THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Proclaim to the rebellious house, ‘Are you unaware of the meaning of this? Behold, the king of Babylon is approaching Jerusalem, and he will seize the king and his rulers and carry them off to Babylon. He will take another descendant from the royal line and establish a pact with him, demanding an oath of fidelity. However, he will also take the strongest men of the land to ensure that his dominion is brought low and does not rise again, and he will uphold his covenant. This individual, having been cast aside, sent messengers to Egypt to acquire horses and numerous troops. Will he who acted in this manner find fulfillment, or will he escape? Can the one who has violated the covenant be delivered?
Read more (466 words)
As I live, declares the Lord God, in the very place where the king appointed him, and where he has failed to keep his oath, having breached the covenant made with him, he shall die in the heart of Babylon. Neither will Pharaoh engage in battle against him with a vast army or a multitude, erecting mounds and digging trenches to claim many lives. For he has disregarded the oath and forsaken the alliance. Thus, despite extending his hand and performing all these actions, he will not attain salvation. This signifies a riddle, a parable, for under the two eagles and the vineyard, Scripture alludes to the two kings of Babylon and Egypt, as well as to King Zedekiah, who, in violation of his oath, abandoned his loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar and turned to the king of Egypt. He shall establish an alliance, taking an oath to maintain his covenant and honor it. Can he who has violated the treaty hope for deliverance? From this, we learn that faithfulness must be upheld even amidst adversaries, and one must consider not whom one serves, but rather to whom one has sworn allegiance. For far more faithful is the one who trusts you because of God’s name and is misled than you, who, exploiting divine authority, plots against your enemy, or rather against your friend. In the realm of the monarch, where he was made king, and whose oaths he violated and treaty he broke, in the midst of Babylon shall he meet his end. For it is recorded that Zedekiah, having been captured, was taken to Reblatha, where he was blinded after the execution of his sons, and like a wild beast was transported to Babylon. Thus, while Scripture may seem contradictory, it remains entirely consistent in truth. For Zedekiah was warned, ‘And thou shalt enter Babylon, but shalt not see it.’ He entered indeed, being brought to Babylon, yet he did not witness it, for he was blind. The assertion that Pharaoh shall wage war against him, neither with a mighty army nor with a large host, erecting mounds and digging trenches to destroy many, can be understood in two ways: either the king of Egypt would be unable to contend against Nebuchadnezzar with a small force opposing such a great multitude, or Zedekiah himself would be subdued by Pharaoh, whose aid he sought—not because Pharaoh actually conquered him, nor does Scripture indicate this, but rather because his subjugation by the army was attributed to the king of Egypt, who, despite not being the one who besieged Jerusalem, was the source of Zedekiah’s futile hope. Behold, he extended his hand, submitted to the king of Egypt, and breached a sacred oath against God. Will this serve him well? In all these actions, he shall not find salvation.