Jeremiah 52:33

And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Jeremiah 52:33-34. And changed his prison garments — This has been considered by some an act of generosity in Evil-merodach, giving the captive king new garments, more suitable to his royal dignity than those he wore in prison. But Blaney thinks “it was rather the act of Jehoiachin himself, who, out of respect to the king of Babylon’s presence, and to mark his just sense of the favour shown him, no longer neglected his person and dress, as when a prisoner, and in affliction: but put on new apparel more adapted to the change in his circumstances. So Joseph, when he was sent for out of prison to appear before Pharaoh, first shaved himself, and changed his raiment, Genesis 41:14. David did the same after he had ceased mourning for his child, before he went into the house of God, 2 Samuel 12:20. Mr. Harmer, (chap. 6. obs. 44, 45,) observes, both that to change the garments often is in the East a mark of respect in visiting; and also that the putting on of new clothes is thought by those people to be very requisite, and indeed almost necessary, for the due solemnization of a time of rejoicing.” And there was a continual diet given him of the king — As it appears from the preceding verse that Jehoiachin himself sat at the king of Babylon’s own table, this seems to have been an allowance for the maintenance of his attendants and family.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

52:31-34 See this history of king Jehoiachin in 2Ki 25:27-30. Those under oppression will find it is not in vain for them to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord. Our times are in God's hand, for the hearts of all we have to deal with are so. May we be enabled, more and more, to rest on the Rock of Ages, and to look forward with holy faith to that hour, when the Lord will bring again Zion, and overthrow all the enemies of the church.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Seventh year - The suggestion is now generally received, that the word ten has dropped out before seven, and that the deportations mentioned here are all connected with the final war against Zedekiah. The calculation of Nebuchadnezzars reign is different from that used elsewhere, showing that the writer had access to a document not known to the compiler of the Book of Kings. In each date there is a difference of one year. The Septuagint omits Jeremiah 52:28-30.

The number of the exiles carried away is small compared with the 42,360 men who returned Ezra 2:64-65, leaving a large Jewish population behind at Babylon. But a continual drain of people from Judaea was going on, and the 10,000 carried away with Jehoiachin formed the nucleus and center, and gave tone to the whole (see 2 Kings 24:14). When they began to thrive in Babylon, large numbers would emigrate there of their own accord.

A comparison of this chapter with the parallel portion of 2 Kings hows that though not free from clerical errors and mistakes of copyists the body of the text is remarkably sound. Many of the differences between the two texts are abbreviations made purposely by the compiler of the Book of Kings; others are the result of negligence; and upon the whole the text of the Book of Kings is inferior to that of the Appendix to the Book of Jeremiah. Bearing in mind, however, that possibly they are not two transcripts of the same text, but the result of an independent use by two different writers of the same original authority, their complete agreement, except in trivial matters and mistakes easy of correction, is a satisfactory proof of the general trust-worthiness of the Masoretic Text in all more important particulars.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

33. changed … garments—gave him garments suitable to a king.

did … eat bread before him—(2Sa 9:13).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And changed his prison garments,.... Which were filthy, and of an ill smell; and put on him raiment more comfortable, as well as more honourable, and suitable to his dignity, and more fit to appear in, in the presence of the king and his court:

and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life: either at the same table with the king; or at other near him, in his sight, in the same apartment; though the former seems more likely; and this he did as long as he lived; either Evilmerodach, or rather Jeconiah; though perhaps they both died much about the same time. All this was done about the year of the world 3444, and about five hundred sixty years before Christ, according to Bishop Usher (t) and Mr. Bedford (u); the authors of the Universal History (w) place it a year earlier.

(t) Annales Vet. Test. p. 138. (u) Scripture Chronology, p. 710. (w) Vol. 21. p. 64.

Geneva Study Bible

And changed his prison {p} garments: and he continually ate bread before him all the days of his life.

(p) And gave him princely apparel.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

33. changed his prison garments] Cp. Genesis 41:14; Luke 15:22.

did eat bread before him continually] was admitted to the king’s own table. Cp. 2 Samuel 9:7; 2 Samuel 19:33. So this privilege was accorded to Democêdês the Greek physician after his cure of Darius (Herod. III. 132).

Jeremiah 52:33

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The closing portion of this chapter, viz., the notice regarding the liberation of Jehoiachin from imprisonment, ad his elevation to royal honours by Evil-merodach after Nebuchadnezzar's death, substantially agrees with the account given of that even in 2 Kings 25:27-30. The difference of date, "on the twenty-fifth of the month" (Jeremiah 52:31), and "on the twenty-seventh of the month" in 2 Kings, has arisen through the entrance of a clerical error into one text or the other. The few remaining variations of the two texts have no influence on the meaning. As to the fact itself, and its importance for the people languishing in exile, we may refer to the explanation given at 2 Kings 25:27.