Daniel 1.2-The Lord Delivers Jehoiakim Into Nebuchadnezzar's Power Along With Some Of The Vessels Of The Temple
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday November 22, 2011
Daniel: Daniel 1:2-The Lord Delivers Jehoiakim Into Nebuchadnezzar’s Power Along With Some Of The Vessels Of Temple
Lesson # 7
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 1:1.
Daniel 1:2 records the Lord delivering Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar’s power along with some of the articles of the temple.
Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. (NASB95)
“The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), which is not translated and it is followed by third person singular qal active imperfect form of the verb nā∙ṯǎn (נָתַן) (naw-than), “gave” and then we have the masculine plural form of the noun ʾā∙ḏôn (אֲדֹנָי) (aw-done), “the Lord” and this is followed by the first person singular pronomial suffix ʾǎnî (אֲנִי) (an-ee), which is not translated and then we have the preposition bĕ (בְּ) (beth), “into” and its object is the feminine singular construct form of the noun yāḏ (יָד) (yawd), “hand” and with it we have the third person masculine singular pronomial suffix –hû (־הוּ) (who), “his” and then we have the object marker ʾēṯ (אֵת) (ayth), which is not translated but is marking the masculine singular form of the proper name yehô∙yā∙qîm (יְהֹויָקִים) (yeh-ho-yaw-keem), “Jehoiakim” as the direct object and the latter is modified by the masculine singular construct form of the noun mě∙lěḵ (מֶלֶךְ) (meh-lek), “king of” and this is followed by the masculine singular form of the proper name yehû∙ḏā(h) (יְהוּדָה) (yeh-hoo-daw), “Judah.”
The conjunction waw is emphatic meaning that the word is introducing a statement that is advancing and intensifying the previous statement in verse 1.
Verse 2 reveals that not only did Nebuchadnezzar attack Jerusalem during Jehoiakim’s reign but also the Lord Himself delivered Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand along with some of the articles from Solomon’s temple.
The noun ʾā∙ḏôn is a reference to the Lord emphasizing His sovereign authority over the king of Judah, Jehoiakim as well as Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
It emphasizes the majesty of His sovereign rulership over the nations of the earth.
In Daniel 1:2, the noun ʾā∙ḏôn makes clear to the reader that Nebuchadnezzar’s success in defeating Jehoiakim and sacking the city of Jerusalem was ultimately the result of the Lord sovereignly giving him success in the endeavor.
The word teaches that the Judean monarchy fell because the Lord decreed for it to take place.
It indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was only the human instrument that the Lord used to bring this about.
The entire book of Daniel emphasizes that the Lord is the absolute sovereign over Judah and Israel as well as the nations of the world.
The verb nā∙ṯǎn means “to deliver” in the sense that the Lord handed over Jehoiakim and some of the articles from the temple to Nebuchadnezzar.
Jeremiah 36:30-31 teaches that the reason why the Lord delivered Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar’s power is because he committed evil in the sight of the Lord and rejected His Word through the prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 25:1-11 also teaches that the Lord delivered Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s power because of their idolatry.
Also, a comparison of Leviticus 25:1-12, 26:32-35, 43, Jeremiah 25:11, 29:10 and 2 Chronicles 26:21 indicates that the Lord delivered Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s power because they failed to respect the Sabbath Day and the sabbatic year in which every seventh year they were to let the land rest.
The noun yāḏ means “hand” and was used to symbolize “power” and “authority’ or “strength” (cf. Deuteronomy 8:17; 32:26).
In Daniel 1:2, the word is used with this metaphorical or figurative sense for Nebuchadnezzar’s “power” or “authority,” thus, the Lord delivered Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar’s “power” or “authority.”
“Along with some of the vessels of the house of God” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “along with” and then we have the preposition min (מִן) (min) and this is followed by the feminine singular construct form of the noun qeṣāṯ (קְצָת) (kets-awth), “some of” and then we have the masculine plural construct form of the noun kelî (כְּלִי) (kel-ee), “the vessels of” and this is followed by the masculine singular construct form of the noun bǎ∙yiṯ (בַּיִת) (bah-yith), “the house of” and then we have the articular masculine plural form of the noun ʾělō∙hîm (אֱלֹהִים) (el-o-heem), “God.”
The conjunction wa is adjunctive meaning that the word is introducing a clause that presents “additional” items that were delivered into Nebuchadnezzar’s power.
The noun kelî means “vessels” or “articles” and is used in the plural and refers to the various articles pertaining to the worship of the Lord in Solomon’s temple.
2 Kings 24:1 records that Jehoiakim was forced to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar and as part of this tribute the latter took the gold articles of the temple and brought them to Babylon.
He placed them in the treasury of the temple of the god he worshipped, which cuneiform inscriptions reveal was Marduk.
These articles were made of gold, silver and bronze according to Daniel 5:2-3.
This tribute is also mentioned in 2 Chronicles 36:7, 10, 18 and these articles were restored seventy years later by Cyrus (Ezra 1:7).
Taking these gold, silver and bronze articles would have religious significance in Daniel’s day since removing them from Solomon’s temple would be a sign of victory of Nebuchadnezzar’s god over Yahweh, who was Jehoiakim’s God.
