And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah,.... He was eighteen years of age when he was carried captive; so that he must be now fifty five years old; see 2Ki 24:8;in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth [day] of the month; in the month Adar, which answers to part of February, and part of March: in 2Ki 25:27; the favour shown by the king of Babylon to Jeconiah, after related, is said to be in the twenty seventh day of the month; it might have been determined and notified on the twenty fifth, but not executed till the twenty seventh; or it might be begun to be put in execution on the twenty fifth, and not finished till the twenty seventh, The Jews, in their chronicle, say that Nebuchadnezzar died on the twenty fifth, and was buried; that, on the twenty sixth, Evilmerodach took him out of his grave, and dragged him about, to abolish his decrees, and to confirm what is said of him in Isa 14:19; and on the twenty seventh he brought Jeconiah out of prison; but this is no reconciliation at all; the former is best;[that] Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the [first] year of his reign; who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar, having reigned forty three years; this king is called by Ptolemy Iloarudamus; by Abydenus Evilmaluruch; by Josephus Abilamarodach; but by Berosus as here: his proper name was Merodach, a name of one of the Chaldean idols, Jer 50:2.
"Evil" was a nickname, which signifies "foolish"; he was called "foolish Merodach", on account of his ill conduct, or bad life: as soon as he came to the throne, helifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison; that is, he changed his condition for the better; he raised him out of a low estate to a more honourable one; he brought him out of a state of imprisonment and misery into a state of liberty and honour; what was the reason of this is not easy to say.
The Jews have a tradition, that Nebuchadnezzar, after seven years' madness, coming to himself, and to his kingdom, and understanding that his son Evilmerodach had been guilty of mal-administration during that time, and particularly that he rejoiced at his madness, cast him into prison, where he contracted a friendship with Jeconiah; and when he came to the throne, upon the death of his father, released him: but others think that Jeconiah being a comely young man, when he was brought a captive to Babylon, and about the age of this prince, he took a liking to him, and, pitying his case, showed him this favour, as soon as he had an opportunity.
Seder Olam, c. 28. p. 81. Canon, Ed. Bainbridge, p. 48. Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 41. p. 457. Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 8. Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1. c.