II Kings · Chapter 25

In the ninth year of his reign. Of Zedekiah: Dik. Yonatan translates: a siege mound:

"In the ninth year of his reign." This refers to the reign of Zedekiah, and it was the seventeenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. "And they built against it a siege tower." A siege tower is a wooden tower constructed opposite the city to subdue it.

"And they built towers against it all around." This refers to a tower that is built around the city to subdue it.

"To his reign." To the reign of Zedekiah. A "dik" is a tower constructed opposite the city in order to capture it.

And he encamped. From the word encampment:

"And the city came under siege." The city stood, and the siege surrounded it, until, etc.

"On the ninth day of the month." And it did not specify which month, yet in the Book of Jeremiah it states, "In the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month."

"On the ninth day of the month, the famine grew severe in the city." It does not specify which month this was; however, in the Book of Jeremiah it is clarified that this occurred in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month.

On the ninth of the month. In Jeremiah (52:6) it is stated: “In the fourth month.”

On the ninth day of the month, in the fourth month, as explained in Jeremiah:

The way of the gate between the walls. A cave going from his house to the plains of Jericho, and he fled by way of the cave, and the Lord provided a deer going on the roof of the cave outside the city, and the Chaldeans pursued after the deer, and when they came to the entrance of the cave in the plains of Jericho they saw him and captured him, it is what he said (Ezekiel 12:13): and I will spread My net upon him and he shall be caught in My snare:

“And the city was breached.” The Chaldeans breached the wall of the city, and when the men of war who were in the city saw that the city had been breached, they fled that night. This is what is stated: “All the men of war fled by night,” meaning that they fled that night. Similarly, it is stated in the Book of Jeremiah: “All the men of war fled and went out of the city by night.” "The way of the gate between the walls, which is by the king's garden." They went out through the gate that was between the two walls, in secret, so that the Chaldeans would not notice them. “And he went by way of the Arabah.” Zedekiah and those who went out with him went [that way]. And according to the Midrash: between the two walls there was a cave that went from Zedekiah's house to the plains of Jericho, and he fled by way of the cave. The Holy One, blessed be He, arranged a deer that walked along the roof of the cave, and the Chaldeans pursued the deer; and when they reached the entrance of the cave in the plains of Jericho, Zedekiah was coming out, and they saw him and captured him. This is what Ezekiel said: “I will spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare.”

“and the city was split.” This means that it was split by the army of the Chaldeans. "And all the men of war fled by night." This means that they fled during the night, because they saw that the Chaldean army had entered the city. “Through the gate between the walls.” This means that they went out through the passage that was between the two walls, so that the Chaldeans would not see them and would not notice them. “Which is by the king’s garden.” This means: near the king’s garden. "And he went by way of the Arabah." This means that the king went by way of the wilderness so that the Chaldeans would not detect him.

“And the city was breached.” Nebuchadnezzar’s army breached its wall, and it was as though it had been breached of its own accord, because the men of Jerusalem were weakened by famine, and they did not stand against them to hinder their efforts. "The night." This means: they fled by night, and in Jeremiah (there, verse 7) it is stated: "They fled and went out of the city by night." "Through the gate, etc." – By the way of the gate that stands between the two walls near the king’s garden. And he went. The king and all who were with him: "The way of the Arabah." On the road that leads to the plains of Jericho.

"And the city shall be broken open, and all the men of war shall flee and go forth from the city by night"—so it is written in Jeremiah. And in Jeremiah 39 it is explained that all the officers of Babylon came and sat at the Middle Gate, because the breach was in the outer wall, for Jerusalem was surrounded by three walls.

"And they pursued." Our Sages of blessed memory said that he fled through a cave that extended to the plains of Jericho, and a gazelle happened to be walking above the cave, and the Chaldeans pursued the gazelle, and when they came to the entrance of the cave, they found the king coming out and seized him.

They scattered. They dispersed:

And they spoke with him judgment. He disputed with him on the oath:

“To the king of Babylon, at Riblah.” Now, Nebuchadnezzar did come to Jerusalem, as it is written: “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem.” Rather, the days of the siege grew long, as it says: “Nebuchadnezzar went to the land of Hamath, to Riblah, and left his army at the siege.” And when they captured Jerusalem, he was at Riblah, and they brought Zedekiah up to him. And according to the Midrash, Nebuchadnezzar did not go up to Jerusalem; rather, what it says, “Nebuchadnezzar came,” refers to Nebuzaradan, who went up — and an image of Nebuchadnezzar's likeness was engraved on his chariot, and the dread of him lay upon them as if he himself were standing before them, as it says in the Book of Jeremiah: “He stood before the king of Babylon in Jerusalem.” “And they pronounced judgment on him.” They rebuked him for having rebelled against him [Nebuchadnezzar] and transgressed his oath, as it is written: “And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God.”

