2 Kings 25

2 KINGS CHAPTER 25

Nebuchadnezzar’s Siege of Jerusalem

      • In the 9th year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the 10th day of the 10th month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to it. He set up camp outside the city and built siege ramps all around it. The city remained under siege until King Zedekiah’s 11th year. By the 9th day of the 4th month the famine in the city was so severe that the people had no food. Then the city wall was breached and all the soldiers tried to escape. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, they left the city during the night, going through the gate between the two walls which is near the king’s garden. Then they fled in the direction of the Arabah, but the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with him in the plains of Jericho and his entire army deserted him and scattered. They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah where he pronounced sentence on him. They made Zedekiah watch as they executed his sons. Then the king of Babylon had Zedekiah’s eyes put out, bound him in bronze chains, and took him to Babylon.

        • The siege began on the 10th day of the 10th month, which NLT Illustrated Study Bible explains, “A number of events in 2 Kings can be cross-checked with dates in surviving Babylonian records and related accurately to our modern calendar. This day was January 15, 588 BC.” The 9th day of the 4th month in the 11th year of Zedekiah’s reign, “was July 18, 586 BC.” NET Bible remarks, “The siege thus lasted almost a full eighteen months.”

        • NLT Illustrated Study Bible writes, “Siege ramps were characteristic of ancient Near Eastern warfare. Attackers built tall earthen ramps and towers to give them a more advantageous position (see Jer 52:14; Ezek 21:22). Using a battering rams (Ezek 4:2), the Babylonians broke down a section of Jerusalem’s wall and penetrated the city…”

        • NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible says, “As the city wall of Jerusalem was being breached (probably on the northern side), Zekekiah managed to escape with his troops by night through an exit in the southeastern wall that is probably to be identified with the Fountain Gate of Ne 3:15. The mention of ‘two walls’ likely alludes to the old wall of the City of David and the new wall built in the eighth century BC in order to enclose the western hill and the Pool of Siloam. Zedekiah’s plan was to flee to the Arabah (the great rift valley of Palestine that runs from the Sea of Galilee to the Red Sea and forms the barrier between Israel and Transjordan), apparently by the way of the Wadi Kelt in the vicinity of Jericho to Jerusalem’s northeast. The Babylonian’s overtook him near Jericho, however, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho (v. 5).”

        • NET Bible’s notes add, “Here the southern part of the Jordan Valley is in view with the intention to escape across the Jordan river to Moab or Ammon. It appears from Jer 40:14; 41:15 that the Ammonites were known to harbor fugitives from the Babylonians.”

        • NLT Illustrated Study Bible remarks, “Rebellious leaders were commonly blinded in the ancient Near East. However, Zedekiah’s blinding seems especially cruel; the last image he had was of his sons being slaughtered. True to the prophetic word, Zedekiah was taken into captivity, where he died (Jer 32:4-5; 34:3; 52:11; Ezek 12:11-14).”

The Temple Destroyed

      • On the 7th day of the 5th month, in the 19th year of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned the house of Yahweh, the king’s house, and all the houses in Jerusalem. He burned all the great houses down. He and the entire Babylonian army with him tore down the walls surrounding Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, deported the rest of the people who were left in the city- those who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population. But he left some of the poorest of the land behind to work the vineyards and fields.

        • NLT Illustrated Study Bible notes that the 7th day of the 5th month, “…was August 14, 586 BC.” NET Bible adds that the account in Jeremiah differs as to the day, “The parallel account in Jer 52:12 has ‘tenth.’”

        • NLT Illustrated Study Bible continues, “The Babylonians destroyed key religious and civic buildings to discourage future resistance or insurrection, and they demolished the city’s walls, leaving Jerusalem defenseless. The Babylonians took the majority of the population into exile, even some who willingly defected…Because the poorest people were unlikely to cause trouble, they were left behind to work the vineyards and fields.”

        • On Nebuzaradan, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible notes, “He may also be named as a high official of Nebuchadezzar’s court on a prism found in Babylon and now located in Istanbul: ‘I ordered the following court officials in exercise of their duties to take up a position in my official suite: as masennu– officials, Nebuzeriddinam.’”

