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2 KINGS 25

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

1. This is the tragic chapter relating to the fall of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar II (also known as "Nebuchadrezzar") in 587/586 B.C.
   
   
2. We are blessed by having several other passages in the Prophets which help us to fill in the details of this historical tragedy (cf. Jeremiah 34; 39; 40; 52; Ezekiel 17).
   
   
3. It is interesting to note that the last series of leaders in the kingdom of Judah were all sons of Josiah.
   1. Johanan, who apparently died even before his father
   2. Jehoiakim, also known as Eliakim (cf. 2 Kgs. 23:36)
   3. Jehoahaz, also known as Shallum
   4. Mattaniah, also known as Zedekiah (cf. 2 Kgs. 23:31)
   
   
4. For an excellent brief summary of the history of this period, see John Bright A History of Israel, p. 305ff.
   
   
5. The pro-Egyptian counselors at court lured King Zedekiah, like his predecessor Jehoiakim, into rebellion against Neo-Babylon. This policy proved to be devastating. It was diametrically against the prophetic warnings of Jeremiah. In this chapter we see it come into full fruition. Although the Egyptians mounted a counter-attack, it was feeble and ineffective at best (cf. Jer. 37:5; Ezek. 17:17). Pharaoh Neco II was succeeded by his son, Psammetichus II. Psammetichus II and his son, known in the Bible as Hophra (Jer. 44:30) and also called Apries by the Greeks, were both actively involved in aggression against Neo-Babylon.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 25:1-7
  ¹Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. ²So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. ³On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. ⁴Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah. ⁵But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him. ⁶Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. ⁷They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

25:1 "in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month" This is the most specific date in the books of 1 and 2 Kings. It is corroborated by Jer. 39:2; 52:4; and Ezek. 24:1.

▣ "tenth month" It is equivalent to December/January of 588 B.C.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE CALENDARS

▣ "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon" His name (BDB 613) is spelled two different ways.

1. Nebuchadnezzar
2. Nebuchadrezzar

The name means "Nebo is protector of my offspring." This was the son of Nebopolassar. He was a very strong Babylonian monarch who reigned from 604/5 to 562 B.C. We know much of his personality from the book of Daniel.

SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF NEO-BABYLON

▣ "he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it" We know from Jer. 34:1 that not only were the Babylonians present, but also contingents of other national armies that Nebuchadnezzar had previously defeated (cf. 2 Kgs. 24:2).

▣ "and built a siege wall around it" This rare term "siege wall" (BDB 189, KB 220) is

1. an allusion to the moveable siege towers (Josephus, Antiq. 10.8.1) that were used by "Babylonians and the Assyrians (cf. Ezek. 21:22).
2. an earthen ramp heaped up against the wall (AB, p. 316)
3. for "seige wall" see IVP BIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTARY (OT), p. 411

This siege seems to have lasted for one and a half years with a brief respite during a threatened Egyptian invasion (cf. Jer. 37:5; Ezek. 17:17).

25:3 "On the ninth day of the fourth month" Notice that in the NASB the word "fourth" is in italics, which means that it is not in the Masoretic text. From Jer. 52:6 we know that the fourth month is correct. This would be June/July of 586 B.C.

▣ "the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land" The horror and extent of this siege can be clearly seen in the book of Lamentations. In Lam. 2:20 and 4:10 we even see the horror of women eating their own children.

The phrase, "the people of the land" is used in this period of the OT to describe the landed aristocracy. By Jesus' day the term had changed in meaning to the poor people of the land.

25:4 "Then the city was broken into" From Ezek. 11:2 we learn that a breech in the northern wall was accomplished about midnight. When the king and his soldiers learned of this they retreated out of the southern end of the city (cf. Jer. 39:4, 5).

▣ "fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king's garden" Josephus (Antiq. 8.8.1) tells us that this was near the Pool of Siloam, close to where the Kidron and Hinnom valleys meet in the southern part of the city (cf. Jer. 39:4).

"The two walls" may refer to the extra fortification built by Hezekiah to protect the Siloam Pool (cf. 2 Chr. 32:5; Isa. 22:11).

▣ "though the Chaldeans were all around the city" We do not know about a skirmish that occurred, so apparently the Judeans slipped through the lines of the Babylonian army.

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHALDEANS

▣ "they went by way of the Arabah" The term "Arabah" refers to the Jordan Rift Valley (BDB 787 I). Usually the term is used for the area below the Dead Sea, but in this particular account it refers to the depression above the Dead Sea, close to the city of Jericho, as v. 5 makes plain. Probably Zedekiah and his honor guard were trying to reach Ammon for refuge.

25:5 "But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho" Originally the Babylonian army had split itself into two groups. One group attacked the southern two fortresses of Azakah and Lachish. When these two fortresses fell, communication was completely blocked off from Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar II reassembled his army around Jerusalem. It is possible this splitting of the Neo-Babylonian army is what caused the Egyptians to think that they could invade Palestine from the south at this time. Nebuchadnezzar II was not with his troops when they besieged Jerusalem. He was in Syria in a town called Riblah (cf. 2 Kgs. 23:33; 25:6,21; Jer. 39:5,6; 52:9,10,26,27). Therefore, his commanders were greatly concerned that the king of Judah had slipped through their hands.

