the country in which his capital was situated, where they were colonized, Jer. 29. Any corruption of morals usually proceeds from the leaders of a nation, and therefore the Lord's punishment strikes these first. God is righteous in all His judgments and rewards every one according to his deeds.

ZEDEKIAH BEGINS HIS RULE. V. 17. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, his father's brother, a third son of Josiah, king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah ("the righteousness of Jehovah," he by whom Jehovah executes justice). V. 18. Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daugh

ter of Jeremiah of Libnah. Cp. chap. 23, 31. V. 19. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done, thus fulfilling Judah's measure of iniquity. V. 20. For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until He had cast them out from His presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. The final execution of the Lord's judgment took place in his reign, the rebellion which took place in the seventh or eighth year of Zedekiah's reign being merely the occasion which brought on the catastrophe. If all efforts to gain the hearts by admonition and reproof prove futile, the Lord at last delivers men into the judgment which their sin deserves.

Destruction of Jerusalem. The Exile. JUDAH CARRIED INTO CAPTIVITY. — V. 1. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, when Zedekiah had rebelled against the Babylonian supremacy, that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came, he and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, encamped round about it; and they built forts against it round about, bulwarks with watch-towers, such as were used in besieging a city. Although Nebuchadnezzar was not present in person, or at least did not remain, yet he directed all the operations, carrying them forward with all energy. V. 2. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of King Zedekiah, for the walls and fortifications of the city were very strong. V. 3. And on the ninth day of the fourth month, after almost a year and a half, the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land, the common people were in such sore straits on account of the severity of the famine that they resorted to the most horrible means of sustaining life, Lam. 2, 11-19; 4, 3—10; Ezek. 5, 10; Jer. 37, 21. V. 4. And the city was broken up, the breach being made on the north side of the outer wall, Jer. 39, 3-5, and all the men of war, the soldiers who were defending the city, fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, the outer and the inner wall, which is by the king's garden, in the lower part of the city, for they believed that escape to the south might still be possible; (now the Chaldees were against the city round about, although their lines may not have been so strong on this side;) and the king went the way toward the plain, Jer. 39, 4, the meadows of the Jordan near Jericho. V. 5. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, for the king's

intention evidently was to escape beyond the river into the desert country; and all his army were scattered from him. Cp. Ezek. 12, 3-16. V. 6. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon, to Riblah, a city in a fruitful plain in the north, where the headquarters of Nebuchadnezzar had been established; and they gave judgment upon him, namely, a tribunal appointed by the king, since Zedekiah had broken his oath of allegiance and revolted. V. 7. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, for they were guilty with their father and might have continued the dynasty, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, they blinded him, probably by passing a heated metal rod over his open eyes, and bound him with fetters of brass, doubly fettered hand and foot, and carried him to Babylon. Thus Zedekiah was maimed for life and had to give up all hope of ever being able to rule again. V. 8. And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, one of his chief officers and most trusted officials, unto Jerusalem; v. 9. and he burned the house of the Lord, the wonderful Temple of Solomon, whose upper structure was all of wood, and the king's house, the beautiful royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem, all the palaces of the rich, and every great man's house burned he with fire, thus completing the taking of the city, and leaving houses only for the poor people of the land. V. 10. And all the army of the Chaldees that were with the captain of the guard, placed under his command for this purpose, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about, the fortifications which had rendered the city almost impregnable. V. 11. Now, the rest of the people that were left in the city, the few who had escaped the

ravages of the sword and of famine, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, those who had deserted to the enemy during the siege, with the remnant of the multitude, probably the remaining able-bodied men who might have been able to bear arms, did Nebuzar-adan, the captain of the guard, carry away. V. 12. But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land, those without landed possessions, to be vinedressers and husbandmen, they received orders to cultivate the vineyards and fields, lest the country revert to its wild state. V. 13. And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, the two conspicuous hollow columns, 1 Kings 7, 15, and the bases, 1 Kings 7, 22, of which Ahaz had removed the borders, chap. 16, 17, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the Lord, resting on a stone base since the oxen had been removed, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. V. 14. And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, those used in the service of the altar of burnt offering in the court, took they away. Cp. Ex. 27, 3; 1 Kings 7, 45-50. V. 15. And the fire-pans, and the bowls, 1 Kings 7, 50, and such things as were of gold, the appointments used in the Sanctuary proper, in gold, and of silver, in silver, including all vessels made of precious metals, the captain of the guard took away. V. 16. The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the brass of all these vessels was without weight; its amount was so great that it was useless to attempt to weigh it, 1 Kings 7, 47. V. 17. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter, the capital, upon it was brass, and the height of the chapiter three cubits, or five cubits over all, 1 Kings 7, 16; 2 Chron. 3, 15; Jer. 52, 22; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass, this artistic work making the columns very costly; and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work. Cp. Jer. 52, 17-22. V. 18. And the captain of the guard took Seraiah, the chief priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, one of those ordinarily engaged in the work of sacrifice, but evidently a person of importance, and the three keepers at the door, the chief officers of the Temple guard, one of whom was stationed at each of the three main entrances, cp. Jer. 38, 14. V. 19. And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, the commander of the city, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, of the king's intimate counselors, and the principal scribe of the host, an officer in the direct service of the commanderin-chief, which mustered the people of the