"And they spoke to him with judgment." He pronounced upon him the sentence of a rebel and one who transgresses his oath. And therefore he [the king of Babylon] killed his [Zedekiah's] sons, gouged out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him in bronze fetters, and placed him in prison until the day of his death, as is mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah.

"[To] Riblah." For when the days of the siege were prolonged, Nebuchadnezzar went to Riblah. Judgment. He argued with him regarding the fact that he rebelled against him and transgressed his oath, as it is stated in Chronicles (II 36:13):

And they captured. They seized with strength:

"And they pronounced judgment on him" — in Jeremiah, chapters 39 and 52, it says [in the singular], "and he pronounced judgments on him." For the king's officers pronounced judgment on him concerning the rebellion; therefore, it says "and they spoke" in the plural. And the king himself had several charges against him, as our Sages of blessed memory stated: they found him eating a live hare, and he swore to him not to reveal it, but he transgressed the oath.

With copper chains. With bronze shackles:

"On the seventh day of the month." And in Jeremiah it is written, "On the tenth day of the month." Our Sages of blessed memory explained: On the seventh day, the nations entered the Temple and ate, drank, and desecrated it; on the eighth and ninth days they continued doing so; and on the ninth day, close to dark, they set fire to it, and it burned continuously until the end of the tenth day. This is the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar. And so it is written in Jeremiah; and in this verse it is the nineteenth year. But at the end it says, “In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, he exiled from Jerusalem eight hundred souls” — as I explained regarding seven and eight: [it is] the end of seven and the beginning of eight. So too here: it is [really] the end of the eighteenth year and the beginning of the nineteenth. And our Sages of blessed memory said: they were exiled in the nineteenth year; they were exiled in the eighteenth year — it is one and the same reckoning; rather, it is the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, and the eighteenth of the subjugation of Jehoiakim, which was in Nebuchadnezzar's second year.

"And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month." And already it was stated in the book of Jeremiah: "on the tenth day of the month." And it appears that the beginning of the destruction was on the seventh day of the month, for then they entered Jerusalem, and the end of the destruction was on the tenth day of the month, for then the Holy Temple was burned.

"Nineteen." For at the time when he captured Jehoiachin, it was the eighth year of his reign, and Zedekiah reigned for eleven years, making a total of nineteen. Yet at the end of the Book of Jeremiah it states eighteen. The intention is to refer to the initial capture of Jehoiakim, which occurred in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. Rav Tabachim. The official in charge of those who carry out executions by the king’s command.

"On the seventh of the month" – and in Jeremiah it says, "On the tenth of the month, Nebuzaradan came and stood before the king of Babylon in Jerusalem" – "and he burned," etc. And our Sages of blessed memory explained that on the seventh he entered the Temple, and on the ninth, at evening, they set fire to it, and it burned on the tenth. And here he intends to say that on the seventh of the month Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem, and what is stated, "and he burned the House of the Lord," this occurred afterward. And in Jeremiah it says that on the tenth he stood before the king of Babylon in Jerusalem, and on that day the king of Babylon came there and commanded to burn everything.

And all the great house. Synagogues, in which Torah and prayer are cultivated, and the houses of the officials (see Megillah 27a):

“And all great houses.” Every house of a great person—meaning, the houses of the great ones. And so does the Targum render it: “houses of the great ones.”

“And every great house.” This means: and the house of every great man.

"A great house." He is explaining what is meant by "all the houses of Jerusalem," to say that they are every house of a notable person that was in Jerusalem, and those alone did he burn, and no others.

“Which [was with] the chief of the guards.” [Meaning] which was with the chief of the guards; and so it is written in Jeremiah: “which was with the chief of the guards.”

"Which [was] chief of the guards." This means: which was with the chief of the guards.

"Which [was] with the chief of the guards." [Meaning] which was with the chief of the guards.

They smashed. They broke and crushed:

And the fallen. Who heeded the voice of Nebuchadnezzar and went out to him from the city, as in (I Chronicles 12:20): when he went to Ziklag, there defected to him some of Manasseh, etc.:

"And those who fall, who have fallen": This refers to those who went out to him prior to the conquest of the city and surrendered themselves to him, as in [Jeremiah 37:13], "You are defecting to the Chaldeans." And Targum Yonatan renders it: "ve-yat shemi'aya de-ishtam'u," meaning that they turned to obedience to him. "Concerning the king of Babylon." [The word "ha-melekh"] is in construct state, [yet retains] the heh of the definite article, like [the phrase] "ha'aron habrit" [the ark of the covenant].