25:6 "at Riblah" This was a fortified city on the major road between Egypt and the Fertile Crescent. It apparently was Nebuchadnezzar II's headquarters because, from this vantage point, he could control both the siege of Jerusalem and the siege of Tyre.

▣ "and he passed sentence on him" King Zedekiah was guilty of breaking two pledges to Nebuchadnezzar II (cf. Ezek. 17:16,18). This is one reason why Zedekiah did not surrender, as Jeremiah had counseled him to do (cf. Jer. 38:14-28). His death fits the prophecy of Ezek. 12:13.

25:7 "put out the eyes of Zedekiah" See Jeremiah 39:6,7; Ezekiel 12:13.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 25:8-12
  ⁸Now on the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ⁹He burned the house of the Lord, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. ¹⁰So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. ¹¹Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile. ¹²But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

25:8 "Now on the seventh day of the fifth month" Jeremiah 52:12 and Josephus (Antiq. 10.7.4) have "on the tenth day." These Hebrew letters are very similar. Jeremiah is the better text. The fifth month would be July/August.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE CALENDARS

▣ "which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon" Jeremiah 52:29 has "the eighteenth year." It must be remembered that there were two reckonings of the dates of kings in the Bible. One follows an Egyptian and Palestine dating, where the first partial year of a king's coronation is not counted. The other reckoning, which is basically from the Fertile Crescent, does count the first partial year. This is the source of much of the number problems in the Old Testament. See Edwin Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings.

▣ "Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard" This is just one of the several leaders of the Neo-Babylonian army (cf. Jer. 39:3,13). His name means "Nebo has given seed" (BDB 613).

▣ "came to Jerusalem" It is interesting to note that it was almost a month after the fall of the city before it was put to the torch and the Temple pilfered.

25:9 "He burned the house of the Lord" Apparently the fire from the Temple and the king's palace and the other larger structures in the city caused all of the structures to be burned (cf. Jer. 21:10; 34:2; 38:18,23).

Notice what was burned.

1. the temple
2. the king's palace
3. the other large houses in the city
4. even the great house (the meaning is uncertain but the Targums have "house of nobles")

25:10 Jerusalem was built on seven hills with its walls built from large white limestone blocks. The Babylonian army did two things to permanently make this city indefensible.

1. When limestone is burned it becomes brittle and unusable for construction purposes.
2. These large stones of the wall and foundation were pulled from the ridges into the low places around the city.

25:11 This verse makes it seem that every single person was exiled, but we know that Gedaliah had some people to administrate over. Apparently most of the people under Gedaliah were people who had fled Jerusalem earlier and Judean soldiers who were not in the city when it fell.

25:12 We learn from Jeremiah 39:10 that Nebuzaradan gave the poor people of the land vineyards so that Babylon could tax them at a later time.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 25:13-17
  ¹³Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the Lord, and the stands and the bronze sea which were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service. ¹⁵The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the basins, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. ¹⁶The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord—the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. ¹⁷The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network.

25:13 "Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the Lord" For a fuller description of the plundering of the Temple see Jer. 52:17-23. These huge bronze pillars which decorated the entrance to Solomon's Temple were called Jachin and Boaz. They are described in fuller detail in 1 Kgs. 7:15-22. As a matter of fact, the list of all of the utensils of the Temple is found in 1 Kgs. 7:13-51.

▣ "the stands" This is apparently the stand on which the laver sat (cf. 1 Kgs. 7:27-37).

▣ "the bronze sea" This refers to the large washing laver (cf. 1 Kgs. 7:23-26; Jer. 52:20).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE LAVER

▣ "the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon" These beautiful bronze pieces of art work were not considered valuable to the Babylonians except for their metal. They were cut up because they were too heavy to carry and apparently they were to be melted down and made into implements of war.

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHALDEANS

25:14 "They took away the pots" It must be remembered that there were several deportations by Nebuchadnezzar II of the Judean population and Temple implements. The first occurred in 605 B.C. and the second in 597 B.C. Therefore, there was not much left to be taken away in 587/586 B.C. Jeremiah even records a later deportation in 582 B.C., which was connected with the death of Gedaliah.

25:17 "cubits" See SPECIAL TOPIC: CUBIT.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 25:18-21
  ¹⁸Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple. ¹⁹From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and five of the king's advisers who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. ²⁰Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land.

25:18-19 "the captain of the guard took" Apparently Nebuzaradan picked those who were involved in leadership positions during the rebellion to take to Nebuchadnezzar II at Riblah to be killed. This seems to be very cruel to us but we must remember for his day, Nebuchadnezzar II was acting with uncharacteristic compassion to a conquered people. We have accounts of many thousands being killed in other military campaigns and here, only about 60 or 70. It is also interesting that Nebuzaradan targeted certain people, not indiscriminate slaughter.

