2 Chronicles 36:18

And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all [these] he brought to Babylon.

And all the vessels {H3627} of the house {H1004} of God {H430}, great {H1419} and small {H6996}, and the treasures {H214} of the house {H1004} of the LORD {H3068}, and the treasures {H214} of the king {H4428}, and of his princes {H8269}; all these he brought {H935} to Babylon {H894}.

All the articles in the house of God, great and small; the supplies in the house of ADONAI; and the supplies of the king and his leading men - all these he brought to Bavel.

who carried off everything to Babylon—all the articles of the house of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king and his officials.

And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon.

Commentary

Context of 2 Chronicles 36:18

This verse marks a somber turning point in the history of the Kingdom of Judah, detailing the final stages of its demise. Following a long period of spiritual decline, idolatry, and rebellion against God, Jerusalem and its inhabitants faced divine judgment. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, referred to as "he" in this verse, had already begun his campaigns against Judah. This specific verse describes the plunder of the most sacred and valuable items from the Temple in Jerusalem—the very heart of Israelite worship—along with the wealth of the king and his officials. This act of taking all these treasures to Babylon signifies the complete subjugation of Judah and the beginning of the Babylonian Exile, a period of captivity that would last for seventy years.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment and Consequences: The removal of the Temple vessels and royal treasures was a visible manifestation of God's judgment upon Judah for its persistent unfaithfulness, idolatry, and rejection of His prophets. This devastating loss was a direct consequence of Judah's persistent idolatry and disobedience to God's covenant, a pattern highlighted throughout the book of Chronicles and warned about in passages like 2 Chronicles 7:19-22.
  • Loss of Sovereignty and Sacred Space: The plundering of the Temple signified not only the loss of Judah's political independence but also the desecration and temporary abandonment of the sacred place where God's presence dwelt. It was a profound blow to the nation's spiritual and national identity.
  • Fulfillment of Prophecy: This event was a stark fulfillment of prophetic warnings, particularly those delivered through the prophet Jeremiah, who repeatedly foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the exile to Babylon, if the people did not repent.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "vessels of the house of God" refers to the sacred implements and utensils used in the Temple's worship and rituals. In Hebrew, these are *keli beit ha'elohim* (כְּלֵי בֵית הָאֱלֹהִים), emphasizing their consecrated purpose. Their removal was not merely a theft of valuable items, but a profound act of profanation and humiliation for the Jewish people, symbolizing the temporary suspension of their formal worship practices in Jerusalem.

Practical Application

The account in 2 Chronicles 36:18 serves as a powerful reminder of several timeless truths:

  • God's Warnings Are Real: The narrative underscores that God's warnings about the consequences of sin and disobedience are not empty threats but are eventually fulfilled.
  • Sovereignty in Adversity: Even in what appears to be utter defeat and destruction, God remains sovereign. The exile was not the end but a disciplinary period leading to a future restoration and the eventual return of some of these very vessels, as seen in Ezra 1:7-11.
  • Value of Spiritual Heritage: The loss of the Temple's sacred items highlights the importance of spiritual heritage and the dangers of neglecting one's relationship with God. When the spiritual foundation erodes, even the most cherished symbols can be lost.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 2 Chronicles 36:10

    And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

  • 2 Chronicles 36:7

    Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

  • 2 Kings 20:13

    And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and [all] the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

  • 2 Kings 20:17

    Behold, the days come, that all that [is] in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

  • Daniel 5:3

    Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which [was] at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.

  • Jeremiah 52:17

    Also the pillars of brass that [were] in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that [was] in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

  • Jeremiah 52:23

    And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; [and] all the pomegranates upon the network [were] an hundred round about.
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