In the third year, &c. It was in the third year of Jehoiakim that Nebuchadnezzar set out from Babylon; and Daniel, writing there, speaks of the starting, not of the arrival at Jerusalem. See note on "came", below. In the fourth year Jehovah says by Jeremiah (Dan 25:9), "I will send". The date would be 497 B.C. and Daniel's sixteenth year, he being born probably in 513 B.C. (Josiah's eighteenth year).
came. went, set out, or proceeded. Hebrew. bo ', which means to go or come, according to the context and the point of view. It is rendered "went" in Genesis 7:9; Genesis 7:16; Genesis 15:17; Exodus 5:1.Numbers 8:22; Numbers 14:24.Judges 6:19. Jdg 18:18. 1 Samuel 17:12; 2 Samuel 2:24. 2Sa 12:16. 2 Samuel 17:25; 2 Samuel 20:3 2 Samuel 20:8. 1 Chronicles 2:21.Psalms 66:12.Ezekiel 36:20; Ezekiel 36:21; Ezekiel 36:22; Ezekiel 41:3. It is translated " go ", in the sense of proceed or set out, in Deuteronomy 4:1; Deuteronomy 6:18; Deuteronomy 8:1; Deuteronomy 11:8; Deuteronomy 12:26; Deuteronomy 22:13; Deuteronomy 26:3.Joshua 23:12.Ruth 3:4; 1 Samuel 25:5, &c. Jonah 1:3, &c. It is rendered " entered " (of setting out) in 2 Chronicles 27:2.Job 38:16; Job 38:22.Jeremiah 9:21; Jeremiah 14:18; Jeremiah 17:25; Jeremiah 22:4; Jeremiah 34:10; Jeremiah 37:16; Lamentations 1:10; Ezekiel 44:2; Ezekiel 46:2. Eze 11:40, Eze 11:41.Amos 5:5.Obadiah 1:11.Zechariah 5:4. Nebuchadnezzar did set out in Jehoiakim's third year, but was delayed by fighting the battle with Pharaoh-necho at Carchemish. In the next (the fourth) year (Jeremiah 46:2), he carried out the object with which he set out. Compare 2 Kings 24:1, and 2 Chronicles 36:6; 2 Chronicles 36:7.
Nebuchadnezzar. This name is so spelled (i.e. with "n" instead of "r") by Berosus (who wrote his history from the monuments, Cent. 3, B. C). Both spellings were in vogue. Ezekiel uses the "r"; and Jeremiah uses "r" before en. 27; and then eight times the "n" (Dan 27:6 where Nebuchadnezzar is once specially called Jehovah's appointed servant, 8, 20; Dan 28:3, Dan 28:11, Dan 28:14. Dan 29:1, Dan 29:3); and after that, always with "r" except twice (Dan 34:1. Dan 39:5). It is spelled with "n" in 2 Kings 24:1; 2 Kings 24:10 2 Kings 24:11. 2 Kings 25:1; 2 Kings 25:8 2 Kings 25:22. 1 Chronicles 6:15; 2 Chronicles 36:6 2 Chronicles 36:7, 2 Chronicles 36:10; 2 Chronicles 36:13.Ezra 1:7; Ezra 2:1.Nehemiah 7:6; Esther 2:6).