Commentary for II Kings 25:27
וַיְהִי֩ בִשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים וָשֶׁ֜בַע שָׁנָ֗ה לְגָלוּת֙ יְהוֹיָכִ֣ין מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֔ה בִּשְׁנֵ֤ים עָשָׂר֙ חֹ֔דֶשׁ בְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְשִׁבְעָ֖ה לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ נָשָׂ֡א אֱוִ֣יל מְרֹדַךְ֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ בָּבֶ֜ל בִּשְׁנַ֣ת מָלְכ֗וֹ אֶת־רֹ֛אשׁ יְהוֹיָכִ֥ין מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֖ה מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּֽלֶא׃
And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison.
Rashi on II Kings
Evil Merodach … elevated. For Nevuchadnetzar died, and Evil Merodach reigned in his place.
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Rashi on II Kings
On the twenty-seventh day of the month. But in Yirmiyohu it states, “On the twenty-fifth.”11Yirmiyahu 52:31. Rather, on the twenty-fifth Nevuchadnetzar died and he was buried on the twenty-sixth. On the twenty-seventh, Evil Merodach removed him from his grave and dragged him about,12Evil Merodach was afraid that his father was not really dead and would return to claim his throne. This happened before when Nevuchadnetzar became insane. He left his throne and lived as a wild beast for seven years. See Daniel 4:29-34. In the interim one of his sons was appointed in his place. When Nevuchadnetzar came back he imprisoned his son. Evil Merodach wanted to make sure that would not happen again, and he therefore had Nevuchadnetzar's body removed from his grave and dragged along the ground, thus fulfilling Yeshayohu's prophecy.—Radak in order to nullify his decrees, as it is stated in Yeshayohu, ”and you have been cast out of your grave like a despised sapling, etc.”13Yeshayohu 14:19.
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