And the Lord delivered
The phrase "And the Lord delivered" underscores the sovereignty of God in the affairs of nations. The Hebrew root for "delivered" is "nathan," which means to give or to hand over. This action is not merely a passive allowance but an active decision by God. It reflects the biblical theme that God is in control, even when His people face judgment. Historically, this was a time when Judah was under divine discipline due to persistent disobedience, and God used Babylon as an instrument of His judgment.

Jehoiakim king of Judah
Jehoiakim was a king of Judah who reigned from approximately 609 to 598 BC. His reign was marked by idolatry and rebellion against God, as recorded in 2 Kings 23:36-24:7. The historical context reveals that Jehoiakim was placed on the throne by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, indicating a period of political instability and foreign influence over Judah. His eventual subjugation to Babylon fulfilled the prophetic warnings given by prophets like Jeremiah.

into his hand
The phrase "into his hand" signifies the transfer of power and control. In this context, it refers to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The imagery of being delivered "into his hand" suggests complete dominion and authority, emphasizing the totality of Judah's defeat. This phrase also serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, as Judah's autonomy was surrendered to a foreign power.

along with some of the articles from the house of God
The "articles from the house of God" were sacred items used in the worship of Yahweh in the temple in Jerusalem. The Hebrew term for "articles" is "kelim," which can refer to vessels or implements. The removal of these items symbolizes the desecration and humiliation of Judah's religious identity. Historically, this act was a common practice in ancient conquests, signifying the superiority of the conqueror's gods over the defeated nation's deity.

He carried these off to the land of Shinar
"Shinar" is an ancient name for a region in Mesopotamia, often associated with Babylon. The mention of Shinar connects this event to the broader biblical narrative, as it is the same region where the Tower of Babel was constructed (Genesis 11:2). This geographical reference highlights the continuity of human pride and rebellion against God, as well as the recurring theme of exile and return in the biblical story.

to the house of his god
The "house of his god" refers to the temple of Marduk, the chief deity of Babylon. This phrase indicates the religious motivations behind the Babylonian conquest, as the captured items were placed in the temple as trophies of victory. It underscores the spiritual conflict between the God of Israel and the pagan gods, a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament.

where he put them into the treasury of his god
Placing the sacred articles "into the treasury of his god" was a symbolic act of subjugation and assimilation. The treasury was not just a storage place but a sacred space within the temple, signifying the supposed triumph of Babylon's gods over Yahweh. This act of placing the articles in the treasury serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness, yet it also sets the stage for God's eventual vindication and the restoration of His people.

(2) Part of the vessels.--Literally, from one point to another. He did not take them all at once, but on different occasions. (On Shinar, see Note, Genesis 10:10.)

His god--i.e., Bel-Merodach, who was originally an Accadian deity, the signification of the second part of the name being "he that measures the path of the sun." The planet Jupiter was worshipped under this name. He was the tutelary god of Babylon, and to his honour Nebuchadnezzar dedicated a temple. For a further description of this deity see Bar 6:14-15.