The survivors. Those who were not killed: “And the rest of the multitude.” The ones remaining in all the cities of Judah:

The defectors. They are those who go out on their own, to surrender themselves and dwell among them, so too (Jeremiah 37:13): to the Chaldeans you are defecting: The multitude. The great people:

And the vintagers. Diggers of the earth, the language of winepresses, that they are trenches in the ground:

"to the vinedressers and to the plowmen." 'Vinedressers' are those who work the vineyards; 'plowmen' are those who work the fields. And so Targum [Yonatan] renders it: 'to till the vineyards and the fields.' And it is written 'ulgovim' without a yod, [in] the passive form. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, Rav Yosef taught: 'To the vinedressers' — these are the gatherers of balsam from Ein Gedi to Ramata; 'and to the plowmen' — these are the hunters of the chalazon [purple-dye snail] from the Ladder of Tyre to Haifa.

"To the vine-dressers and to the field hands." This means: to work the fields and the vineyards.

To till the vineyards. To work the vineyards: And the field-workers. A matter of pits, so too (above 3:16): make this wadi pits, pits — meaning to work the fields with trenches and pits. Or it is like 'to the wine-treaders', from the word winepress, for the letters gimel, yod, kaf, and kuf are interchangeable, meaning to tread and draw the wine to the winepress:

“And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the Lord.” The matter of the form of these vessels has already been explained in the account of Solomon’s construction of the Temple, and from there one may derive the explanation of all that is mentioned here regarding these vessels.

In the House of the Lord. In the house of the Lord: The bases. They are the stands and bases of the lavers: The sea. Like a large bowl, made for washing in it:

"Which they shall serve in them." [These are] those that are made to work and to serve in them in the Temple.

The pots. The cauldrons: The scrapers. The brooms and the shovels, made for raking out the ashes with them: The snuffers. A cutting instrument [for trimming the wicks]: The ladles. The pans:

"Which gold, gold, etc." – This means whether of gold or of silver, he took all of it.

The firepans. Vessels to rake the fire with them: The sprinkling bowls. The cups:

And the height of the capital was three cubits. And at the beginning of the book (I Kings 7:16) he says: five cubits. And there I settled the verses: And the screen. A 'koppeya' in the vernacular, like a kind of helmet: And such. Pomegranates:

Eighteen cubits, etc.: Their matter has already been explained in Kings I in the account of his work, and thus there is no need for their repetition here. "And the like." The number of pomegranates that were on the one [column] were also on the second.

And the network. It is made like a net: And pomegranates. Made of copper:

The contradiction that exists between the verses here and those in Jeremiah and in Kings I regarding the height of the capitals, I explained above in section 7.

"The head priest." The High Priest, who is the head of the other priests. A deputy priest: the second in rank to the High Priest, who is the Segan. And so did Jonathan render it: "Segan Kehania" (Deputy of the Priests). "Keepers of the threshold." Keepers of the vessels of the Temple:

"Seraiah, the chief priest." This refers to the High Priest. “And Zephaniah the priest, the second in command.” He was the deputy of the priests. “And the three gatekeepers.” They are the guardians of the Temple:

The chief priest. This is the High Priest: The deputy. Second to him; this is the Segan (deputy priest): The guardians of the threshold. They are the gatekeepers, for the doorpost of the gate is called 'threshold' (saf), as in (Ezekiel 40:7): 'and the threshold of the gate':

The scribe of the commander of the army. Who knew the count of every city and city, how many men it sends out to the army:

"And from the city he took." Since those mentioned previously were from the Temple, it states: "And from the city he took." "One eunuch." A literal eunuch, as its Targum translates it: "Gozah." And five men who were among those who stood before the king. And in Jeremiah it says: seven men who stood before the king. The two were not as great as the five; therefore, they are not counted here. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, it is written: one verse says five, and one verse says seven, to bring in the two scribes of the judges. The one who leads the am ha'aretz. For it is on the basis of his word that the people go out to war:

“And the scribe of the commander of the army.” This implies: And the scribe who was the scribe of the commander of the army. Now, the commander of the army is the one who directs the entire people of the land according to the scribe.

"Those who see the king's face." This means those who are always in the king's presence. And in Jeremiah it says "seven men," and this is because two of them were not as distinguished as the five, and therefore they are not included here with them. "Who were found in the city." And they did not flee from it, [along] with the rest of the officers. "The scribe, the commander of the army." [Meaning] the scribe of the commander of the army. "The one who mustered [the people for war]." By his command every city sends out its men to go out to war. "From the am ha'aretz." From the respected ones among them, who were found in the city and did not flee:

The eunuch. An official: The overseer. An officer: The one who musters [the people]. From the word 'tzava' (host/army):

Regarding "and five men" [here], while in Jeremiah it says "and seven men," it can be said that initially he found five, and afterwards he found two more, until there were seven.

"And he brought them to the king of Babylon." This means: to [i.e., near] the king of Babylon.

