Exile to Babylon. The people of Judah were deported to Babylon in four stages. In 605 b.c., Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jerusalem, carrying away treasures and some of the people. Daniel was taken to Babylon at this time. In 597, Babylon responded… Read More »Exile to Babylon
Passover is a feast remembering Israel’s exodus from Egypt. It recalls their final meal in Egypt before deliverance. The most important element is the lamb (Ex. 12:5). It reminds participants of the blood smeared on the doorposts to protect them… Read More »Passover
The Book of the Law of the Lord. The high priest discovered this forgotten book while the temple was being repaired (34:14). After reading the Law, King Josiah called the nation to further measures of repentance and reform. The book… Read More »The Book of the Law of the Lord
Hezekiah’s wall (32:5) was one of his many efforts to defend Jerusalem from the invading Assyrians. Archaeologists have uncovered a 650-foot (200-m)portion of this wall.
Generous givers. When Hezekiah asked the people to contribute financially to his temple restoration project, they gave generously (31:5). Their response recalls the time of the tabernacle’s construction. The people gave so freely that Moses actually asked them to stop… Read More »Generous givers
What is a scapegoat? Laying hands on a sacrificial animal (29:23–24) was a symbolic act. It meant that human sin was being placed on the animal and taken away. On the Day of Atonement the people sacrificed a goat in… Read More »What is a scapegoat?
Ten Hebrew kings are mentioned among the records of the Assyrian Empire, which helps to show the reliability of biblical history. King Ahaz asked the Assyrians for help (28:16) but ended up becoming their servant (28:20–21).
Thistles (25:18) are flowering plants known for their sharp outer edges. This discourages animals from feeding on the plant. In the Bible, thistles often represent God’s curse on the land.
Why did the guards carry King David’s spears? Even though King David’s spears (23:9) were around 150 years old, they served an important purpose. Having the guards hold the spears at the coronation of Joash, who was only seven years… Read More »Why did the guards carry King David’s spears?
Athaliah was the only woman to rule over Judah. She was the granddaughter of Omri and the daughter of Ahab. After seizing the throne and murdering the rest of the royal family, she reigned for six years before being overthrown.… Read More »Athaliah
Tarshish (20:36) was a city at the western end of the Mediterranean Sea, possibly in Spain. It was famous for building ships to carry gold and silver to the Near East. Jonah tried to flee to Tarshish to avoid his… Read More »Tarshish
Ramoth-gilead was a commercial center and an important border town between Israel and Syria. This made it a prime target for capture. It had already changed hands several times between the two nations before the events described in ch. 18.
Co-regency was the common practice of two kings ruling a country at the same time. The first king in the Bible to do this was David when he anointed his son Solomon to rule. Asa and Jehoshaphat reigned together for… Read More »Co-regency
An unreported defeat? Scholars believe that Zerah the Ethiopian (14:9), who suffered a humiliating defeat by King Asa, may have been fighting on behalf of Egypt. There is no record of the battle in Egyptian history, but that does not… Read More »An unreported defeat?
The title of chief prince (11:22–23) was most likely an administrative position. Members of the royal family were sometimes appointed to such positions to help them learn how to lead a kingdom.
Second Chronicles covers a span of more than 400 years and the reigns of 20 different kings.
Which took longer to build: Solomon’s palace, or the temple? Although Solomon spent seven years building the temple, he spent 13 years building his own palace (8:1; 1 Kings 6:38; 7:1). This may have been an early sign that he… Read More »Which took longer to build: Solomon’s palace, or the temple?
Trumpets were important instruments in Israel (7:6). They were constructed from metals such as bronze, copper, silver, or gold. They were used for a variety of purposes, for instance, to gather the congregation and to announce festivals.
What was the “sea” in the temple court? The sea (4:2) was a bronze water tank outside the southeast corner of the temple. The priests used it for ceremonial washing before entering the temple and to clean the area where… Read More »What was the “sea” in the temple court?
Why did the pillars of the temple have names? Jachin means “he establishes,” while Boaz means “in him is strength” (3:17). The names may have been a way of reminding worshipers that the Lord establishes his covenant through the temple.
Kue (1:16) was a province located in what is today the nation of Turkey. It was a landlocked area, accessible only through two mountain passes. In NT times it was known as Cilicia and its chief city was Tarsus. Both… Read More »Kue