORD. God sends messengers, but they mock, despise, and misuse the prophets until His wrath burns with no remedy. Nebuchadnezzar slays the young men, burns the house of God, breaks down the wall, burns the palaces, and carries the surviving people to Babylon as servants. Cyrus of Persia later proclaims that the LORD has charged him to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
Key themes
Key verses
2 Chronicles 36:11-13
“Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 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. 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.”
2 Chronicles 36:17-19
“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. 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. 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.”
2 Chronicles 36:22-23
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.”
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