Wars were fought in a god’s name in the ancient world and thus the plunder from a victory belonged to the victorious god, thus, the temple articles are his booty.
The noun qeṣāṯ is employed with the preposition min and together they denote a portion as a division of a larger group.
They denote that Nebuchadnezzar took a portion of the gold, silver and bronze articles of the temple and put them into the treasury of his god, Marduk.
The preposition is used in a partitive sense to denote the whole from which a part is taken, thus, these two words denote that Nebuchadnezzar took only a part or a portion of the gold, silver and bronze articles from Solomon’s temple and placed them in the treasury of his god, Marduk, in Babylon.
The noun bǎ∙yiṯ is in the construct form with noun ʾělō∙hîm, “God” and means “house” or “temple” of God.
Here it refers to Solomon’s temple, which was of course located in Jerusalem and was still standing during the reign of Jehoiakim.
The noun ʾělō∙hîm means “God” and emphasizes that Daniel’s God is transcendent of His creation and creatures and thus superior to the gods of the Babylonians or the god of Nebuchadnezzar, Marduk.
This word is employed here rather than the noun Yahweh since the latter is used to emphasize Israel’s covenant relationship to God whereas the latter emphasizes that Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians were Gentiles and thus did not have a covenant relationship with God.
In Daniel 1:1, the articular construction of this noun denotes the uniqueness of Daniel’s God, Yahweh in that He is the one and only God, the Creator and Redeemer of mankind.
It sets Daniel’s God in contrast to Nebuchadnezzar’s god, Marduk.
Daniel 1:2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. (NASB95)
“And he brought them to the land of Shinar” is composed of the conjunction wa (וְ) (waw), “and” and then we have the third person masculine singular hiphil imperfect form of the verb bôʾ (בּוֹא) (bow), “he brought to” and this is followed by the third person masculine plural pronomial suffix -hē∙mā(h) (־הֵמָה) (haym-maw), “them” and then we have the feminine singular construct form of the noun ʾě∙rěṣ (אֶרֶץ) (eh-rets), “the land of” and this is followed by the feminine singular form of the proper noun šin∙ʿār (שִׁנְעָר) (shin-awr), “Shinar.”
The conjunction wa is a marker of sequence indicating that it is introducing a clause that presents the next sequential event after the Lord delivered Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar’s power.
The verb bôʾ is in the hiphil stem and means “to transport” indicating that Nebuchadnezzar took some of the gold, silver and bronze articles from Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem and “transported” them to Babylon.
The word denotes the linear movement and carrying of these articles from Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem to the treasury of the temple of Nebuchadnezzar’s god in Babylon.
The hiphil stem of this verb is causative indicating that Nebuchadnezzar “caused” these articles to be transported from Jerusalem to Babylon by giving orders to his soldiers to do so.
The noun ʾě∙rěṣ denotes a region or territory or in other words a large area of the earth where distinct cultures or kingdoms reside.
The noun šin∙ʿār was located in the southern region of Mesopotamia, south of Baghdad in Iraq.
Daniel 1:2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. (NASB95)
“To the house of his god” is composed of the masculine singular construct form of the noun bǎ∙yiṯ (בַּיִת) (bah-yith), “the house of” and then we have masculine plural construct form of the noun ʾělō∙hîm (אֱלֹהִים) (el-o-heem), “god” and then we have the third person masculine singular pronomial suffix –hû (־הוּ) (who), “his”
The noun ʾělō∙hîm is used here as a majesty of plural referring to one particular god of Nebuchadnezzar, which cuneiform inscriptions identifies as Marduk.
“And he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god” is composed of the conjunction waw (וְ) (waw), “and” which is followed by the object marker ʾēṯ (אֵת) (ayth), which is not translated but is marking the articular masculine plural form of the noun kelî (כְּלִי) (kel-ee), “the vessels” and then we have the third person masculine singular hiphil perfect form of the verb bôʾ (בּוֹא) (bow), “he brought into” and this is followed by the masculine singular construct form of the noun bǎ∙yiṯ (בַּיִת) (bah-yith) and the masculine singular construct form of the noun ʾô∙ṣār (אֹוצָר) (o-tsaw), “the treasury of” and then we have the masculine plural construct form of the noun ʾělō∙hîm (אֱלֹהִים) (el-o-heem), “god” which is followed by the third person masculine singular pronomial suffix –hû (־הוּ) (who), “his.”
The conjunction wa is used in an explicative sense meaning that the clause it is introducing clarifies or specifies the exact location in which Nebuchadnezzar stored a portion of the articles from Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem after subjugating that city and Jehoiakim to his rule.
Once again we have the verb bôʾ in the hiphil stem. However, this time it is in the perfect tense and means “to store” in a particular location indicating that Nebuchadnezzar placed a portion of the articles of Solomon’s temple in the treasury of his god, Marduk in Babylon.
The hiphil stem of this verb is causative indicating that Nebuchadnezzar “caused” these articles to be stored in the treasury of the temple of his god, Marduk, in Babylon.
The perfect tense of the verb describes this event of Nebuchadnezzar storing a portion of the articles of the temple in the treasury of his god in Babylon as a complete whole.
The noun ʾô∙ṣār is used in a literal sense for the treasury of the temple of Nebuchadnezzar’s god, Marduk.