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2 Kings 24

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Jehoiakim Rebels Against Babylon 1–7

1
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. ​
2
And Jehovah sent against him bands of the Chaldeans, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spake by his servants the prophets. ​
3
Surely at the commandment of Jehovah came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did, ​
4
and also for the innocent blood that he shed; for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood: and Jehovah would not pardon.
5
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
6
So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
7
And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land; for the king of Babylon had taken, from the brook of Egypt unto the river Euphrates, all that pertained to the king of Egypt. ​

Jehoiachin's Short Reign and First Deportation 8–17

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 Jehovah, according to all that his father had done.
10
At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. ​
11
And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came unto the city, while his servants were besieging 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 Jehovah, 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 Jehovah, as Jehovah had said. ​
14
And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the 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 chief men of the land, carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
16
And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths a thousand, all of them strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.
17
And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s father’s brother, king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. ​

Zedekiah Reigns and Rebels 18–20

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 Jehovah, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
20
For through the anger of Jehovah did it come to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Kings 24

Verse 1

Jehoiakim became his servant — Daniel places a coming of Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem in Jehoiakim's third year (Dan 1:1), and the LORD calls the Babylonian king 'my servant' (Jer 25:9). After three years Jehoiakim 'turned and rebelled' (marad), the same verb used of Zedekiah in v.20.

Verse 2

bands of the Chaldees — 'Bands' is gedud, a raiding troop. The LORD himself 'sent' Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites and Ammonites 'according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets', the word of 2 Kgs 21:10–14, 'I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah'. Jer 35:11 mentions the Chaldean and Syrian armies in the land.

Verse 3

at the commandment of the LORD — Literally 'by the mouth of the LORD' (peh). To 'remove them out of his sight' is sur, the verb of 2 Kgs 23:27, 'I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel'. The cause is named: Manasseh, who 'shed innocent blood very much' (2 Kgs 21:16); Jer 15:4 says the same.

Verse 7

the king of Egypt came not again — Pharaohnecho, who had made Jehoiakim king (2 Kgs 23:34), lost his army to Nebuchadrezzar at Carchemish on the Euphrates (Jer 46:2). 'The river of Egypt unto … the river Euphrates' are the bounds God promised Abram's seed (Gen 15:18); Babylon now held all that had been Egypt's between them.

Verse 8

Jehoiachin — His name (Yehoyakin) means 'the LORD will establish'. He is also called Jeconiah (1 Chr 3:16) and Coniah (Jer 22:24), where the LORD says that were he 'the signet upon my right hand' he would still be plucked off. Matthew names him 'Jechonias' in the line to Christ (Matt 1:11–12).

Verse 10

the city was besieged — The 'servants' of Nebuchadnezzar came first; the king himself 'came against the city' in v.11. The verb 'came up' (alah) is the one of v.1. The siege fell in the three months of Jehoiachin (v.8), after Jehoiakim had 'slept with his fathers' (v.6).

Verse 12

went out to the king of Babylon — Jehoiachin gave himself up with his mother, servants, princes and officers, in the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar. Ezekiel dates his visions from it: 'the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity' (Ezek 1:2). The captivity lasted until its thirty-seventh year (2 Kgs 25:27).

Verse 13

as the LORD had said — The king's treasures match Isaiah's word to Hezekiah that all in his house would be 'carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left' (2 Kgs 20:17; Isa 39:6). The gold vessels Solomon made (1 Kgs 7:48–50: altar, table, candlesticks, bowls) are 'cut in pieces' (qatsats).

Verse 14

ten thousand captives — Verse 16 names those fit for war: seven thousand 'men of might' and a thousand 'craftsmen and smiths'. 'None remained, save the poorest sort', who were left as vinedressers and husbandmen (2 Kgs 25:12). Jeremiah's two baskets of figs name these exiles the good ones, sent 'for their good' (Jer 24:1, 5).

Verse 17

changed his name to Zedekiah — Mattaniah, 'gift of the LORD', becomes Zedekiah, 'righteousness of the LORD' (Tsidqiyah), Josiah's son and the uncle of Jehoiachin. The king of Babylon renames him as Pharaohnecho had renamed Eliakim Jehoiakim (2 Kgs 23:34) and made him swear by God (2 Chr 36:13).

Verse 18

Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah — She is also the mother of Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 23:31), so Zedekiah was his full brother. His eleven years end with the siege of 2 Kgs 25:1–7. Jer 37:1 says Nebuchadrezzar 'made king' Zedekiah in the land of Judah in the place of Coniah.

Verse 20

through the anger of the LORD — Jer 52:3 repeats the verse almost word for word. 'Cast them out from his presence' is shalak, the verb of 2 Kgs 17:20 for Israel and set against 2 Kgs 13:23, where for the covenant with Abraham the LORD did not 'cast he them from his presence as yet'. Zedekiah's revolt broke an oath (Ezek 17:15–16).