2Ch 36 | MHM | STEP | The Destruction of Jerusalem This section describes the last days of the kingdom of Judah, as the nation fell further into sin and was slowly destroyed. God did not bring judgment all at once, but allowed things to fall apart step by step. This shows that God is patient and gives people time to repent. The story is told in more detail in the last chapters of 2 Kings. Each king did evil, and their short reigns and troubles showed God’s judgment on the nation for turning away from Him. v. 1 : After Josiah’s death, the people made Jehoahaz king. But after only three months, Pharaoh-necho of Egypt removed him and took him as a prisoner to Egypt . Jehoahaz’s reign was short because he did evil and did not follow God.

‏ 2 Chronicles 36

The Destruction of Jerusalem

This section describes the last days of the kingdom of Judah, as the nation fell further into sin and was slowly destroyed. God did not bring judgment all at once, but allowed things to fall apart step by step. This shows that God is patient and gives people time to repent. The story is told in more detail in the last chapters of 2 Kings. Each king did evil, and their short reigns and troubles showed God’s judgment on the nation for turning away from Him.

v. 1: After Josiah’s death, the people made Jehoahaz king. But after only three months, Pharaoh-necho of Egypt removed him and took him as a prisoner to Egypt . Jehoahaz’s reign was short because he did evil and did not follow God.

v. 2-4: Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, but Pharaoh-necho forced him out and put Eliakim, his brother, on the throne. Pharaoh changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim, showing his power over Judah. The land had to pay a heavy fine to Egypt (2 Chronicles 36:2-4 ^a).

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v. 5: Jehoiakim became king and ruled for eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the ORD, following the same sins as the kings before him .

v. 6: Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, attacked Judah and captured Jehoiakim. He planned to take him to Babylon, making him a servant and vassal .

v. 7: The best treasures and holy objects from the temple were taken to Babylon. This was a punishment for Judah bringing idols into God’s house. Now, God allowed the temple itself to be plundered (2 Chronicles 36:7; Jeremiah 27:16, 21-22 ^b; Daniel 5:3-6 ^c).

v. 8: Jehoiakim’s evil deeds and possible secret idol practices are mentioned. He died before being taken away, and his son Jehoiachin became king (2 Chronicles 36:8; Leviticus 19:28 ^d).

v. 9: Jehoiachin (also called Jeconiah), the son of Jehoiakim, became king. He reigned only three months and ten days and did evil in the sight of the ORD. The king of Babylon soon took him captive along with more treasures from the temple (2 Chronicles 36:9 ^e).

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The Fall of Jerusalem and the Exile

This section tells how Judah and Jerusalem were finally destroyed by the Chaldeans (Babylonians). Abraham was called out of Chaldea to receive God’s promises, but now, because of the people’s sin, his descendants were sent back there as captives. The passage explains that the main reasons for this disaster were the sins of the king and the people, especially their idolatry and their refusal to listen to God’s prophets. God had sent many warnings, but the people rejected them, bringing judgment on themselves. Even in their suffering, God’s promises were not forgotten, and the land waited for their return.

v. 11-12: Zedekiah became king and ruled for eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the ORD and did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke God’s words to him. Zedekiah refused to listen to God’s warnings and would not change his ways (2 Chronicles 36:11-12; Jeremiah 1:10 ^f).

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v. 13: Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, even though he had sworn an oath to be loyal. He was stubborn and refused to turn back to God, hardening his heart against God’s word (2 Chronicles 36:13; Ezekiel 17:18 ^g).

v. 14: The leaders and priests, along with the people, copied the evil practices of the nations around them and filled God’s temple with idols. The very people who should have protected true worship were the ones leading in sin .

v. 15: God had compassion on His people and sent messengers, the prophets, to warn them because He wanted them to turn back. He sent these warnings early and often to give them every chance to repent .

v. 16: The people mocked God’s messengers, despised His words, and mistreated the prophets. Their rejection of God’s warnings filled up the measure of their sin, so that God’s anger came upon them with no remedy (2 Chronicles 36:16; Matthew 23:34-37 ^h).

v. 17: God allowed the king of Babylon to attack Judah. Many people were killed, even in the temple, and neither the young nor the old were spared. Because they had rejected God’s compassion, they faced cruel treatment from their enemies .

v. 18: All the valuable things from the temple and the royal family were taken to Babylon. Both sacred and secular treasures were lost because of the nation’s sins .

v. 19: The temple was burned, the walls of Jerusalem torn down, and the houses, including the palaces, were destroyed. Everything valuable was ruined because of the people’s disobedience (2 Chronicles 36:19; Psalm 48:3 ⁱ).

v. 20: The survivors were taken as captives to Babylon, where they served the king and his sons. In exile, they suffered and longed for home (2 Chronicles 36:20; Psalm 137:1 ^j).

v. 21: The land of Judah was left empty and uncultivated while the people were in Babylon. This fulfilled God’s word that the land would finally get its rest, its sabbaths, which the people had ignored. God kept His promise, both in judgment and in the hope that His people would one day return (2 Chronicles 36:21; Leviticus 26:34-35 ^k; Hosea 2:9; Jeremiah 34:14 ^l).

The Return from Exile Proclaimed

These final verses of 2 Chronicles look both backward and forward. They show that God kept His promise, spoken through Jeremiah, to bring His people back from captivity after seventy years. Even though the story of Judah ends with destruction and exile, God’s faithfulness means that His people are not forgotten. The same verses also introduce the story of Ezra, where the return and rebuilding begin. This teaches us that God’s discipline is not the end—He restores and gives hope to His people in His perfect timing.

v. 22: In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the ORD moved Cyrus’s heart to make a proclamation. This fulfilled the word spoken by Jeremiah, promising that the captives would return and Jerusalem would be rebuilt .

v. 23: Cyrus declared that the ORD, the God of heaven, had given him all the kingdoms of the earth and commanded him to build a temple in Jerusalem. He invited God’s people to return and rebuild the house of the ORD in Jerusalem. This was the beginning of hope and restoration for Israel (2 Chronicles 36:23; Ezra 1:1-3 ^m).