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2 Kings 25

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The Siege and Capture of Jerusalem 1–7

1
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. ​
2
So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. ​
3
On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. ​
4
Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about); and the king went by the way of the Arabah. ​
5
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.
6
Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. ​
7
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon. ​

The Destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem 8–17

8
Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem. ​
9
And he burnt the house of Jehovah, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burnt he with fire. ​
10
And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. ​
11
And the residue of the people that were left in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the residue of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away captive.
12
But the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. ​
13
And the pillars of brass that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of Jehovah, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. ​
14
And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
15
And the firepans, and the basins, that which was of gold, in gold, and that which was of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
16
The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah, the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
17
The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of brass was upon it; and the height of the capital was three cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with network. ​

The Execution of Leaders and Final Deportation 18–21

18
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold: ​
19
and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and five men of them that saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, the captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the city.
20
And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
21
And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land. ​

Gedaliah Appointed Governor 22–26

22
And as for the people that were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor. ​
23
Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.
24
And Gedaliah sware to them and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not because of the servants of the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. ​
25
But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, so that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah. ​
26
And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces, arose, and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. ​

Jehoiachin Released from Prison 27–30

27
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; ​
28
and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,
29
and changed his prison garments. And Jehoiachin did eat bread before him continually all the days of his life: ​
30
and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him of the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life. ​

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

Study Notes for 2 Kings 25

Verse 1

the tenth day of the month — Ezekiel, in Babylon, was told on this same day to write down the date: 'the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day' (Ezek 24:1–2). 'Forts' is dayeq, siege-works, a word found only here, in the parallel Jer 52:4 and in Ezekiel (4:2; 17:17; 21:22; 26:8).

Verse 2

besieged unto the eleventh year — The same words stand in Jer 52:5. The siege ran through Zedekiah's ninth, tenth and eleventh years. It was lifted for a time when 'Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt' and the Chaldeans 'departed from Jerusalem' (Jer 37:5), though Jeremiah said they 'shall come again' (Jer 37:8).

Verse 3

the famine prevailed — Jer 52:6 gives the same date. Moses had warned of the 'siege, and … straitness' (Deut 28:53), and Lamentations describes the famine in the city: 'the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them' (Lam 4:4). Jer 39:2 puts the breach of the walls on the same ninth day.

Verse 4

the city was broken up — Baqa, to cleave, to make a breach. The way out, 'by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls', is the route of Jer 39:4. Ezekiel had acted out the flight: the prince would 'dig through the wall', cover his face, and be brought to Babylon, 'yet shall he not see it' (Ezek 12:12–13).

Verse 6

to Riblah — Riblah in Hamath is where Pharaohnechoh had put Zedekiah's brother Jehoahaz 'in bands' (2 Kgs 23:33). 'Gave judgment upon him' fulfils Jer 34:3: 'thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.'

Verse 7

put out the eyes of Zedekiah — The sons are killed first, then the king is blinded and taken to Babylon, as Ezekiel said: 'I will bring him to Babylon … yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there' (Ezek 12:13). Jer 52:11 adds that he was put 'in prison till the day of his death'.

Verse 8

Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard — The title joins rab, chief, with tabbach, a guardsman who also served as executioner. His coming is in the fifth month. Zechariah speaks of fasting 'in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years' (Zech 7:5), the seventy years of Jer 25:11 and 2 Chr 36:21.

Verse 9

he burnt the house of the LORD — The temple is burned with the king's house and every great man's house. The LORD had said, 'will I do unto this house … as I have done to Shiloh' (Jer 7:14), and Micah's word is quoted in Jer 26:18: 'Zion shall be plowed like a field'. Ps 74:7 laments it: 'They have cast fire into thy sanctuary'.

Verse 10

brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about — Jer 52:14 repeats the line. Nehemiah later heard in Susa that 'the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire' (Neh 1:3), and the wall was finished 'in fifty and two days' (Neh 6:15).

Verse 12

the poor of the land — The word is dallah, used of the 'poorest sort' in 24:14. Jer 39:10 says Nebuzaradan 'gave them vineyards and fields at the same time'. The land was not left idle: Gedaliah told them to 'gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil' (Jer 40:10).

Verse 13

the pillars of brass — The two pillars (1 Kgs 7:15), the 'molten sea' (1 Kgs 7:23) and the ten bases (1 Kgs 7:27) were made for Solomon's temple. Jeremiah had said they would be 'carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them … then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place' (Jer 27:19–22).

Verse 17

the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits — The measure is that of 1 Kgs 7:15. The pillars stood 'in the porch of the temple' and were named Jachin and Boaz (1 Kgs 7:21). Jer 52:21–23 gives the same account, adding the ninety-six pomegranates on a side and the hundred round the network.

Verse 18

Seraiah the chief priest — Seraiah is in the line of high priests: 'Seraiah begat Jehozadak', and 'Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar' (1 Chr 6:14–15). Haggai's high priest, 'Joshua the son of Josedech' (Hag 1:1), bears Jehozadak's name in another form.

Verse 21

So Judah was carried away out of their land — The words repeat 2 Kgs 17:23 for the northern kingdom, 'So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria'. The LORD had said in 2 Kgs 23:27, 'I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel'. 2 Chr 36:21 sets the length of the exile at seventy years.

Verse 22

Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan — Ahikam's hand 'was with Jeremiah' to keep him from death (Jer 26:24), and Shaphan the scribe read the found book of the law before Josiah (2 Kgs 22:8–10). Jeremiah was committed to Gedaliah (Jer 39:14), and Jer 40:5 calls him 'governor over the cities of Judah'.

Verse 24

Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees — Jer 40:9–10 gives the same oath. It follows the LORD's own word through Jeremiah: the nations that 'bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land … and they shall till it, and dwell therein' (Jer 27:11).

Verse 25

Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal — Jer 41:1–2 adds that he had just eaten bread with Gedaliah. Johanan had warned that Baalis king of the Ammonites sent him, but Gedaliah 'believed them not' (Jer 40:14). Zechariah names the fast of the seventh month beside those of the fourth, fifth and tenth (Zech 8:19), the months of vv.1, 3, 8 and this verse.

Verse 26

for they were afraid of the Chaldees — Jer 41:18 gives the same fear. The LORD had told the remnant, 'Go ye not into Egypt' (Jer 42:19), but they 'obeyed not the voice of the LORD', and took Jeremiah and Baruch with them to Tahpanhes (Jer 43:4–7).

Verse 27

lift up the head of Jehoiachin — The phrase (nasa' rosh) is used in Gen 40:20, where Pharaoh 'lifted up the head' of the chief butler and of the chief baker, one restored to his place (Gen 40:13), the other hanged (Gen 40:22). Jer 52:32 adds that Evilmerodach 'spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him'.

Verse 29

changed his prison garments — Jer 52:33 repeats the verse. To 'eat bread' before the king 'continually' is the favour David gave Jonathan's son Mephibosheth: 'thou shalt eat bread at my table continually' (2 Sam 9:7, 13). The captive of David's line is treated as a guest of the king.

Verse 30

a continual allowance — Aruchah is a ration of food, also used in Jer 40:5; Jer 52:34 adds 'until the day of his death'. Jehoiachin's sons are listed in 1 Chr 3:17–18, and Matthew carries the line on from 'Jechonias' to 'Salathiel' and 'Zorobabel' (Matt 1:12). Kings ends with the house of David still alive.