'Al melekh' (upon the king) — [meaning] 'el melekh' (to the king):

'Vayafked' (and he appointed / placed in charge). From the sense of appointment and stewardship:

All the commanders of the forces. Who went out from the city to hide in strongholds, and crags, and rocks, and forests:

"And the men who were with them:" "To Mizpah." This is the place where Gedaliah resided. "And Ishmael, etc." – Even Ishmael, etc., came to him together with their men.

The armies. The military forces:

"And he swore to them." Gedaliah swore to those men, saying that they need not fear the Chaldeans, for he would not take them into captivity. And they shall serve. Through tribute.

"Do not fear the servants of the Chaldeans" – these are the nations surrounding Jerusalem, who are servants of the Chaldeans. For if they serve the King of Babylon, they will not dwell in fear of them. And in Jeremiah 40, it says, "Do not fear to serve the Chaldeans." One may interpret that they should not fear that the Chaldeans, whom [the King of Babylon] left with them, would become their masters, and that they would need to serve them. This is precisely what is stated here by "servants of the Chaldeans": these are the Chaldeans whom [the King of Babylon] left in the land, who are servants of the Chaldean nations. They do not need to serve anyone except the King of Babylon alone.

“From the royal seed.” This implies that for this reason he killed Gedaliah, thinking that the sovereignty was fitting for him, since he was of royal descent, and not for Gedaliah. "And the Jews." Even the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with Gedaliah—Ismael and his men killed them.

“And it came to pass in the seventh month”—this narrative is explained at length in Jeremiah (in chapters 40, 41, and 42), and here it is stated briefly.

"For they feared the Chaldeans." This refers to the fact that the Chaldeans who were with Gedaliah were killed, and Gedaliah—who had been appointed by the king of Babylon over the remnant of the exile—was killed.

"For they feared." Lest the Chaldeans say that it was through their counsel that Gedaliah, the king's officer, and the Chaldeans who were with him, were killed.

Evil-Merodach exalted. That Nebuchadnezzar died and Evil-Merodach reigned in his place: On the twenty-seventh of the month. And in Jeremiah (52:31) he says: on the twenty-fifth. Rather, on the twenty-fifth Nebuchadnezzar died, and was buried on the twenty-sixth; on the twenty-seventh Evil-Merodach took him from his grave and dragged him, in order to annul his decrees, as it is said in Isaiah (14:19): 'But you have been cast out of your grave like an abhorred branch,' etc.:

"On the twenty-seventh of the month, Evil-Merodach took note of [Jehoiachin]": [This was] because Nebuchadnezzar had died and Evil-Merodach his son reigned. And Jeremiah says, "On the twenty-fifth [day]." Our Sages of blessed memory explained: On the twenty-fifth, Nebuchadnezzar died; on the twenty-sixth, he was buried; on the twenty-seventh, Evil-Merodach, his son, removed him from his grave, for he feared lest he might yet return, as he had done previously after being driven out and living with the beasts, and he had killed one son whom they had made king in his stead. And in some manuscripts, in the midrash, it is written that Evil-Merodach was the one they had made king in his stead, and when Nebuchadnezzar returned and found him on his throne, he put him in prison. And now Evil-Merodach feared that perhaps he would return and kill him, so he removed him from his grave to see whether he was certainly dead, to fulfill for him what is written: "And you, you have been cast out of your grave like an abhorred branch."

"And it was in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin." Since that year was the first year of the reign of Evil-Merodach, and the exile of Jehoiachin had already occurred in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar, we learn that Nebuchadnezzar reigned for forty-four years. And here it says "on the twenty-seventh day of the month," whereas in the Book of Jeremiah it says "on the twenty-fifth day." One might think that this event occurred on the twenty-fifth day of the month and was not completed until the twenty-seventh day of the month. And our Sages of blessed memory said that Evil-Merodach wished to test whether his father was dead before he would assume kingship, for he feared him greatly. Therefore, he cast him out of his tomb to ascertain if he was indeed dead, as it is written, "And you, cast out of your tomb like an abhorred branch." And Evil-Merodach feared him because when Nebuchadnezzar was driven out and his intellect was removed from him, they crowned Evil-Merodach, for this was undoubtedly fitting. And when Nebuchadnezzar returned to his senses and found him reigning there, he cast him into prison. And perhaps there was a tradition in their hands.

On the twenty-seventh. And in Jeremiah it is stated "on the twenty-fifth," for on the twenty-fifth Nebuchadnezzar, his adversary, died, and on the twenty-sixth he was buried, and Evil-Merodach, his son, took him out of his grave and dragged him through the streets, to make known to all that he had died, and on the twenty-seventh he reigned and raised the head of Jehoiachin. "From the house of imprisonment." This means: As soon as they took him out of the prison, they raised him up and made him great.