Verse 2. - And the Lord gave Jehoiakim King of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god. The Greek versions of this verse agree with each other and with the Msssoretic text, save that the Septuagint has Κυρίου instead of Θεοῦ in the end of the first clause, and omits οἴκου. The Syriac Version omits the statement that it was "part" of the vessels of the house of God that was taken. It is to be observed that our translators have not printed the word "Lord" in capitals, but in ordinary type, to indicate that the word in the original is not the sacred covenant name usually written in English "Jehovah," but Adonai. That the Lord gave Jehoiakim into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar does not prove that Jerusalem was captured by him. Far from it, the natural deduction is rather that he did not capture the city, although he captured the king. Thus in 2 Kings 17:4 we are told that Shalmaneser shut up Hoshea "and bound him in prison;" in the following verse we are informed that the King of Assyria "besieged Samaria three years." That is to say, after Shalmaneser had captured Hoshea the king, he had still to besiege the city. A similar event occurred earlier in the history of Judah and Israel. When Joash of Israel defeated Amaziah and took him prisoner, he proceeded then to Jerusalem. The city opened its gates to the conqueror, and he carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and all the vessels of the house of the Lord, and a large number of hostages, and then returned north. Something like this seems to have occurred now. The king was taken by the Babylonians, and the city submitted and ransomed the king by handing over a portion of the vessels of the house of the Lord. The city, however, was not taken by assault. Miqtzath, "part of," occurs also in Nehemiah 7:70 in this sense: we have it three times later in this chapter- vers. 5, 15, and 18; but in these cases it means "end." A word consonantally the same occurs in the sense before us in Judges 18:2, translated "coasts." Gesenius would write the word miqq tzath, and regard mi as representing the partitive preposition min. He would therefore translate, "He took some from the numbtr of the vessels." Kranichfeld objects to Hitzig's assertion that קאת means "a part," and is followed by Keil and Zockler in regarding it, as a short form of the phrase, "from end to end," equivalent to the whole, thus making miqtzath mean "a portion from the whole." The omission from the Syriac of the words which indicate that the vessels taken were only a portion of those in the house of the Lord, shows how natural it was to imagine that the deportation was total, and therefore we may lay the more emphasis on its presence as proving that the temple was not plundered, but these vessels were the ransom paid for the freedom of the king. Several times had the treasures of the house of God been taken away. In the days of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:26) Shishak, acting probably as the ally of Jeroboam, took away all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, "he even took away all." It may be doubted whether Jerusalem was captured (2 Chronicles 12:7); certainly the name of Jerusalem has not been identified in the list of captured towns on the wall of the temple at Karnak. We have referred to the case of Joash and Amaziah. The succession of the phrases," Jehoiakim King of Judah," and "part of the vessels of the house of God," is remarked by Ewald as being abrupt, and he would insert," together with the noblest of the land." There is, however, no trace of any such omission to be found in the versions. It is possible that this chapter may be the work of the early collector and editor, and that he condensed this portion as well as, not unlikely, translated it from Aramaic into Hebrew. Captives certainly were taken as well as booty, as is implied by the rest of the narrative. Which he carried into the land of Shinar to, the house of his god. There is no word in the Hebrew corresponding to" which." The literal rendering is, "And he carried them," etc. It has been the subject of discussion whether we are to maintain that it is asserted here that Jeboiakim, along with the vessels and unmentioned captives, were carried to Babylon. Professor Bevan admits that it is doubtful. Were we dependent merely on grammar, certainly the probability, though not the certainty, would be that the plural suffix was intended to cover Jehoi-skim, but the conclusion forced on us by logic is different. He "carried them (יְבִיאֵם) to the house of his god." This seems to imply that only the vessels are spoken cf. So strongly is this felt by Hitzig ('Das Buch Daniel,' 5) that he would regard the phrase, "the house of his god," as in apposition to "the land of Shinar,' and refers to two passages in Hosea (Hosea 8:1; Hosea 9:15) in which "house" is, he alleges, used for "land." Irrespective of the fact that these two instances occur in highly wrought poetical passages, and that to argue from the sense of a word in poetry to its sense in plain prose is unsafe, there is no great plausibility in his interpretation of these passages. He regards the last clause as contrasted with the earlier: while the captives were brought "into the land of Shinar," the vessels were brought into "the treasure-house of his god" - an argument in which there is plausibility were there not the extreme awkwardness of using בית, "house," first in the extended sense of "country," and then in the restricted sense of "temple." The last clause is rather to be looked upon as rhetorical climax. The land of Shinar is used for Babylonia four times in the Book of Genesis, twice in the portion set apart as Jehovist by Canon Driver; the remaining instances are in ch. 14, both as the kingdom of Amraphel, which Canon Driver relegates to a special source. In the first instance (Genesis 10:10) it is the laud in which Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh were. In the next instance (ch. 11.) it is the place in which the Tower of Babel is built. The name is applied to Babylonia in Isaiah 11. and Zechariah 5:11. One of the titles which the kings of Babylon assumed regularly was "King of Sumir and Accad." From the connection of Shinar and Accad in Genesis 10:20 we may deduce that "Shinar" is the Hebrew equivalent for "Sumir." It is not further removed from its original than is "Florence" from "Firenze," or "Leghorn" from "Livorno," or, to take a French instance, "Londres" from "London." The ingenious derivation of "Shiner" from שני, "two," and אר, "a river," which, however, implies the identification of ע and א, may have occasioned the modification, the more so as it was descriptive of Babylonia; hence the name "Aram-Naharaim," and its translation "Mesopotamia," applied to the tract between the Euphrates and the Tigris, north of Babylonia. In the Greek versions it becomes Σεναάρ. It is omitted by Paulus Tellensis. The treasure-house of his god. The word rendered "god" here is the plural form, which is usually restricted to the true God, otherwise it is usually translated as "gods" To quote a few from many instances, Jephtha uses the word in the plural form of Chemosh (Judges 11:24), Elijah applies it to Baal (1 Kings 18:27), it is used of Nisroch (2 Kings 19:37) In Ezra 1:7 we have this same word translated plural in regard to the place in which Nebuchadnezzar had deposited the vessels of the house of God. In translating the verse before us, the Peshitta renders path-coroh, "his idol" This suits the translation of the LXX. εἰδωλείῳ. Paulus Tellensis renders it in the plural, "idols." The god in whose treasure-house the vessels of the house of God in Jerusalem were placed would necessarily be Merodach, whom Nebuchadnezzar worshipped, almost to the exclusion of any other. The treasure-house of his god. Temples had not many precious gifts bestowed upon them by their worshippers which were not taken by needy monarchs; nevertheless, the treasures of kingdoms were often deposited in a temple, to be under the protection of its god. The temple of Bel-Merodach in Babylon was a structure of great magnificence. Herodotus (1:181) gives a description, which is in the main confirmed by Strabe (16:5): "In the midst of the sacred area is a strong tower built a stadium in length and breadth; upon this tower is another raised, and another upon it, till there are eight towers. There is a winding ascent made about all the towers. In the middle of the ascent there is a resting-place, where are seats on which those ascending may sit and rest. In the last tower is a spacious shrine, and in it a huge couch beautifully bespread, and by its side is placed a table of gold. No statue has been set up here, nor does any mortal pass the night here." There are still remains of a structure which suits to some extent the description here given, but investigators are divided whether to regard Birs Nimroud or Babil as most properly representing this famous temple of Bel-Merodach. In the "Standard Inscription" Nebuchadnezzar appears to refer to this temple, which he calls E-temen-ana-ki," the house of heaven and earth." He says, among other matters concerning it, that he "stored up inside it silver and gold and precious stones, and placed there the treasure-house of his kingdom." This amply explains why the vessels of the house of God were taken to the temple of Bel-Merodach. The fact is mentioned that the vessels of the house of God were carried to Babylon, and, as a climax, "and he placed them in the treasure-house of his god." We know what befell the statue of Dagon when the ark of God was placed in its presence, and the Jew, remembering this, relates awestruck the fact that these sacred vessels were placed in the temple of Bel. If no such disaster befell Bel-Merodach as befell Dagon, yet still the handwriting on the wall which appeared when these vessels were used to add to the splendour of the royal banquet, and which told the doom of the Chaldean monarchy, may be looked upon as the sequel to this act of what would necessarily appear to a Jew supreme sacrilege.