        • ESV Archaeology Study Bible adds, “Archaeological evidence for the Babylonian invasion is well attested at many sites in Judah and Philistia. Excavations at Ashkelon, for example, revealed the wholesale destruction of this large Philistine city. Layers of burnt debris and smashed pottery were found throughout the excavated areas, amidst vitrified mudbrick and clay materials. In one room the skeletal remains of a middle-aged woman were discovered. She apparently died from blunt force trauma to the head while hiding from the invading Babylonian army among the store jars. Twenty-one ostraca (potsherds with letters written on them in ink) dating to the early sixth century BC were found in the gate area at Lachish…Letter 3 was sent by a man named Hoshaiah from his outpost to his superior, Yaosh, presumably a commander in Lachish. He writes, ‘Now your servant has received the following information: General Konyahu son of Elnatan has moved south in order to enter Egypt. He has sent (messengers) to fetch Hodavyahu son of Ahiyahu and his men from here’ (COS, 3.42B:79), implying that Judah was seeking aid from Egypt. In Letter 4, Hoshaiah reports to Yaosh, ‘Then it will be known that we are watching the (fire)- signals of Lachish according to the code my lord gave us, for we cannot see Azekah’ (COS, 3.42C:80). Hoshaiah was not referring to the city of Azekah itself but presumably to smoke signals used as a means of communication. Apparently he was in a position to see the expected signals from both Azekah and Lachish. That he did not see signals from Azekah suggests it had already been conquered by the Babylonian army, and that Hoshaiah knew Lachish was next.”

      • The Babylonians broke into pieces the two bronze pillars that were in Yahweh’s house, the water carts, and the big bronze basin called “The Sea,” and carried the bronze back to Babylon. They also took the pots, shovels, wick-trimmers, dishes, and all the bronze articles used by the priests. The captain of the royal guard took away the firepans and the bowls- whatever was made of gold or silver. As for the items that King Solomon had made for Yahweh’s house- including the two pillars, the big bronze basin called “The Sea,” the 12 bronze bulls under “The Sea,” and the water carts- the weight of the bronze of all these articles was too much to be measured. Each pillar was about 27 feet tall. The bronze capital on top of each of them measured about 5 feet tall and had bronze latticework and pomegranate-shaped ornaments all around it.

        • NLT Illustrated Study Bible writes, “The Babylonians broke up the Temple furnishings that had been crafted by Huram of Tyre and all the other bronze articles…for their own use. The transport of these valuable furnishings to Babylon was a major undertaking; everything of value was carried away (see also Jer 52:17-23).”

        • NET Bible’s text critical notes explain, “The MT lacks ‘the twelve bronze bulls under “the Sea,”’ but these words have probably been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton. The scribe’s eye may have jumped from the …(vha) on…(vhabbaqar), ‘and the bulls,’ to the…(vhammkhonot), ‘and the movable stands,’ causing him to leave out the intervening words. See the parallel passage in Jer 52:20.”

      • The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah, the chief priest, Zephaniah, the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers. Of those still in the city, he took a eunuch who was in charge of the soldiers, five of the king’s personal advisers, the army commander’s secretary who conscripted citizens for military service, and 60 other citizens who were discovered in the city. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to king of Babylon at Riblah. There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon order them to be executed. So Judah went into exile from its land.

        • ESV Study Bible writes, “Almost all hope is gone in the summary statement, So Judah was taken into exile out of its land…But the land is still ‘its land,’ holding out the promise of a future return.”

        • NLT Illustrated Study Bible says, “Instead of deporting key citizens and officials as in the Babylonian invasion of 597 BC (24:14), Nebuchadnezzar had these leaders put to death. Even religious leaders were executed. Although Seraiah the high priest was slain, his son Jehozadak was sent into exile (1 Chr 6:15). Thus the priestly line continued even in captivity and later returned to Jerusalem beginning in 538 BC (Ezra 1:1-2:20).”

