TRV
Translation
King James Version
At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
Complete Jewish Bible
It was then that the officers of N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel marched on Yerushalayim and laid siege to the city.
Berean Standard Bible
At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
American Standard Version
At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
World English Bible Messianic
At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
Geneva Bible (1599)
In that time came the seruants of Nebuchad-nezzar king of Babel vp against Ierusalem: so the citie was besieged.
Young's Literal Translation
At that time come up have servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and the city goeth into siege,
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Commentary on 2 Kings 24 verses 8–20
8 ¶ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.
10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.
14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.
17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
20 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
This should have been the history of king Jehoiachin's reign, but, alas! it is only the history of king Jehoiachin's captivity, as it is called, Eze 1:2. He came to the crown, not to have the honour of wearing it, but the shame of losing it. Ideo tantum venerat, ut exiret - He came in only to go out.
I. His reign was short and inconsiderable. He reigned but three months, and then was removed and carried captive to Babylon, as his father, it is likely, would have been if he had lived but so much longer. What an unhappy young prince was this, that was thrust into a falling house, a sinking throne! What an unnatural father had he, who begat him to suffer for him, and by his own sin and folly had left himself nothing to bequeath to his son but his own miseries! Yet this young prince reigned long enough to show that he justly smarted for his fathers' sins, for he trod in their steps (Kg2 24:9): He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as they had done; he did nothing to cut off the entail of the curse, to discharge the incumbrances of his crown, and therefore (transit cum onere - the incumbrance descends with the crown) with his own iniquity that of his fathers shall come into the account.
II. The calamities that came upon him, and his family, and people, in the very beginning of his reign, were very grievous. 1. Jerusalem was besieged by the king of Babylon, Kg2 24:10, Kg2 24:11. He had sent his forces to ravage the country, Kg2 24:2. Now he came himself, and laid siege to the city. Now the word of God was fulfilled (Deu 28:49, etc.), The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, of fierce countenance, that shall first eat of the fruit of thy land and then besiege thee in all thy gates. 2. Jehoiachin immediately surrendered at discretion. As soon as he heard the king of Babylon had come in person against the city, his name having at this time become very formidable, he beat a parley and went out to him, Kg2 24:12. Had he made his peace with God, and taken the method that Hezekiah did in the like case, he needed not to have feared the king of Babylon, but might have held out with courage, honour, and success (one should have chased a thousand); but, wanting the faith and piety of an Israelite, he had not the resolution of a man, of a soldier, of a prince. He and his royal family, his mother and wives, his servants and princes, delivered themselves up prisoners of war; this was the consequence of their being servants of sin. 3. Nebuchadnezzar rifled the treasuries both of the church and of the state, and carried away the silver and gold of both, Kg2 24:13. Now the word of God by Isaiah was fulfilled (Kg2 20:17), All that is in thy house shall be carried to Babylon. Even the vessels of the temple which Solomon had made, and laid up in store to be used as the old ones were worn out, he cut off from the temple, and began to cut them in pieces, but, upon second thoughts, reserved them for his own use, for we find Belshazzar drinking wine in them, Dan 5:2, Dan 5:3. 4. He carried away a great part of Jerusalem into captivity, to weaken it, that he might effectually secure to himself the dominion of it and prevent its revolt, and to enrich himself with the wealth or service of those he took away. There had been some carried away eight years before this, in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar and the third of Jehoiakim, among whom were Daniel and his fellows. See Dan 1:1, Dan 1:6. They had approved themselves so well that this politic prince coveted more of them. Now he carried off, (1.) The young king himself and his family (Kg2 24:15), and we find (Kg2 25:27-29) that for thirty-seven years he continued a close prisoner. (2.) All the great men, the princes and officers, whose riches were kept for the owners thereof to their hurt (Ecc 5:13), tempting the enemies to make a prey of them first. (3.) All the military men, the mighty men of valour (Kg2 24:14), the mighty of the land (Kg2 24:15), the men of might, even all that were strong and apt for war, Kg2 24:16. These could not defend themselves, and the conqueror would not leave them to defend their country, but took them away, to be employed in his service. (4.) All the craftsmen and smiths who made weapons of war; in taking them he did, in effect, disarm the city, according to the Philistines' policy, Sa1 13:19. In this captivity Ezekiel the prophet was carried away (Eze 1:1, Eze 1:2) and Mordecai, Est 2:6. This Jehoiachin was also called Jeconiah (Ch1 3:16), and in contempt (Jer 22:24, where his captivity is foretold) Coniah.
