Evil-merodach, king of Babylon— Nebuchadnezzar, the father of Evil-merodach, died in the year of the world 3442, and before Christ 562, after he had reigned from the death of his father, according to the Babylonish account, three and forty years. He was certainly one of the greatest princes that had appeared in the east for many ages; and, according to Megasthenes, as he is cited by Josephus, both for his enterprizes and performances far excelled even Hercules himself. The same historian, as he is quoted by Eusebius, informs us, that a little before his death he foretold to his subjects the coming of the Persians, and their subduing the kingdom of Babylon, which he might gather from the prophet Daniel, and especially from the interpretation of his dreams. His son Evil-merodach reigned but a short time; for his debaucheries and other crimes in the space of two years made him so intolerable, that even his own relations conspired against him, and put him to death. It is likely that Jehoiachin, whom he thus signally favoured, (2 Kings 25:28-29.) fell with him, for that best agrees with Jeremiah's prophesies concerning him; wherein it is denounced, (ch. Jeremiah 22:30.) that he should not prosper in his days, which could not be so well verified of him, had he died in the full possession of all that prosperity to which Evil-merodach advanced him. Prideaux.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The few who remained were put under the care of Gedaliah, a good man it should seem, and one who, if it had been possible, might have yet preserved them from utter ruin; but what the king of Babylon left unfinished, their own madness and folly completed. Ishmael, one of the seed-royal, was among the number of those who came to Gedaliah, under pretence of submission to his government: but envying his power, or to be revenged of the Chaldeans, who supported him, he treacherously fell upon him, slew him and his friends, whether Jews or Chaldeans; and then, in spite of Jeremiah's remonstrance, all the people who remained under him as their leader went down to Egypt, and mixed probably with that idolatrous people, (see Deuteronomy 28:68.) and thus their desolations were accomplished.
2nd, How hopeless, how desperate now appeared the case of Judah and her king! but in the midst of their captivity there ariseth up light in their darkness. Their captive, king Jehoiachin is brought from his mournful prison, and, on the accession of Evil-merodach, Nebuchadnezzar's son, admitted into the royal favour. He obtains apartments in the palace, a noble provision for himself and family, and pre-eminence over the other kings who were captives with him. This happened just in the midst of the seventy years during which this captivity was to last, as a means to support the hopes, and confirm the faith of the people in the fulfilment of the promises in due time. Note; (1.) While there is life, there is hope: we must not despair. God can turn the dungeon, when he pleases, into a palace. (2.) When our friend the great King shall sit on the throne of his kingdom, then he shall loose the bands of death, change the prison-garments of his saints, clothe them with immortality, and, placing their throne next to his own, make them sit down with him, and reign in glory everlasting.
We defer, till we come to the end of the book of Chronicles, some reflections on the dreadful end of the Israelitish monarchy, after it had stood four hundred and sixty-eight years from the time that David began to reign over it; three hundred and eighty-eight years from the revolt of the ten tribes from it; and one hundred and thirty-four years from the excision of the Israelitish commonwealth; and might have continued under the sunshine of the divine protection, which nothing could have eclipsed but the almost constant and horrid ingratitude of the people, and the invincible propensity to imitate the idolatries and witcheries of other nations; crimes, which, though become as abominable to God as they were universally practised by mankind, yet seem to have flowed from a purer source, though corrupted by degrees to this vast height through the amazing degeneracy of human nature. See the Appendix to the 3rd vol. of Univ. Hist. 8vo.