land, enrolling them for military service, these seven representing the civil population, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city, either the leaders in the rebellion or such as had distinguished themselves in the defense of the city; v. 20. and Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon, to Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar was still encamped. V. 21. And the king of Babylon smote them, for participating in the rebellion, and slew them at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the Syrian province in the extreme northern part of Palestine. So Judah was carried away out of their land. This was the beginning of the great captivity, wherewith the ancient glory of Judah faded away, for it never again regained its position of independence and power. The destruction of Jerusalem is a type of the last great Judgment which will come upon the world.

GEDALIAH GOVERNOR OF JUDAH.-V. 22. And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had left, even over them he made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler. Ahikam had been a man of importance under Josiah and had once, in siding with Jeremiah, saved the latter's life, Jer. 26, 24. Evidently Gedaliah had followed in his father's footsteps in siding with the prophet against the policy of Zedekiah, and therefore Nebuchadnezzar now elevated him to this position of trust and placed Jeremiah in his care, Jer. 39,14; 40, 6. V. 23. And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, those who had been dispersed and scattered during the flight of the king and had been in hiding ever since, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, his own representative in the conquered province, there came to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, the ancient fortified city a few miles northwest of Jerusalem, where he had established his headquarters, even Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan, the son of Careah, and Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah, the son of a Maachathite, all of these being members of the nobility and men of influence, they and their men. V. 24. And Gedaliah sware to them and to their men, in order to reassure them and make them willing to acknowledge the supremacy of the king of Babylon, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees, to yield to the new order of things and submit willingly. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. To do so would be not merely submitting to the inevitable, but would accord with the policy which the Lord advised through Jeremiah. V. 25. But it came to pass in the seventh month, only two months after the destruction of Jerusalem, that Ishmael, the

son of Nethaniah, the grandson of the secretary of state under King Jehoiakim, Jer. 36, 12. 20, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, a descendant of the royal house, by virtue of which fact he thought he had a claim to the position of governor, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. This was possible because Gedaliah refused to heed the warning which he received, and because Ishmael was further incited to this murder by Baalis, king of the Ammonites. The story is told in greater detail by Jeremiah, Jer. 41. V. 26. And all the people, both small and great, whether powerful and influential or not, and the captains of the armies arose, and, after stopping for a while near Bethlehem, came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldees. Cp. Jer. 42 and 43. V. 27. And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, the date being noted with great accuracy on account of the significance of the event, that Evil-merodach, son of Nebuchadnezzar, king

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of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, when he came to be king, did lift up the head of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, out of prison, releasing him from his captivity with its despair and misery, Gen. 40, 13. 20; v. 28. and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, holding him in higher estimation, giving him the preference and a higher rank than the others; v. 29. and changed his prison garments, Jehoiachin appeared in the royal garments befitting his rank; and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life, he partook of the king's bounty, receiving an allowance enabling him to have attendants. V. 30. And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a regular income upon which he could depend, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life. This incident was a favorable sign to the captive Jews, reminding them of the fact that the Lord intended to terminate their captivity, if they would but acknowledge their sins and turn to Him in true repentance. It looked forward to the still more glorious day when the Lord would send the promised Messiah.

Like the Books of Samuel and the Books of the Kings, the Books of the Chronicles were originally written as one volume, bearing a name in the Hebrew which signifies "Words of Days," a name which may be freely translated as "History." The English title is taken from the name suggested by Jerome, who prepared the first Latin translation of the Bible which came into general use in the Church.