        • ESV Study Bible offers the following summary, “It appears that three separate deportations of Judeans to Babylon took place under the rule of Nebuchadezzar (see also Jer 52:28-30). The first came during the reign of Jehoiachin, when Nebuchadnezar besieged Jerusalem and carried away many of the treasures of the temple and the royal palace. The second occurred after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, when the walls of the city were leveled and the temple was completely destroyed. The third appears to have occurred around 582 BC while King Nebuchadnezzar was reasserting his control over the general region of Palestine…”

Historical Appendices (25:22-30)

      • NLT Illustrated Study Bible notes, “Two short appendices describe subsequent events. The first (25:22-26) details the area’s reorganization; the second (25:27-30) tells of the later kind treatment accorded King Jehoiachin.”

Gedaliah Made Governor of Judah

    • Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Gedaliah, who was Ahikam’s son and Shaphan’s grandson, as governor over the people whom he allowed to remain in the land of Judah. When all of the army commanders and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedadiah as governor, they came to him at Mizpah. The commanders who came included Nethaniah’s son Ishmael, Kareah’s son Johanan, Tanhumeth the Netophathite’s son Seraiah, and the Maakathite’s son Jaazaniah. Gedaliah swore an oath to them and their men saying, “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials. Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you.” But in the 7th month, Ishmael, who was Nethania’s son and Elishama’s grandson, and who was a member of the royal family, came with 10 of his men and murdered Gedaliah, as well as the Judeans and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. Then all the people, from the youngest to the oldest, as well as the army officers, fled to Egypt because they were afraid of what the Babylonians might do.

      • NLT Illustrated Study Bible further explains, “Gedaliah’s father Ahikam and grandfather Shaphan had been trusted officials during Josiah’s reign (22:3, 12). Ahikam had supported Jeremiah during the reign of Jehoiakim (Jer 26:24). Because Gedaliah came from a family experienced in civic affairs, his governorship was initially well accepted (see also Jer 40:1-2). A seal impression recovered from Lachish confirms Gedaliah’s importance as the officer ‘over the house’…In addition to the army commanders, the prophet Jeremiah also went to Mizpah to support Gedaliah (Jer 40:6). This Mizpah was a border town in Benjamin; it had been prominent in Israelite history as a place of religious assembly (1 Sam 7:5-6). The men listed here held important posts. Ishmael was from a prominent family of royal lineage (2 Kgs 25:25; Jer 36:12). Johanan served Gedaliah faithfully (Jer 40:13-16). The name Jezaniah occurs on materials recovered from excavations at Tell-en-Nasbeh. Gedaliah had been warned that Ishmael was plotting to assassinate him but was unconvinced (Jer 40:13-16); his trust cost him his life. Ishmael also killed many Judeans and Babylonians, fled with many captives, and escaped to Ammon (Jer 41:4-15). Then all the people of Judah, led by Johanan, fled in panic to Egypt against Jeremiah’s counsel (see Jer 42:1-43:7).”

      • NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible adds, “Among the archaeological discoveries at Mizpah is an onyx seal dating from the sixth century BC and inscribed ‘belonging to Jaazaniah, servant of the king.’ This may be the person named in this verse.”

Jehoiachin Released

    • In the 37th year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, on the 27th day of the 12th month, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he pardoned Jehoiachin, king of Judah and released him from prison. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and dined regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life. He was given a daily food allowance by the king for the rest of his life, until the day he died.

      • On the date, NET Bible notes, “The twenty-seventh day would be March 22, 561 b.c. in modern reckoning.” However, there is a discrepancy “The parallel account in Jer 52:31 has ‘twenty-fifth.’”

      • Many translations render the name of this king as “Evil-merodach.” I have sided with the NIV in listing his name in Akkadian. On this king, the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible writes, “Nebuchadnezzar’s son and successor, ruling 562-560 BC. He is known for virtually nothing other than his release of the Judahite king Jehoiachin from prison.”

      • On his allowance, ESV Archaeology Study Bible notes, “The exiled king Jehoiachin and his sons are mentioned by name in two administrative documents from the early sixth century BC found in Babylon. One of the documents records rations of oil given to the king and his family: ’10 (sila) to la-ku-u-ki-nu, the son of the king of Judah, 2.5 sila for the five sons of the king of Judah’ (ANET, 308).”