remaining treasures of the temple and the palace, and the golden vessels of
the sanctuary.
Mattaniah, the uncle of Jehoiachin, was now made king over what
remained of the kingdom of Judah, under the name of Zedekiah (2 Kings
24:17; 2 Chronicles 36:10). After a troubled reign of eleven years his
kingdom came to an end (2 Chronicles 36:11). Nebuchadnezzar, with a
powerful army, besieged Jerusalem, and Zedekiah became a prisoner in
Babylon. His eyes were put out, and he was kept in close confinement till
his death (2 Kings 25:7). The city was spoiled of all that was of value, and
then given up to the flames. The temple and palaces were consumed, and
the walls of the city were levelled with the ground (B.C. 586), and all that
remained of the people, except a number of the poorest class who were left
to till the ground and dress the vineyards, were carried away captives to
Babylon. This was the third and last deportation of Jewish captives. The
land was now utterly desolate, and was abondoned to anarchy.
In the first year of his reign as king of Babylon (B.C. 536), Cyrus issued a
decree liberating the Jewish captives, and permitting them to return to
Jerusalem and rebuild the city and the temple (2 Chronicles 36:22, 23; Ezra
1; 2). The number of the people forming the first caravan, under
Zerubbabel, amounted in all to 42,360 (Ezra 2:64, 65), besides 7,337
men-servants and maid-servants. A considerable number, 12,000 probably,
from the ten tribes who had been carried away into Assyria no doubt
combined with this band of liberated captives.
At a later period other bands of the Jews returned (1) under Ezra (7:7)
(B.C. 458), and (2) Nehemiah (7:66) (B.C. 445). But the great mass of the
people remained still in the land to which they had been carried, and
became a portion of the Jews of the “dispersion” (John 7:35; 1 Peter 1:1).
The whole number of the exiles that chose to remain was probably about
six times the number of those who returned.
- CARBUNCLE (Exodus 28:17; 39:10; Ezekiel 28:13). Hebrews barkath;
LXX. smaragdos; Vulgate, smaragdus; Revised Version, marg., “emerald.”
The Hebrew word is from a root meaning “to glitter,” “lighten,” “flash.”
When held up to the sun, this gem shines like a burning coal, a dark-red
glowing coal, and hence is called “carbunculus”, i.e., a little coal. It was one
of the jewels in the first row of the high priest’s breastplate. It has been
conjectured by some that the garnet is meant. In Isaiah 54:12 the Hebrew