He exalted. He exalted and lifted up: From prison. From the prison-house, so too (Isaiah 42:22): and in houses of imprisonment they were hidden:

On the twenty-seventh, and in Jeremiah 52 it states, "On the twenty-fifth he took up…" and "he brought him out of the prison house," one might interpret that on the twenty-fifth they brought him out of the prison house, and on the twenty-seventh he lifted his head in greatness and honor. And our Sages of blessed memory said that on the twenty-fifth Nebuchadnezzar died, and on the twenty-sixth they were afraid lest he be alive, and they brought him out of his grave, and on the twenty-seventh he reigned before all, and he elevated Jehoiachin.

And he spoke to him good words. Words of consolation:

Good things. Good and comforting words: "From above." [His throne was] higher than the thrones of the other kings who were with him.

Over. Above:

"And he changed." [The word] is written with an aleph instead of a heh, whereas in Jeremiah it is written with a heh. "Before him." Not literally in his presence, at his table, for it says [in the next verse], "A regular allotment was given him from the king, a portion for each day."

"And he shall eat bread continually before him." I would think that he was among those who partook of his table, and yet he sent him a meal and provisions to sustain his household. And it is possible that he was not among those who partook of his table, and the verse states that he eats bread continually before him, meaning that he was at his house or in close proximity to it.

And he changed. He would change his garments, those in which he had sat in the prison, to replace them with others: Bread. The entire meal is called by the name of the bread. "Before Him." This means: together with Him. All the days of his life. Of Jehoiachin:

And changed. Like 'and changed' with hey, and it is from the matter of change and exchange: His imprisonment. His confinement:

"All the days of his life." [This refers to] the days of the life of Jehoiachin. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, Rav and Levi: one says [it refers to] the days of the life of Evil-Merodach, and one says [it refers to] the days of the life of Jehoiachin. And it is logical to follow the one who says [it refers to] the days of the life of Jehoiachin, for when the Holy One, blessed be He, grants tranquility to the righteous, He does not take it away from them, but rather it accompanies them to the Garden of Eden.

