Jeremiah 52:31

31 And it was done, in the seven and thirtieth year of the passing over of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, Evilmerodach, king of Babylon, raised [up] in that (first) year of his realm the head of Jehoiachin, king of Judah; and led him out of the house of the prison, (And it was done, in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evilmerodach, the king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, raised up the head of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, and let him out of the prison house,)

Jeremiah 52:31 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 52:31

And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the
captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah
He was eighteen years of age when he was carried captive; so that he must be now fifty five years old; see ( 2 Kings 24:8 ) ; in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth [day] of the month;
in the month Adar, which answers to part of February, and part of March: in ( 2 Kings 25:27 ) ; the favour shown by the king of Babylon to Jeconiah, after related, is said to be in the twenty seventh day of the month; it might have been determined and notified on the twenty fifth, but not executed till the twenty seventh; or it might be begun to be put in execution on the twenty fifth, and not finished till the twenty seventh, The Jews, in their chronicle, say ^F14 that Nebuchadnezzar died on the twenty fifth, and was buried; that, on the twenty sixth, Evilmerodach took him out of his grave, and dragged him about, to abolish his decrees, and to confirm what is said of him in ( Isaiah 14:19 ) ; and on the twenty seventh he brought Jeconiah out of prison; but this is no reconciliation at all; the former is best; [that] Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the [first] year of his reign;
who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar, having reigned forty three years; this king is called by Ptolemy ^F15 Iloarudamus; by Abydenus ^F16 Evilmaluruch; by Josephus ^F17 Abilamarodach; but by Berosus ^F18 as here: his proper name was Merodach, a name of one of the Chaldean idols, ( Jeremiah 50:2 ) . "Evil" was a nickname, which signifies "foolish"; he was called "foolish Merodach", on account of his ill conduct, or bad life: as soon as he came to the throne, he lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth
out of prison;
that is, he changed his condition for the better; he raised him out of a low estate to a more honourable one; he brought him out of a state of imprisonment and misery into a state of liberty and honour; what was the reason of this is not easy to say. The Jews have a tradition, that Nebuchadnezzar, after seven years' madness, coming to himself, and to his kingdom, and understanding that his son Evilmerodach had been guilty of mal-administration during that time, and particularly that he rejoiced at his madness, cast him into prison, where he contracted a friendship with Jeconiah; and when he came to the throne, upon the death of his father, released him: but others think that Jeconiah being a comely young man, when he was brought a captive to Babylon, and about the age of this prince, he took a liking to him, and, pitying his case, showed him this favour, as soon as he had an opportunity.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Seder Olam, c. 28. p. 81.
F15 Canon, Ed. Bainbridge, p. 48.
F16 Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 41. p. 457.
F17 Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 8.
F18 Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1. c. 20.

Jeremiah 52:31 In-Context

29 In the eighteenth year, Nebuchadnezzar translated from Jerusalem eight hundred and two and thirty persons. (In the eighteenth year, Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive eight hundred and thirty-two people from Jerusalem.)

30 In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the master of [the] chivalry, translated seven hundred and five and forty persons of Jews. Therefore all the persons were four thousand and six hundred. (In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried away captive seven hundred and forty-five people of the Jews. And so all the people taken captive were four thousand and six hundred.)

31 And it was done, in the seven and thirtieth year of the passing over of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, Evilmerodach, king of Babylon, raised [up] in that (first) year of his realm the head of Jehoiachin, king of Judah; and led him out of the house of the prison, (And it was done, in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evilmerodach, the king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, raised up the head of Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, and let him out of the prison house,)

32 and spake good things with him. And he setted the throne of him above the thrones of (the) kings, that were after him in Babylon, (and spoke good things to him. And he put his throne above the thrones of the other kings, who were with him in Babylon,)

33 and changed the clothes of his prison (and changed his prison clothes, that is, he gave him some new clothes). And Jehoiachin ate bread before him ever[more], in all the days of his life;