The NOUN (BDB 710; NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 288-294) has several connotations. A true castrated person would not be a warrior officer! Usually they are

1. royal servants
2. keepers of the harem or royal children

Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, p. 121, mentions that outside of the Bible and Israel, the word denotes "a captain of the guard." This term is Assyrian and means "he at the head."

▣ "five of the king's advisers" This is literally "those seeing the king's face." Jeremiah 52:29 says seven of the king's advisers. These kinds of number problems are common in the Old Testament because of copyists' errors.

SPECIAL TOPIC: TEXTUAL CRITICISM

25:21 "So Judah was led away into exile from its land" It needs to be remembered that Judah was made up of the tribes of Simeon, Benjamin, and Judah, along with a vast majority of the Levites (i.e., tribe of Levi).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 25:22-24
  ²²Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them. ²³When all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, namely, 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. ²⁴Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, "Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you."

25:22 "Gedaliah" His name means "YHWH is great" (BDB 153). This man's family had shown great spiritual integrity (cf. 2 Kgs. 22:3,8,12; Jer. 26:24). Josephus (Antiq. 10.9.1) calls him "a gentle and righteous disposition." Possibly even Jeremiah made the recommendation that he be made governor (i.e., Jer. 39:14; 40:1-6). He was not of the royal family but he was a Judean. See fuller account in Jer. 40:7-41:9.

▣ "Ahikam" This man was a trusted advisor of Josiah (cf. 2 Kgs. 22:12) and apparently helped Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 26:24).

25:23 "to Mizpah" Apparently Jerusalem was so badly destroyed that the seat of Judean government had to be moved to Mizpah (cf. Jer. 40:7ff).

▣ "Ishmael" Josephus (Antiq. 10.9.2) tells us that this was a wicked and crafty man who had deserted the Judean army and had fled to the king of Ammon for assistance. Jonathan had warned Gedaliah of Ishmael's intent in Jer. 40:13-15, but Gedaliah did not listen and Ishmael and ten of his men killed him. Josephus tells us that it was during a drunken party, but this is uncertain (cf. Antiq. 10.9.2).

▣ "Netophathite" This was a city near Bethlehem.

25:24 Notice Gedaliah's promises/commands to the Judean remnant.

1. Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans (BDB 431, KB 432, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense).
2. Live in the land (BDB 442, KB 444, Qal IMPERATIVE).
3. Serve the king of Babylon (BDB 712, KB 773, Qal IMPERATIVE).
4. It will be well with you (BDB 405, KB 408, Qal IMPERFECT) or it could be "settle down in the land" (Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense).

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHALDEANS

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 25:25-26
  ²⁵But it came about in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. ²⁶Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

25:25 "Elishama" This was the scribe of Jehoiakim (cf. Jer. 36:12,30).

▣ "of the royal family" Possibly Ishmael's motive was jealousy because he was of the royal family and Gedaliah was not. However, Josephus says that he was aligned with the king of Ammon.

▣ "with ten men. . .struck Gedaliah down" He not only killed Gedaliah, but also the Judean sevants at court and the Chaldean guards (cf. Jer. 41:15). Because of this indiscriminate slaughter of all of the court officials, the rest of the Judeans were afraid of the reprisals of Nebuchadnezzar II and fled to Egypt against the advice of Jeremiah.

▣ "Jews" This is literally "Judeans" (BDB 397), an ADJECTIVE form that is often used as a NOUN to describe the populace of the southern tribes. In later years it comes to be the common designation, "Jews."

25:26 "the forces arose and went to Egypt" They did not believe Gedaliah's words. For a fuller discussion see Jer. 41:11-18.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 25:27-30
  ²⁷Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; ²⁸and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and had his meals in the king's presence regularly all the days of his life; ³⁰and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.

25:27 "Jehoiachin king of Judah" One of the problems that Zedekiah had was that he was never considered to be the rightful king, by either the Neo-Babylonians or the Judeans. Jehoiachin, who had been in prison for thirty-six years (i.e., 597-561 B.C.), is released by Nebuchadnezzar II's successor, Evil-merodach (cf. 2 Kgs. 24:6-17). This young king had reigned only three months before he was deported to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. These last four verses are placed by the author of 2 Kings to end the book on a positive note and to encourage the Jews that God was still involved in preserving the Davidic line (cf. 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17).

25:30 "a regular allowance" We have found archaeological documents at the Ishtar Gate in the city of Babylon dated around 595-570 B.C. that specifically confirm Jehoiachin's allowance.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. How many deportations of the Judeans occurred under Nebuchadnezzar II?
2. Why did Jehoiachin and Zedekiah rebel against the king of Neo-Babylon?
3. Why is the Bible so specific on the date of the siege and the record of the fall of Jerusalem?
4. Why did Nebuchadnezzar II destroy the city?
5. What about the number of problems in dates and numbers in the Bible? Does this prove that the Bible cannot be trusted?
6. What is the significance of the last four verses of this chapter to the Jewish people in exile?

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