III. The successor whom the king of Babylon appointed in the room of Jehoiachin. God had written him childless (Jer 22:30) and therefore his uncle was entrusted with the government. The king of Babylon made Mattaniah king, the son of Josiah; and to remind him, and let all the world know, that he was his creature, he changed his name and called him Zedekiah, Kg2 24:17. God had sometimes charged it upon his people, They have set up kings, but not by me (Hos 8:4), and now, to punish them for that, the king of Babylon shall have the setting up of their kings. Those are justly deprived of their liberty that use it, and insist upon it, against God's authority. This Zedekiah was the last of the kings of Judah. The name which the king of Babylon gave him signifies The justice of the Lord, and was a presage of the glorifying of God's justice in his ruin. 1. See how impious this Zedekiah was. Though the judgments of God upon his three immediate predecessors might have been a warning to him not to tread in their steps, yet he did that which was evil, like all the rest, Kg2 24:19. 2. See how impolitic he was. As his predecessor lost his courage, so he his wisdom, with his religion, for he rebelled against the king of Babylon (Kg2 24:20), whose tributary he was, and so provoked him whom he was utterly unable to contend with, and who, if he had continued true to him, would have protected him. This was the most foolish thing he could do, and hastened the ruin of his kingdom. This came to pass through the anger of the Lord, that he might cast them out from his presence. Note, When those that are entrusted with the counsels of a nation act unwisely, and against their true interest, we ought to take notice of the displeasure of God in it. It is for the sins of a people that God removes the speech of the trusty and takes away the understanding of the aged, and hides from their eyes the things that belong to the public peace. Whom God will destroy he infatuates.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 8–20. Public domain.
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Ambrose of MilanAD 397
On the Duties of the Clergy 2.28.137
The church has gold, not stored up but to lay out and to spend on those who need. What necessity is there to guard what is of no good? Do we not know how much gold and silver the Assyrians took out of the temple of the Lord? Is it not much better that the priests should melt it down for the sustenance of the poor, if other supplies fail, than that of a sacrilegious enemy should carry it off and defile it? Would not the Lord say, Why did you allow so many needy to die of hunger? Surely you had gold? You should have given them sustenance. Why are so many captives brought to the slave market, and why are so many unredeemed left to be slain by the enemy? It had been better to preserve living vessels than gold ones.
John CassianAD 435
CONFERENCE 5.12
There is an excellent and significant illustration in the book of Kings, showing how the sin of fornication is prevented by an attack of pride. When the children of Israel had been taken captive by Neco, king of the Egyptians, Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyriaans, came up and brought them back from the borders of Egypt to their own country, not indeed meaning to restore them to their former liberty and their native land, but meaning to carry them off to his own land and to transport them to a still more distant country than the land of Egypt in which they had been prisoners. And this illustration exactly applies to the case before us. For though there is less harm in yielding to the sin of pride than to fornication, yet it is more difficult to escape from the dominion of pride. For somehow or other the prisoner who is carried off to a greater distance will have more difficulty in returning to his native land and the freedom of his fathers, and the prophet’s rebuke will be deservedly aimed at him: “Why have you grown old in a strange country? Indeed a man is rightly said to have grown old in a strange country, if he has not broken up the ground of his sins.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
2 Kings 24:10 marks a critical juncture in the final decline of the Kingdom of Judah, detailing the commencement of the second major Babylonian assault on Jerusalem under the formidable King Nebuchadnezzar. This pivotal event, occurring during the brief reign of King Jehoiachin, directly precipitated the significant deportation of the king, the royal family, court officials, and thousands of skilled citizens to Babylon, profoundly weakening Judah and setting the stage for its ultimate destruction.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs Foreshadowing as a potent literary device. The siege of Jerusalem, though not yet leading to its final destruction, ominously foreshadows the ultimate fall of the city and its Temple, which would occur just a few years later under King Zedekiah 2 Kings 25. This initial siege and the subsequent deportation serve as a grim prelude, hinting at the complete devastation to come. Furthermore, there is an element of Irony in Judah's continued rebellion, as their attempts to assert independence only lead to a more severe subjugation and deeper entanglement with the very power they sought to escape. The phrase "servants of Nebuchadnezzar" can also be seen as a form of Synecdoche or Metonymy, where the "servants" represent the entire might and will of the Babylonian king, acting as his direct extension and embodying the overwhelming force of his empire.