"All the days of his life." It is possible that this refers back to Jehoiachin, and it is possible that it refers back to Evil-Merodach, and we have no way to decide this, and we do not have narratives of the affairs of Evil-Merodach and what happened to him during his lifetime by which we could ascertain this clearly from them. Now, this is what we have seen requires explanation in this passage, which we have limited in its light at this place. However, the benefits derived from these narratives are these: The first is to explain, by way of testimony, that the Lord watches over individuals of the human race to punish the wicked for their wickedness and to reward the righteous for their righteousness. For this reason, it is recorded that because Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, did evil in the eyes of the Lord, the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hand of Hazael, king of Aram, and into the hand of his son, until Hazael left to Jehoahaz only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. For this reason also, it is recorded that the success that Joash, son of Jehoahaz, had against the king of Aram was only because of the covenant of the Lord with the fathers; for without this, His covenant with the fathers would have been torn up, as we mentioned in our explanation at this place. Along with this, Elisha assisted by way of miracle in that he commanded Joash to take a bow and arrows. For from the providence attached to the prophet, providence was then extended to Israel through his prayer. For this reason also, it is recorded that immediately after Elisha died, bands of Moabites raided the land of Israel, for in his merit they were saved from this during his lifetime. For this reason also, it is recorded that Amaziah, when he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, succeeded in war and struck down Edom in the Valley of Salt, ten thousand. But from then on, he served the gods of Edom, bowed down to them, and offered incense to them; he fell into the hands of his enemies, he and Judah with him. They conspired against him in Jerusalem and killed him. For this reason also, it is recorded that the success that Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, had was because of the covenant of the Name with the fathers, that He would not blot out the name of Israel from under the heavens. For this reason also, it is recorded that Uzziah was struck with leprosy because of the sin he committed by approaching the altar to offer incense, as mentioned in Chronicles. And initially, when he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, he succeeded greatly in wars and in all his affairs, as mentioned in Chronicles. For this reason also, it is recorded that Zechariah, son of Jeroboam, reigned for only six months and was killed because he did evil in the eyes of the Lord and because of the sin of his fathers. And he did not kill his fathers in this manner, for it was the word of the Lord that Jehu's sons would sit on the throne of Israel for four generations. For this reason also, it is recorded that Menahem, son of Gadi, because he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, Pekah, son of Remaliah, conspired against him and killed him. For this reason also, it is recorded that Pekah, because he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, the king of Assyria came against him, took many of his cities, and exiled their inhabitants to Assyria. And because of this also, Hoshea, son of Elah, conspired against him and killed him. For this reason also, it is recorded that because Jotham did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, he lay with his fathers before the Lord sent against Judah Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah. And this was because of the sin of the people, for the people of Judah were corrupting themselves, as mentioned in the book of Chronicles. For this reason also, it is recorded here and in Chronicles that because Ahaz did evil in the eyes of the Lord and exceeded in this, behold, a wondrous evil came upon him through Rezin and Pekah and others, as mentioned in the book of Chronicles. For this reason also, it is recorded that because Hoshea, son of Elah, did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because of the sins that clung to the kings of Israel in general, behold, the end of the cutting off of Israel from their land came. And the king of Assyria rose against him, and in the end of the matter, he captured Samaria and exiled Israel to Assyria. And he mentioned after this that this was because of the wondrous sins in which all the kings and the people persisted, and that they rejected the covenant of the Lord and all His testimonies with which He testified to them, and they abandoned all His commandments and refused to listen to the words of the prophets who rebuked them. For this reason, their end was this wondrous evil, as the Torah predicted. For this reason also, it is recorded that the Lord sent lions to kill the people whom the king of Assyria brought to Samaria, until they approached serving the Lord somewhat, a slight approach. For this reason also, it is recorded that because Hezekiah exceeded in doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord and eradicated from the land everything that had an imprint of removing Israel from following the Lord, he succeeded in many successes, and the Lord performed wondrous miracles for him and did him good in that he escaped from the service of the king of Assyria, and he struck the Philistines with a great blow, and he escaped from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who was ruling over all the kingdoms in this wondrous manner mentioned in this narrative. And the Lord added fifteen years to his days and healed him of his severe illness with great ease, until on the third day he went up to the House of the Lord. For this reason, it is recorded that because Hezekiah gave honor to himself in that he showed the envoys of the king of Babylon the honor of his wealth, and did not give honor to the Lord to proclaim to them the greatness of the Lord from the miracle that was in the land which they came to inquire about, as mentioned in the book of Chronicles, behold, the anger of the Lord was upon him. Only, the evil was not in his days because of his walking with the Lord always; he sinned only in this matter. For this reason also, it is recorded that because Manasseh sinned this wondrous sin of idolatry and bloodshed, it was decreed that the kingdom of Judah be exiled from the land which the Lord gave them, as the ten tribes were exiled. And behold, Chronicles recounted that Manasseh had already done repentance after the Lord gave him into the hand of the king of Assyria, and they bound him and put him in prison. For this reason, the evil was not in his days, and he prolonged his days over his kingdom. But Amon, his son, who walked in his evil ways, went without favor, and reigned only two years, and they conspired against him, struck him, and killed him, as if this were due to the providence of the Lord over Judah and Benjamin, that they not stumble in his sins. For this reason also, it is recorded that Josiah, because he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, the Lord watched over him so that the evil which He had decreed for Judah and Jerusalem was not in his days, but it was in the days of his sons. And he already died by the hand of Pharaoh Necho because of the guilt of Israel. For this reason also, it is recorded what happened of evil to all the sons of Josiah because of their doing evil in the eyes of the Lord, until