Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
” He was the son and successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Babylon from its dependence on Assyria and laid Nineveh in ruins. He was the greatest and most powerful of all the Babylonian kings. He married the daughter of Cyaxares, and thus the Median and Babylonian dynasties were united. , the king of Egypt, gained a victory over the Assyrians at Carchemish. ) This secured to Egypt the possession of the Syrian provinces of Assyria, including Palestine. The remaining provinces of the Assyrian empire were divided between Babylonia and Media.
But Nabopolassar was ambitious of reconquering from Necho the western provinces of Syria, and for this purpose he sent his son with a powerful army westward (Dan. 1:1). C. 606). From that time “the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land” (2 Kings 24:7). Nebuchadnezzar also subdued the whole of Palestine, and took Jerusalem, carrying away captive a great multitude of the Jews, among whom were Daniel and his companions (Dan. 1:1, 2; Jer. 27:19; 40:1).
Three years after this, Jehoiakim, who had reigned in Jerusalem as a Babylonian vassal, rebelled against the oppressor, trusting to help from Egypt (2 Kings 24:1). C. 598). A third time he came against it, and deposed Jehoiachin, whom he carried into Babylon, with a large portion of the population of the city, and the sacred vessels of the temple, placing Zedekiah on the throne of Judah in his stead. He also, heedless of the warnings of the prophet, entered into an alliance with Egypt, and rebelled against Babylon. C. 586).
Zedekiah was taken captive, and had his eyes put out by order of the king of Babylon, who made him a prisoner for the remainder of his life. An onyx cameo, now in the museum of Florence, bears on it an arrow-headed inscription, which is certainly ancient and genuine. ” A clay tablet, now in the British Museum, bears the following inscription, the only one as yet found which refers to his wars: “In the thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the country of Babylon, he went to Egypt [Misr] to make war. ” Thus were fulfilled the words of the prophet (Jer. 46:13-26; Ezek. 29:2-20).
Having completed the subjugation of Phoenicia, and inflicted chastisement on Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar now set himself to rebuild and adorn the city of Babylon (Dan. 4:30), and to add to the greatness and prosperity of his kingdom by constructing canals and aqueducts and reservoirs surpassing in grandeur and magnificence everything of the kind mentioned in history (Dan. 2:37). He is represented as a “king of kings,” ruling over a vast kingdom of many provinces, with a long list of officers and rulers under him, “princes, governors, captains,” etc. (3:2, 3, 27).
He may, indeed, be said to have created the mighty empire over which he ruled. “Modern research has shown that Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest monarch that Babylon, or perhaps the East generally, ever produced. He must have possessed an enormous command of human labour, nine-tenths of Babylon itself, and nineteen-twentieths of all the other ruins that in almost countless profusion cover the land, are composed of bricks stamped with his name. He appears to have built or restored almost every city and temple in the whole country. ’” Rawlinson, Hist. Illustrations.
e, “the change of a man into a wolf”).
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible (1898) & Schaff's Bible Dictionary
). or, more correctly, NEBUCHADREZ'ZAR, the son and successor of Nabopolassar, the founder of the Babylonish monarchy, was the most illustrious of these kings, and one of the greatest rulers of history. 2 Kgs 24:1; Dan 1-4. We know most of him through the book of Daniel; but we read of him also in Cameo of Nebuchadnezzar. Berosus and upon numerous monuments. " From these various sources the following details have been derived. c.
605), Jer 46:2, and brought under subjection all the territory Necho had occupied, including Syria and Palestine, overrunning these countries, taking Jerusalem, and carrying off a portion of the inhabitants as prisoners, including Daniel and his companions. Dan 1:1-4. Having learned that his father had died, Nebuchadnezzar hastened back to Babylon and planted himself firmly on the throne, giving to his generals instructions to bring the Jewish, Phoenician, Syrian, and Egyptian captives to Babylon.
Thus the remark, "In his days Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years," 2 Kgs 24:1, is easily explained. The title is given by anticipation, and the "three years" are to be reckoned from 605 to 603 inclusive. c. 602, and was punished by the irruption of Chaldaeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites, incited, perhaps, by Nebuchadnezzar, who, as soon as possible, sent his troops against Jerusalem, and had him taken prisoner, but ultimately released him. See Jehoiakim. 2 Kgs 24:2.
After his death his son Jehoiachin reigned, and against him Nebuchadnezzar, for the third time, invaded Palestine and besieged Jerusalem. Jehoiachin and his family and household voluntarily submitted themselves, the city was taken. and all the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the palace, and all the principal inhabitants of the city, were carried to Babylon. 2 Kgs 24:12-16.
Mattaniah, the uncle of Jehoiachin, whose name was changed to Zedekiah, was put upon the throne, but after a reign of nearly ten years he rebelled, and was punished by Nebuchadnezzar, who went up against Jerusalem and reduced the city to the horrors of famine before taking it. Zedekiah's two sons were killed before his eyes and then his eyes put out, and he, as a captive, was carried to Babylon. c. 588. 2 Kgs 25:7. On Nebuchadnezzar's order, Jeremiah was kindly treated. Jer 39:11-14. The scenes related in the first four chapters of Daniel occurred during Nebuchadnezzar's reign. See Daniel.
Two incidents there recorded have received remarkable confirmation from recently-deciphered inscriptions, which are quoted by Dr. Buddensieg in his pamphlet Die Assyrischen Ausgrabungen und das Alte Testament, 1880 ("The Assyrian Excavations and the Old Testament"), pp. 64, 65. " Of the king's madness there is of course no direct mention. But Inscribed Brick of Nebuchadnezzar. there is an inscription which is read by Sir H.
Rawlinson in a manner which finds its readiest explanation in the fact stated in Dan 4:33: "For four years the residence of my kingdom did not delight my heart; in no one of my possessions did I erect any important building by my might. I did not put up buildings in Babylon for myself and for the honor of my name. " He gave much attention to the architectural adornment of Babylon, and amongst other great structures built the hanging-gardens, on a large and artificial mound, terraced up to look like a hill.
This great work, called by the ancients one of the Seven Wonders of the world, was executed in order to please his wife, whose maiden home had been in a hilly country. Secular history also tells us of vast projects of irrigation and a canal system which he carried out. An idea of the extent of this monarch's building enterprises may be drawn from the fact that nine-tenths of the bricks found amongst the ruins of the ancient capital are inscribed with his name.
Nebuchadnezzar was a cruel despot and the perfect type of an Oriental autocrat, as is proven by the murder of the two boys in the presence of their father, Zedekiah, the resolution to punish a failure to discover his dream, Dan 2, with the death of the astrologers, etc., and the requisition of worship for the golden image on the plain of Dura. He is said to have worshipped the "King of heaven," Dan 4:37, but it may be questioned whether he did not conceive of the Jehovah of the Hebrews to be only one of many gods. c. 561. after a reign of 44 years.
Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869)
Nebuchadrezzar, tears and groans of judgment