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The siege of Jerusalem in [2_kings/24-10 "2 Kings 24:10 - The Second Siege of Jerusalem"] is a profound theological statement, illustrating God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, both in blessing and in judgment. It demonstrates that God's warnings, delivered through His prophets for generations, are not idle threats but expressions of His righteous character and His demand for covenant fidelity. The arrival of Nebuchadnezzar's forces is not merely a geopolitical event but a divinely orchestrated act of judgment against a nation that had persistently turned away from the Lord, embracing idolatry and injustice. This event underscores the principle that disobedience carries severe consequences, yet even within this judgment, God's ultimate purpose for His people and the world continues to unfold, revealing His sovereignty over all nations and their rulers.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The events of [2_kings/24-10 "2 Kings 24:10 - The Second Siege of Jerusalem"] serve as a powerful and sobering reminder of the consequences of persistent disobedience and the profound importance of heeding divine warnings. While God is infinitely merciful and patient, He is also perfectly just, and there are inevitable spiritual and often natural repercussions for turning away from His commands and His covenant. This passage challenges us to examine our own lives: are we attentive to God's voice, whether through His Word, His Spirit, or the counsel of godly wisdom? Do we take seriously the warnings against sin and rebellion, or do we, like Judah, presume upon His grace? It underscores the truth that even in seemingly chaotic geopolitical or personal events, God's sovereign hand is at work, fulfilling His purposes and bringing about His will, often through means we might not expect. Our call is to humble ourselves, repent, and return to Him, trusting in His faithfulness even when facing the consequences of our actions, knowing that true security is found only in obedience to God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What was the significance of this "second" siege of Jerusalem?
Answer: This siege, occurring in 597 BC, was highly significant because it was not the final destruction of Jerusalem, but a crucial step in its downfall. It led directly to the first major deportation of Judah's elite, including King Jehoiachin, his family, court officials, skilled craftsmen, and warriors 2 Kings 24:14-16. This event effectively decapitated Judah's leadership and greatly weakened its capacity for resistance, leaving behind a puppet king, Zedekiah, and only the poorest citizens. It also marked the beginning of the Babylonian exile for many, including the prophet Ezekiel, who records his call to ministry in exile Ezekiel 1:1-3. While Nebuchadnezzar had previously attacked Jerusalem in 605 BC, leading to the deportation of Daniel and others Daniel 1:1-7, the 597 BC siege was a far more devastating blow to the nation's political and social structure.
Why did Nebuchadnezzar besiege Jerusalem again so soon after his previous campaigns?
Answer: Nebuchadnezzar's return to besiege Jerusalem was a direct consequence of King Jehoiakim's rebellion against Babylonian suzerainty. After initially submitting to Babylon and paying tribute, Jehoiakim rebelled in his later years 2 Kings 24:1. This defiance, likely fueled by a misguided hope for Egyptian support, provoked Nebuchadnezzar to reassert his control over the region. Although Jehoiakim died before the siege described in [2_kings/24-10 "2 Kings 24:10 - The Second Siege of Jerusalem"], his son Jehoiachin inherited the precarious situation and the ongoing Babylonian campaign. Nebuchadnezzar's actions were aimed at consolidating his empire, punishing rebellious vassals, and ensuring the stability of his western frontier against any potential Egyptian interference, thereby securing his vast domain.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The siege of Jerusalem in [2_kings/24-10 "2 Kings 24:10 - The Second Siege of Jerusalem"], a consequence of Judah's persistent rebellion and sin, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate human condition under the "siege" of sin and its inevitable judgment. Just as Jerusalem was besieged by an external enemy due to internal corruption, humanity is besieged by the forces of spiritual darkness and the consequences of its fallen nature, leading to an ultimate exile from God's presence. However, the narrative of God's judgment through a foreign king also points to a greater King and a different kind of "servant." While Nebuchadnezzar's "servants" brought destruction, God's ultimate "Servant," Jesus Christ, came not to besiege and destroy, but to deliver. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice to break the siege of sin and death Hebrews 9:26. Through His atoning work on the cross, Christ liberates us from the spiritual exile of sin, bringing us into reconciliation with God Colossians 1:13-14. The fall of earthly Jerusalem highlights the need for a new, heavenly Jerusalem, a spiritual city not subject to siege or destruction, which Christ secures for His people Revelation 21:2-4. Thus, the judgment seen in [2_kings/24-10 "2 Kings 24:10 - The Second Siege of Jerusalem"] ultimately magnifies the grace and redemptive power of Christ, who conquers the true enemies of humanity and establishes an eternal kingdom Daniel 7:13-14 where His people will never again be besieged or exiled.