The Books of the Chronicles contain a section of Jewish history, selected for a certain purpose and written from a definite point of view. By choosing certain phases and emphasizing certain traits in the general history and in particular biographies, especially all such factors as pertained to the establishment and maintenance of the true worship, the author intended to inspire the Jews who had just returned from the Babylonian exile with zeal for the will of Jehovah. He pictures the blessings which followed a loyal adherence to the covenant and the punishment of its rejection. This purpose explains the choice of material, the rhetorical form, which is observable in various sections, and the continual emphasis upon the religious side in the life of the kings. The Books of the Chronicles may be divided into the following parts: 1. Genealogical tables from the earliest times to the end of the exile,

together with historical notes and geographical lists, 1 Chron. 1-10; 2. the history of David, 1 Chron. 11-30; 3. the history of Solomon, 2 Chron. 1-9; 4. the history of the kingdom of Judah down to the Babylonian captivity, 2 Chron. 10-36.

The Second Book of the Chronicles closes with the statement that King Cyrus of Persia issued a written proclamation throughout all his kingdom, permitting the Jews to return to Jerusalem, 2 Chron. 36, 22. 23. He made this proclamation in the first year of his reign, which was about 536 B. C. Accordingly, these books must have been written after this date, after the return of the Jews. On the other hand, the work must not be dated much later, for the author speaks of darics, Persian gold coins bearing on one side the image of Darius, and the Jews used these Persian coins only while under Persian rule. From the similarity of the last two verses in Chronicles and of the first two in Ezra, it has been concluded that the pious and learned scribe Ezra himself, who was endowed with the spirit of prophecy, is the author, and this must be assumed as having every show of probability.1)

1) Cp. Fuerbringer, Einleitung in das Alte Testament, 35-38; Concordia Bible Class, March, 1919, 45-47.

Genealogical Table from Adam to Edom. FROM ADAM TO THE SONS OF KETUBAH. V. 1. Adam, Sheth, Enosh, the members of the families in the direct order of succession only being mentioned, v. 2. Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, v. 3. Henoch, who was taken up into heaven by the Lord, Methuselah, the man who reached the highest age recorded in history, Lamech, v. 4. Noah, with whom the list of the antediluvian patriarchs is brought to an end, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, all three sons of Noah being mentioned as the founders of the world after the Flood. V. 5. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. V. 6. And the sons of Gomer: Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. V.7. And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. The seven sons and seven grandsons of Japheth were the founders of strong nations. Cp. Gen. 10, 2-5. V. 8. The sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. V. 9. And the sons of Cush: Sevah, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. V. 10. And Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be mighty upon the earth, the first ruler of a world empire. V. 11. And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, v. 12. and Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim. These two were brother nations. V. 13. And Canaan begat Zidon, his firstborn, and Heth, v. 14. the Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, v. 15. and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, v. 16. and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite, all these nations being established afterwards to the southeast and east of the Mediterranean Sea. Cp. Gen. 10, 6-20. V. 17. The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech (or Mash), the last four being sons of Aram and grandsons of Shem. These nations were found principally on the Arabian Peninsula and in the valley of the Euphrates and Tigris. V. 18. And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber. V. 19. And unto Eber were born two sons; the name of the one was Peleg (division), because in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.

V. 20. And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazar-maveth, and Jerah, v. 21. Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah, v. 22. and Ebal (or Obal), and Abimael, and Sheba, v. 23. and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. The nations were found from Asia Minor eastward to India. Cp. Gen. 10,

21-31. V. 24. Here follows Shem's line to Abraham: Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, v. 25. Eber, Peleg, Reu, v. 26. Serug, Nahor, Terah, v. 27. Abram; the same is Abraham, the Lord Himself having changed his name, Gen. 17, 5. V. 28. The sons of Abraham: Isaac, the son of promise and bearer of the V. 29. Messianic prophecy, and Ishmael. These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, v. 30. Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema, v. 31. Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael, Gen. 25, 12—16. These names are perpetuated in the clans and tribes of the Arabs to the present day, a witness of the fulfilment of God's promises. He is true and faithful and will not let His words fall to the ground.

THE DESCENDANTS OF ESAU AND THE DUKES OF EDOM.-V. 32. Now, the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine, the half-brothers of Ishmael; she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah, these being the founders of nomadic tribes in the northern part of Arabia and in Syria. Cp. Gen. 25, 1. 2; Gen. 36, 35; Job 2, 11. And the sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. V. 33. And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons, the descendants, of Keturah. V. 34. And Abraham begat Isaac, this verse continuing the enumeration of verse 28. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. V. 35. The sons of Esau, who forfeited his birthright and was not the bearer of the Messianic promise: Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. Cp. Gen. 36, 9-14. V. 36. The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek. V. 37. The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. V. 38. And the sons of Seir: Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezar, and Dishan. V. 39. And the sons of Lotan: Hori, and Homan (or Heman); and Timna was Lotan's sister. V. 40. The sons of Shobal: Alian (or Alvan), and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. V. 41. The sons of Anah: Dishon. And the sons of Dishon: Amram (or Hemdan), and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran. V. 42. The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakan (or Akan). The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. Cp. Gen. 36, 20-28. These men were founders of nomadic tribes occupying the country between the Red Sea and the Euphrates, some of the mightiest ones being found near the boundary of Chaldea. V. 43. Now, these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela, the son of Beor;