Parallel Commentaries ...


And the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֨י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

delivered
וַיִּתֵּן֩ (way·yit·tên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

into his hand
בְּיָד֜וֹ (bə·yā·ḏōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

Jehoiakim
יְהוֹיָקִ֣ים (yə·hō·w·yā·qîm)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3079: Jehoiakim -- 'the LORD raises up', three Israelites

king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Judah,
יְהוּדָ֗ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

along with some
וּמִקְצָת֙ (ū·miq·ṣāṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7117: A termination, a portion, after

of the articles
כְּלֵ֣י (kə·lê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus

from the house
בֵית־ (ḇêṯ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of God.
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

He carried [these] off
וַיְבִיאֵ֥ם (way·ḇî·’êm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to the land
אֶֽרֶץ־ (’e·reṣ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Shinar,
שִׁנְעָ֖ר (šin·‘ār)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8152: Shinar -- another name for Babylon

to the house
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of his god,
אֱלֹהָ֑יו (’ĕ·lō·hāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

[where]
וְאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

he put
הֵבִ֔יא (hê·ḇî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

[them]
הַכֵּלִ֣ים (hak·kê·lîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus

into the treasury
בֵּ֖ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of his god.
אֱלֹהָֽיו׃ (’ĕ·lō·hāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Prophets: Daniel 1:2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah (Dan. Da Dn)