2 Chronicles 36 19

2 Chronicles 36:19 kjv

And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

2 Chronicles 36:19 nkjv

Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions.

2 Chronicles 36:19 niv

They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

2 Chronicles 36:19 esv

And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels.

2 Chronicles 36:19 nlt

Then his army burned the Temple of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, burned all the palaces, and completely destroyed everything of value.

2 Chronicles 36 verses

2 Chronicles 36 19 Meaning

This verse graphically details the catastrophic destruction inflicted upon Jerusalem and its sacred spaces by the Babylonians, signifying the climactic outpouring of God's judgment upon Judah. It records the burning of the revered Temple, the breaching of the city's protective walls, the incineration of royal and noble residences, and the complete despoiling or destruction of all precious and valuable items. This act underscored the comprehensive end of the Davidic monarchy, the pre-exilic Judean kingdom, and a pivotal period in Israelite history, directly resulting from generations of unfaithfulness and rebellion against the Most High.

2 Chronicles 36 19 Context

This verse forms part of the final lamentable chapter of 2 Chronicles, culminating the narrative of Judah's decline. After chronicling the reigns of the last four unfaithful kings—Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah—the chronicler emphasizes Judah's increasing wickedness, rejection of prophetic warnings, and continued desecration of the Temple (2 Chron 36:14-16). Verse 19 specifically details Nebuchadnezzar's decisive third campaign against Jerusalem in 586 BC, which effectively brought about the complete downfall of the southern kingdom. Historically, this event fulfilled centuries of prophecies regarding Israel's covenant curses for disobedience (e.g., Lev 26, Deut 28), marking the end of the Davidic dynasty's independent rule and ushering in the Babylonian Exile, a profound period of spiritual reevaluation for the surviving Jewish people.

2 Chronicles 36 19 Word analysis

• And they burned: The Hebrew verb is śāraph (שָׂרַף), meaning "to burn, consume by fire." This is a forceful act of complete destruction. The agent, "they," refers to the Babylonian army.
• the house of God: In Hebrew, bêth hā’ĕlōhîm (בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים), explicitly refers to Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. This was the spiritual and symbolic heart of Israel, the place where God's Name dwelt. Its burning was a shocking theological catastrophe, dismantling the central worship site and challenging conventional ancient Near Eastern understanding where a temple's destruction often signified its god's defeat; in this biblical context, it revealed God's sovereign hand orchestrating judgment on His own dwelling due to His people's sin.
• and broke down: The Hebrew verb is nātaṣ (נָתַץ), meaning "to tear down, pull down, demolish, overthrow." It implies a violent and systematic demolition, not just a collapse.
• the wall of Jerusalem: The primary defensive fortifications of the capital city. Their demolition, ḥômāth Yerûšālayim (חוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם) in Hebrew, symbolized the complete vulnerability, subjugation, and loss of Jerusalem's autonomy and security. It made the city utterly defenseless.
• and burned: Again, śāraph (שָׂרַף), reiterating the use of fire as the primary agent of destruction.
• all its palaces: The Hebrew ʾarmĕnôtĕyhā (אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ) refers to fortified structures, likely royal residences, noble houses, and other significant public buildings within Jerusalem. Their destruction extended the judgment beyond sacred and defensive structures to the secular power centers, eliminating any remnants of governmental or aristocratic influence.
• with fire: Bāʾēš (בָּאֵשׁ), explicitly stating the destructive agent, emphasizing the complete incineration of these structures.
• and utterly destroyed: The Hebrew hišḥîtû (הִשְׁחִיתוּ) is the Hiphil of šāḥat (שָׁחַת), meaning "to ruin, spoil, corrupt, lay waste." The "utterly" underscores the comprehensive and complete nature of this action. In the context of valuable items, it implies that they were either systematically smashed into pieces, rendering them useless, or completely plundered and removed, making them effectively "destroyed" from Judah's possession.
• all its precious vessels: The Hebrew kēlê maḥămaddêhā (כְּלֵי מַחֲמַדֶּיהָ) means "desirable/valuable articles/instruments/implements." This refers to all treasures, including items from the royal treasury, personal wealth, and particularly, the valuable Temple vessels (as noted in v.18 and v.20, some were carried off, others possibly destroyed on-site). This final act signified the total stripping of Judah's wealth, heritage, and identity.

• "burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem": This phrase links the religious and civil centers of Judah's existence. The destruction of the Temple attacked their spiritual identity and relationship with God, while the breaching of the wall stripped away their physical security and national sovereignty. This dual blow represented the total dismantling of all aspects of the Judean kingdom.
• "burned all its palaces with fire and utterly destroyed all its precious vessels": This completes the tableau of comprehensive devastation, extending beyond the public sphere to every facet of Judah's previous glory. It symbolizes the erasure of all visible markers of the kingdom's prosperity, power, and sacred significance, demonstrating God's complete and final judgment.

2 Chronicles 36 19 Bonus section

• The scale of destruction described in 2 Chronicles 36:19 was unprecedented for Jerusalem. The complete demolition of the Temple was a profound theological shock for the surviving Judeans, forcing them to re-evaluate their understanding of God's presence, leading to significant developments in their faith during the exile, such as the increasing importance of the Law and the development of synagogue worship, anticipating a spiritual, rather than purely physical, return.
• The meticulous detailing of the destruction—from the Temple to walls, palaces, and valuable items—underscores the comprehensiveness of God's judgment, leaving nothing intact as a symbol of past glory or current resilience. This aligns with biblical theology that sin's consequences are far-reaching and holistic.
• While "utterly destroyed" can mean demolished, it also covers "taken away." In the context of "precious vessels," many of which were looted and taken to Babylon (as indicated in v.18 and v.20), the "destruction" also encompasses their removal from Judah, effectively ending their use and presence within the land. Their later return under Cyrus (Ezra 1:7-11) symbolized God's faithfulness in fulfilling promises of restoration.

2 Chronicles 36 19 Commentary

2 Chronicles 36:19 serves as the solemn epitaph for the Kingdom of Judah. It meticulously recounts the full extent of the Babylonian conquest, acting as divine retribution for centuries of persistent sin, idolatry, and rebellion, despite repeated prophetic warnings. The Temple's destruction was a pivotal moment, shattering the misconception that God would perpetually defend His house regardless of His people's conduct. Instead, He allowed the sacred dwelling to be desecrated, proving His holiness transcended any physical structure and that covenant fidelity was paramount. The concurrent ruin of Jerusalem's walls, palaces, and treasures underlined the absolute end of Judah's autonomy, identity, and wealth. This verse powerfully illustrates that divine patience has boundaries, and unchecked sin leads inevitably to judgment, fulfilling the curses outlined in the Mosaic Law. Yet, this judgment was also a necessary prelude for a future restoration, designed to purge the nation and refocus its devotion to God.