and the name of his city was Dinhabah. This has been identified with O'Daeb, a wellknown town in the center of Al Dahna, a great northern desert in the direction of Chaldea and the Euphrates. V. 44. And when Bela was dead, Jobab, the son of Zerah, of Bozrah reigned in his stead. V. 45. And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. V. 46. And when Husham was dead, Hadad, the son of Bedad, which smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Avith. V. 47. And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead. V. 48. And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead. V. 49. And when Shaul was dead, Baal-hanan, the son of Achbor, reigned in his stead. V. 50. And when Baal-hanan was dead, Hadad (or Hadar) reigned in his stead; and the name

of his city was Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. It appears from this that the country had no definite capital at this time, and that the royal power was not hereditary. Probably the ruler was elected from the total number of princes or most influential sheiks. V. 51. Hadad died also, and after his death the office of king seems to have been abolished. And the dukes of Edom were: Duke Timnah, Duke Aliah, Duke Jetheth, v. 52. Duke Aholibamah, Duke Elah, Duke Pinon, v. 53. Duke Kenaz, Duke Teman, Duke Mibzar, v. 54. Duke Magdiel, Duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom. For the entire passage compare Gen. 36, 31-39. 51-54. This list has only geographical importance, as naming the chief Edomite principalities. It has been preserved to show how completely the Lord fulfilled His promise concerning Esau.

The Generations from Israel to David. FROM ISRAEL TO JESSE. V. 1. These are the sons of Israel, that is, of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the bearer of the Messianic promise: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, the six sons of Leah, v. 2. Dan, the older son of Rachel's maid, Joseph and Benjamin, the two sons of Rachel, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, the remaining sons of the handmaids. V. 3. The sons of Judah, who became the bearer of the Messianic promise, Gen. 49, 10; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua, the Canaanitess. And Er, the first-born of Judah, was evil in the sight of the Lord; and He slew him, Gen. 38, 7. V. 4. And Tamar, his daughterin-law, bare him Pharez and Zerah, Gen. 38, 29. 30. All the sons of Judah were five. V. 5. The sons of Pharez: Hezron and Hamul. V. 6. And the sons of Zerah, also known as Ezra, 1 Kings 4, 31: Zimri (or Zabdi), and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara (or Darda, five of them in all. The entire family was known for the wisdom of its members, and for their skill in poetry and music, whence they were even called the sons of Mahol, that is, of musical lore. V. 7. And the sons of Carmi: Achar (or Achan), the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed, Josh. 6, 18; 7, 1. V. 8. And the sons of Ethan: Azariah. V. 9. The sons also of Hezron that were born unto him: Jerahmeel, and Ram (or Aram), and Chelubai (or Caleb). V. 10. And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah, Num. 1, 7; v. 11. and Nahshon begat Salma (or Salmon), and Salma begat

Boaz, v. 12. and Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse. Cp. Ruth 4, 18-22. V. 13. And Jesse begat his first-born, Eliab; and Abinadab, the second; and Shimma (or Shammah), the third; v. 14. Nethaneel, the fourth; Raddai, the fifth; v. 15. Ozem, the sixth; David, the seventh, only seven sons being mentioned here instead of the eight of 1 Sam. 16, 10; 17, 12, because one of the younger sons seems to have died before reaching maturity and leaving children; v. 16. whose sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah, the nephews of David: Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three. V. 17. And Abigail bare Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the

Ishmeelite, 2 Sam. 17, 25. Thus the family of David was shown to go back directly to Judah, a fact which sets forth his importance in the Messianic story.

THE GENEALOGY OF CALEB. V. 18. And Caleb, the son of Hezron, v. 9, begat children of Azubah, his wife, and of Jerioth, who seems to have been a secondary wife, whose children were reckoned as those of Azubah; her sons are these: Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon. V. 19. And when Azubah, his rightful spouse, was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur. V. 20. And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel. V. 21. And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir, the father of Gilead, grandson of Joseph and chief of that city east of Jordan, with its adjacent territory, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub. V. 22. And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead, Num. 32, 41; Deut. 3, 14; Josh. 13, 30;