Things are here ripening for, and hastening towards, the utter destruction of Jerusalem. We left Jehoiakim on the throne, placed there by the king of Egypt: now here we have, I. The troubles of his reign, how he was brought into subjection by the king of Babylon, and severely chastised for attempting to shake off the yoke (2 Kgs. 24:1-6), and how Egypt also was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Kgs. 24:7. II. The desolations of his son’s reign, which continued but three months; and then he and all his great men, being forced to surrender at discretion, were carried captives to Babylon, 2 Kgs. 24:8-16. III. The preparatives of the next reign (which was the last of all) for the utter ruin of Jerusalem, which the next chapter will give us an account of, 2 Kgs. 24:17-20.