the Lord already cast Judah and Benjamin away from His face because of their sins, and He destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. May it be His will that it be built speedily in our days. The second is to inform that even though Israel sins against the Lord behold, providence clings to them because of the holy fathers, in such a way that He does not destroy them. For this reason, it is recorded that because the Lord saw the oppression of Israel by Hazael, which was to the extent that it could have destroyed them, were it not for the Lord who was with them, for He left to Jehoahaz no people but a few, behold, the Lord showed them favor and had mercy on them and turned to them for the sake of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He saved them from the hand of Hazael. And by this it is clarified that just as general providence extends from the father to his seed for a long time, so too is the matter with particular providence, but it is more true in this respect. And from this it is also clarified from the Torah that no tribe of the tribes was ever wholly destroyed. The third [benefit] is to publicize the matter of the miracles renewed through the prophet, for in belief in them lies the preservation of the cornerstone of the Torah. For this reason, he mentioned the matter of prophecy and the success that was renewed for Joash when he fought against Aram, because of what the prophet placed his hands upon the hands of the king, which were on the bow, and the number of arrows he shot then was like the number of battles in which he succeeded and struck Aram. And the prophet explained to him that if he had struck the ground with the arrows more times, he would have struck Aram more times, as if it were clarified from this that the success flowed to him by way of miracle from the prophet because of his placing his hands upon his hands in those strikes, which were a parable for his striking Aram. For this reason also, it is recorded that the man who was buried, upon touching the bones of Elisha, lived and stood on his feet because of the honor of Elisha. And behold, this miracle was very wondrous. For this reason also, it is recorded what the Lord touched King Uzziah with leprosy when he went up to the altar to offer incense. For this reason also, it is recorded what the Lord sent lions to kill the Samaritans until they agreed to serve the Lord in some way and approached His service somewhat. For this reason also, it is recorded the wondrous miracle that the Lord performed by striking the army of the king of Assyria, who was boasting against the Lord until on that night the army of the king of Assyria died by the hand of the angel of the Lord, and he returned to his land. And there the Lord caused that his sons struck him with the sword and killed him, as He predicted through His prophet. For this reason also, it is recorded what the Lord healed by way of miracle Hezekiah from the illness in which he was worthy to die, and the matter of the miracle He performed by returning the shadow backward ten degrees. The fourth is to publicize the fulfillment of the predictions of the Name, blessed be He, through His prophet. For this reason, it is recorded the evil that Hazael did to Israel, as the Lord predicted to Elijah, and Elisha mentioned this prediction to Hazael at the time when he was not king. And it is clarified from this narrative that the matter was indeed so in the end, as Elisha predicted. For this reason, he also mentioned that Elisha had already predicted that Joash would strike Aram three times, and so the matter was in the end. For this reason, he also mentioned Jeroboam, son of Joash, who restored the border of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the West, as the prophet Jonah predicted. For this reason also, it is recorded that Jehu had sons for four generations on the throne of Israel, as the Lord predicted to him through His prophet. And it is also recorded the multitude of evils that came to Israel, which Ahijah had already predicted to the wife of Jeroboam, saying, "And the Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and He will tear Israel from the good land." And it is also clarified from this narrative that the tribe of Reuben and those attached to it were exiled first, and to this the Torah alluded in saying, "Let Reuben live and not die, and let his men be few," as we explained there. For this reason also, he mentioned that the Lord had already removed Israel from His face, as He spoke by the hand of all His servants the prophets. For this reason also, he mentioned that the Lord had already predicted regarding Sennacherib that he would hear a report and return to his land and fall by the sword in his land, and that he would not come to Jerusalem, nor shoot an arrow there, nor approach it with a shield, nor throw up a mound against it. And so the matter was in the end. For this reason also, he mentioned that the prophet had already predicted that the Lord would heal Hezekiah and add fifteen years to his days, and so it was. For this reason also, he mentioned that Isaiah had already predicted to Hezekiah, "Behold, days are coming when all that is in your house and that which your fathers have stored up until this day shall be carried to Babylon, and none shall be left, said the Lord. And men of your own body, whom you shall beget, shall be taken, and they shall be eunuchs in the house of the king of Babylon." And so the matter was in the end. For this reason also, he mentioned what the Lord spoke by the hand of His servants the prophets regarding the sin of Manasseh, that one should understand from the evil upon Judah and Jerusalem what was verified in this narrative, that that evil indeed came upon them. For this reason also, it is recorded that Josiah already did what the prophet who came from Judah predicted, that Josiah would burn on that very altar the bones of men. The fifth is to inform that it is not fitting that the wicked be joined with the righteous, even after death. For this reason, it is recorded that when a man was buried in the grave of Elisha, behold, immediately upon touching his bones, he lived and stood on his feet, for the Lord did not want the wicked to be buried next to a righteous person. The sixth is to inform that it is not fitting to punish the children for the sin of the fathers, nor the fathers for the children. For this reason, it is recorded that the sons of the strikers were not killed, as written in the book of the Torah of Moses, "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor shall the children be put to death for the fathers." The seventh is to inform that it is not fitting for a person to boast in the matter of war and provoke strife because of the fact that he had already succeeded in war. For what is it? For it is already possible that he will be defeated in this war, even though he had already succeeded in the previous war. For this reason, it is recorded that Amaziah, who provoked strife with Joash because of what he saw of his success over the Edomites in war, fell into his hand, he and Judah with him. For this reason also, it is recorded the matter of the boasting that Joash said to Amaziah, for he had already told him that he and Judah with him would fall. And it resulted from this that Amaziah lived fifteen years after Joash. The eighth is to inform that it is not fitting to delight in one who succeeds in his way. For this reason, it is recorded what happened of evil to Israel when their kings rebelled, like the successful kings who gave tribute to them, for this was the cause of the destruction and exile. For this reason, it is recorded that the king of Assyria already found treachery in Hoshea. For this reason, he besieged Samaria and exiled Israel from their land. For this reason also, he mentioned that Hezekiah, upon seeing that the king of Assyria had captured all the fortified cities of Judah, humbled himself before him and served him. And this is his statement, "I have sinned; return from upon me; what you will impose upon me, I will bear." For this reason also, it is recorded that Israel were already in great danger in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, because of their rebellion against the king of Assyria, were it not for the Lord who was with him. For this reason also, he mentioned the rebellion of Jehoiakim against Nebuchadnezzar, which was the cause that he exiled all his household, and his son Jehoiachin, and with him were exiled the most distinguished of Jerusalem. For this reason also, he mentioned the rebellion of Zedekiah against the king of Babylon, which was the cause of the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah from their land. For this reason also, he mentioned that Jehoiachin, because he placed his neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, his soul was for plunder, and from him alone remained sons of the house of Josiah. And behold, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, was of his seed, as mentioned in the book of Chronicles. And after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-Merodach raised the head of Jehoiachin and brought him out of prison and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon. The ninth is to inform that this wondrous evil which the Lord brought upon the ten tribes, He did not bring upon them except after they exceeded greatly in doing evil, until they already rejected all the commandments of the Lord and His testimonies, and abandoned them, and served other gods in all their places, and performed the most shameful and most evil deeds that they could do. And they did not accept reproof from the words of the Lord through His prophets, who testified to them of all the evil that was coming upon them before its coming because of their abandoning the covenant of the Lord. And this was the cause that the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them with types of punishments, like famine and what resembles it. And after this, He gave them into the hand of oppressors who plundered them, and in the end, He cast them away from His face, as He mentioned in the curses written in the Torah. The tenth is to inform that when something results in evil, even though it was intended for a good end, it is fitting to remove it — and this even though its matter was arranged through the most perfect of men, and all the more so when it was leading to the service of idolatry. Do you not see that the bronze serpent which was made by the command of the Name, blessed be He, through Moses our teacher to save the bitten when they looked at it, Hezekiah broke it down when he saw that Israel were erring after it? The eleventh is to inform that it is fitting that a person tear his garments upon hearing the desecration of the Holy Name. For this reason, it is recorded that those who heard these insults and blasphemies from the mouth of Rabshakeh tore their garments. And also Hezekiah tore his garments when he heard this from the mouth of his envoys whom he sent there to Rabshakeh. The twelfth is to inform that one of the good stratagems for war is to frighten the men of war. For this reason, Rabshakeh said that his lord sent him because of the men on the wall, to terrify and frighten them. The thirteenth is to inform that the king rules over the people by doing them good, for by this their desire is drawn to him. And this is his statement, "Make a covenant with me and come out to me, and let every man eat of his vine and every man of his fig tree." The fourteenth is to inform that it is not fitting for a person to answer the words that are said to him in times of evil and distress, but he should keep silent in shame, perhaps God will devise for him and have mercy on him and save him from that distress. For this reason, it is recorded that the people answered nothing to Rabshakeh, for it was the command of the king to say, "Do not answer him." The fifteenth is to inform that in times of distress, it is fitting that a person humble himself before the Lord and pray to Him so that He may have mercy on him and see his affliction. For this reason, it is recorded that the king already prayed in sackcloth and prayed before the Lord and asked Isaiah to raise prayer for the remnant that remained. For this reason also, it is recorded that Josiah already humbled himself before the Lord and tore his garments and wept before Him concerning the evil prepared to come upon him and his people from the Lord because of the sins of his fathers. The sixteenth is to inform that the fact that the Name, blessed be He, reveals the end from the beginning is the miracle that He is the Actor of things. For without this, it would not be possible that He inform them before they exist, for how would He know what He will do other than Himself? The seventeenth is to inform that from the providence of the Lord over the righteous, it extends to push away from them the evil that has already begun to come, as it says, "Behold, He slays me, yet I will hope in Him." For this reason, it is recorded that even though it was already decreed that Hezekiah should die from that illness, behold, the Name, blessed be He, heard his prayer and healed him and prolonged his days fifteen years. For this reason also, it is recorded that even though it was already decreed that the evil would come in the days of Josiah, behold, the Name, blessed be He, answered him, and there was peace and truth in his days. The eighteenth is to inform that when it is decreed that evil will result from sins, behold, it is fitting to cleanse from those sins so that that evil may be removed. For this reason, you will find that when Josiah knew that the Lord had prolonged the evil until after his death because of his humbling himself before Him, he wanted to cleanse Israel from that sin. And he established all the people in a covenant with the Name, blessed be He, and eradicated all the idols and the altars and the high places and their attendants, and he abolished the priests and slaughtered all the priests of the high places by the altars. He left no remembrance of foreign gods in Israel and in their land. And behold, all this was to remove the evil completely from Israel, for the evil predictions are removed when the sins for which they were decreed are removed. But Israel sinned then, as the prophet who was rebuking them in the days of Josiah mentioned. For this reason, the end that Josiah intended did not result from this. The nineteenth is to inform that a priest who served idolatry is disqualified for service, but he eats of the holy things with his priestly brothers. And this is his statement, "Only the priests of the high places shall not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they shall eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren."

"And his food was always provided." The allowance given to him was a constant allowance, without interruption, and it served as food for his household, for he himself always ate bread before the king. "A matter of the day, in its day." This means that they gave him on that very day what he needed for each day, and they did not delay beyond the appointed time.

And his rations. It is a matter of fixed salary, so too (Jeremiah 40:5): provisions and a gift: