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Texts -- 2 Kings 25:12-30 (NET)

Context
25:12 But he left behind some of the poor of the land and gave them fields and vineyards . 25:13 The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the Lord’s temple , as well as the movable stands and the big bronze basin called the “The Sea .” They took the bronze to Babylon . 25:14 They also took the pots , shovels , trimming shears , pans , and all the bronze utensils used by the priests . 25:15 The captain of the royal guard took the golden and silver censers and basins . 25:16 The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple – including the two pillars , the big bronze basin called “The Sea ,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,” and the movable stands – was too heavy to be weighed . 25:17 Each of the pillars was about twenty-seven feet high . The bronze top of one pillar was about four and a half feet high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its latticework was like it . 25:18 The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah , the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers . 25:19 From the city he took a eunuch who was in charge of the soldiers , five of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city , an official army secretary who drafted citizens for military service , and sixty citizens from the people of the land who were discovered in the city . 25:20 Nebuzaradan , captain of the royal guard , took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah . 25:21 The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath . So Judah was deported from its land .
Gedaliah Appointed Governor
25:22 Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam , son of Shaphan , as governor over the people whom he allowed to remain in the land of Judah . 25:23 All of the officers of the Judahite army and their troops heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to govern. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah . The officers who came were Ishmael son of Nethaniah , Johanan son of Kareah , Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite , and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite . 25:24 Gedaliah took an oath so as to give them and their troops some assurance of safety. He said , “You don’t need to be afraid to submit to the Babylonian officials . Settle down in the land and submit to the king of Babylon . Then things will go well for you.” 25:25 But in the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah , son of Elishama , who was a member of the royal family , came with ten of his men and murdered Gedaliah , as well as the Judeans and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah . 25:26 Then all the people , from the youngest to the oldest , as well as the army officers , left for Egypt , because they were afraid of what the Babylonians might do.
Jehoiachin in Babylon
25:27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah , on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month , King Evil-Merodach of Babylon , in the first year of his reign , pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison . 25:28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who were with him in Babylon . 25:29 Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes and ate daily in the king’s presence for the rest of his life . 25:30 He was given daily provisions by the king for the rest of his life until the day he died.

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Jerusalem

    [ebd] called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the "city of God," the "holy city;" by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning "the holy;" once "the city of Judah" (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the dual form, and means "posses...
    [nave] JERUSALEM Called Jebus, Josh. 18:28; Judg. 19:10; Zion, 1 Kin. 8:1; Zech. 9:13; City of David, 2 Sam. 5:7; Isa. 22:9; Salem, Gen. 14:18; Psa. 76:2; Ariel, Isa. 29:1; City of God, Psa. 46:4; City of the Great King, Psa. 48:2;...

  • Captivity

    [isbe] CAPTIVITY - kap-tiv'-i-ti (galah, galuth, shebhuth, shibhyah; metoikesia): I. OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM (THE WORK OF ASSYRIA) 1. Western Campaigns of Shalmaneser II, 860-825 BC 2. Of Rimmon-nirari III, 810-781 BC 3. Of Tiglath...
    [nave] CAPTIVITY Of the Israelites foretold, Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:36; of the ten tribes, 2 Kin. 17:6, 23, 24; 18:9-12. Of Judah in Babylon, prophecy of, Isa. 39:6; Jer. 13:19; 20:4; 25:2-11; 32:28, etc.; fulfilled, 2 Kin. 24:11-16...

  • ALLIANCE

    [isbe] ALLIANCE - a-li'-ans. 1. In the Patriarchal Stories: Frequent references are made to alliances between the patriarchs and foreigners. Abraham is reported to have had "confederates" among the chiefs of the Canaanites (Gen 14:...

  • Assyria

    [nave] ASSYRIA An empire founded by Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-12; Mic. 5:6. It extended from east of the Tigris, Gen. 2:14; 10:11; possibly to Egypt, Gen. 25:18. Its armies invade the land of Israel under Pul, 2 Kin. 15:19; 1 Chr. 5:26; ...

  • FEASTS AND FASTS

    [isbe] FEASTS AND FASTS - fests (mo`edh, "an appointed day" or "an assembling," chagh, from chaghagh, "to dance" or possibly "to make a pilgrimage"; tsom, "fast," ta`anith, "a day of affliction"): I. PRE-EXILIC A) Annual 1. Passove...

  • Babylon

    [nave] BABYLON City of Built by Nimrod, Gen. 10:10. In the land of Shinar, Gen. 10:10; 11:2. Tower of, Gen. 11:1-9. Capital of the kingdom of Babylon, Dan. 4:30; 2 Kin. 25:13; 2 Chr. 36:6, 7, 10, 18, 20. Gates of, Isa. 45:1, 2...

  • Kings, The Books of

    [ebd] The two books of Kings formed originally but one book in the Hebrew Scriptures. The present division into two books was first made by the LXX., which now, with the Vulgate, numbers them as the third and fourth books of Kings...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Chaldees

    [ebd] or Chaldeans, the inhabitants of the country of which Babylon was the capital. They were so called till the time of the Captivity (2 Kings 25; Isa. 13:19; 23:13), when, particularly in the Book of Daniel (5:30; 9:1), the nam...

  • Prophecy

    [nave] PROPHECY Concerning Jesus, See: Jesus. Concerning church, See: Church, Prophecies Concerning Prosperity of. Relating to various countries, nations, and cities, see under their respective titles. Respecting individuals, see...

  • Nebuchadnezzar

    [nave] NEBUCHADNEZZAR, called also Nebuchadrezzar. King of Babylon, Jer. 21:2. Empire of. See: Babylon. His administration, Dan. 1-4. Conquests of: Of Jerusalem, 2 Kin. 24, 25; 1 Chr. 6:15; 2 Chr. 36:5-21; Ezra 1:7; Jer. 39. Of ...

  • Fast

    [ebd] The sole fast required by the law of Moses was that of the great Day of Atonement (q.v.), Lev. 23:26-32. It is called "the fast" (Acts 27:9). The only other mention of a periodical fast in the Old Testament is in Zech. 7:1-7...

  • NEBUZARADAN

    [ebd] "the captain of the guard," in rank next to the king, who appears prominent in directing affairs at the capture of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:8-20; Jer. 39:11; 40:2-5). He showed kindness toward Jeremiah, as commanded by Nebuchad...
    [isbe] NEBUZARADAN - neb-u-zar-a'-dan, -zar'-a-dan (nebhuzar'adhan = Assyrian Nabu-zara-iddina, "Nebo has given seed"; Nebouzardan): Nebuchadnezzar's general at the siege of Jerusalem (2 Ki 25:8,11,20; Jer 52:12,15,26; 39:9,10,11,1...
    [smith] (chief whom Nebo favors), the Rab-tabbachim i.e. chief of the slaughterers (Authorized Version "captain of the guard"), a high officer in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. On the capture of Jerusalem he was left by Nebuchadnezzar ...

  • Seraiah

    [ebd] soldier of Jehovah. (1.) The father of Joab (1 Chr. 4:13, 14). (2.) The grandfather of Jehu (1 Chr. 4:35). (3.) One of David's scribes or secretaries (2 Sam. 8:17). (4.) A Netophathite (Jer. 40:8), a chief priest of the time...
    [isbe] SERAIAH - se-ra'-ya, se-ri'-a (serayahu, "Yah hath prevailed"; Septuagint Saraias, or Saraia): (1) Secretary of David (2 Sam 8:17); in 2 Sam 20:25 he is called Sheva; in 1 Ki 4:3 the name appears as Shisha. This last or Shas...
    [smith] The king?s scribe or secretary in the reign of David. (2 Samuel 8:17) (B.C. 1043.) The high priest in the reign of Zedekiah. (2 Kings 25:18; 1 Chronicles 6:14; Jeremiah 52:24) (B.C. 594.) The son of Tanhumeth the Ne...
    [nave] SERAIAH 1. Called also Sheva, Shisha, and Shavsha. David's scribe, 2 Sam. 8:17; 20:25; 1 Kin. 4:3; 1 Chr. 18:16. 2. Chief priest at time of taking of Jerusalem, 2 Kin. 25:18. Father of Ezra, Ezra 7:1. Slain by Nebuchadne...

  • Gedaliah

    [ebd] made great by Jehovah. (1.) the son of Jeduthum (1 Chr. 25:3, 9). (2.) The grandfather of the prophet Zephaniah, and the father of Cushi (Zeph. 1:1). (3.) One of the Jewish nobles who conspired against Jeremiah (Jer. 38:1). ...
    [isbe] GEDALIAH - ged-a-li'-a (gedhalyah; except in 1 Ch 25:3,9 and Jer 38:1, where it is gedhalyahu, "Yah(u) is great"): (1) Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam (the friend and protector of Jeremiah) and grandson of Shaphan (the scribe in...
    [nave] GEDALIAH 1. Governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar after carrying the Jews into captivity, 2 Kin. 25:22-24. Jeremiah committed to the care of, Jer. 39:14; 40:5, 6. Warned of the conspiracy of Ishmael by Johanan, and the capt...

  • Nebuzar-adan

    [nave] NEBUZAR-ADAN Captain of the guard of King Nebuchadnezzar. Commands the Assyrian army which besieged Jerusalem and carried the inhabitants to Babylon, 2 Kin. 25:8-21; Jer. 39:9, 10; 43:6; 52:12-30. Protects Jeremiah, Jer. 39...

  • KINGS, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] KINGS, BOOKS OF - || I. TITLE II. SCOPE III. CHARACTER OF BOOKS AND POSITION IN THE HEBREW CANON 1. Purpose 2. Character of Data IV. HISTORICAL VALUE 1. Treatment of Historical Data 2. Chronology 3. Value of Assyrian Records...

  • Judah, Kingdom of

    [ebd] When the disruption took place at Shechem, at first only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David. But very soon after the tribe of Benjamin joined the tribe of Judah, and Jerusalem became the capital of the new kingdo...

  • Evil-merodach

    [ebd] Merodach's man, the son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (2 Kings 25:27; Jer. 52:31, 34). He seems to have reigned but two years (B.C. 562-560). Influenced probably by Daniel, he showed kindness to Jehoiachin...
    [isbe] EVIL-MERODACH - e-vil-me-ro'-dak; -mer'-o-dak 'ewil merodhakh; Septuagint Eueialmarodek; so B in K, but B in Jeremiah, and A and Q in both places much corrupted): The name of the son and immediate successor of Nebuchadnezzar...
    [nave] EVIL-MERODACH, son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar. Released Jehoiachin from prison, 2 Kin. 25:27-30; Jer. 52:31-34.

  • Nethaniah

    [ebd] given of Jehovah. (1.) One of Asaph's sons, appointed by David to minister in the temple (1 Chr. 25:2, 12). (2.) A Levite sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the law (2 Chr. 17:8). (3.) Jer. 36:14. (4.) 2 Kings 25:23, 25.
    [isbe] NETHANIAH - neth-a-ni'-a (nethanyahu, "Yah has given"; Nathanias): (1) An Asaphite musician (1 Ch 25:2,12). (2) A Levite who accompanied the princes sent by Jehoshaphat to teach in the cities of Judah (2 Ch 17:8). (3) The fa...
    [smith] (given of Jehovah). The son of Elishama, and father of Ishmael who murdered Gedaliah. (2 Kings 25:23,25) He was of the royal family of Judah. (B.C. 620.) One of the four sons of Asaph the minstrel. (1 Chronicles 25:12)...
    [nave] NETHANIAH 1. Father of Ishmael, 2 Kin. 25:23, 25; Jer. 40:8, 14, 15; 41:1, 2, 6, 7, 9-12. 2. A singer, and chief of the temple musicians, 1 Chr. 25:2, 12. 3. A Levite appointed by Jehoshaphat to accompany the princes who w...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • Most Old Testament scholars today believe several different individuals wrote and edited Kings because of theories concerning textual transmission that have gained popularity in the last 150 years. However, many conservatives...
  • I. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-11A. Solomon's succession to David's throne 1:1-2:121. David's declining health 1:1-42. Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne 1:5-533. David's charge to Solomon 2:1-94. David's death 2:10-12B. ...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Kings)3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel -1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:184. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1-8:155. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-246. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25-9:29C. The ...
  • Hazael was the governor of Damascus.50The Gentile King of Aram had more interest in inquiring of Yahweh than Jehoram's predecessor did (v. 8; cf. 1:2). It was customary in the Near East to make a great show of giving gifts. I...
  • Nebuzaradan, Nebuchadnezzar's commander-in-chief, returned to destroy Jerusalem more thoroughly and to preclude any successful national uprising in Judah.His burning of Yahweh's house (v. 9) was a statement that the Babylonia...
  • "These things"(v. 1) refers to the events of the first return that the writer described in chapters 1-6.Ezra's genealogy (vv. 1-5) shows that he was a man of importance whom his fellow Jews would have respected. He was a desc...
  • 3:3 David believed God had not abandoned him but viewed Him as his real source of protection, his "shield."This figure is common in the psalms (cf. 7:10; 18:2, 30; 28:7; 33:20; 59:11; 84:11; 115:9-11; 119:114; 144:2). "My glo...
  • 39:1 The phrase "At that time"(cf. 38:1) anticipates a specially significant event and ties it to what preceded in chapter 38. As this verse explains, the events that follow happened after Hezekiah had recovered from his illn...
  • This pericope concludes the section begun at 56:1 dealing with the need for humility and holiness in the redeemed people of God. Isaiah explained that the basis of God's acceptance and blessing of His redeemed people was righ...
  • The biblical records of the times in which Jeremiah ministered are 2 Kings 21-25 and 2 Chronicles 33-36. His contemporary prophets were Zephaniah and Habakkuk before the Exile, and Ezekiel and Daniel after it began.King Manas...
  • 13:18 Jeremiah was to tell the king and the queen mother of Judah to humble themselves because the Lord had removed their authority or would remove it soon. Pride was a besetting sin of royalty. The individuals in view are pr...
  • The next five sections (vv. 1-4, 5-8, 9-11, 12-13, and 14-18) continue the theme of Judah's guilt from the previous chapter. These pericopes have obvious connections with one another, but they were evidently originally separa...
  • This passage probably dates from the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 588-586 B.C. (vv. 2, 4; cf. 2 Kings 25). King Zedekiah sought advice from Jeremiah more than once (cf. 37:3-10, 17-21; 38:14-28). This passage consists of ...
  • This section contains two prophecies about this king (vv. 24-27 and 28-30) The historical setting is the three-month reign of eighteen year-old Jehoiachin in 598-597 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 24:8-17). Coniah was a shortened form of ...
  • This section consists of four parts: a summary of Jeremiah's Temple Sermon (vv. 2-6), the prophet's arrest and trial (vv. 7-16), the elders' plea for his life (vv. 17-19, 24), and the incident involving Uriah and his executio...
  • This chapter contains three parts: Jeremiah's warning to the foreign messengers (vv. 1-11), his appeal to King Zedekiah (vv. 12-15), and his appeal to the priests and people of Jerusalem (vv. 16-22).27:1 Jeremiah received a m...
  • 35:1 This oracle came to Jeremiah during King Jehoiakim's reign (609-598 B.C.) after the Babylonians had begun to invade Judah (v. 11). Second Kings 24:1-2 reads, "In his [Jehoiakim's] days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came...
  • What Jeremiah had predicted for so long finally became a reality for Judah. There are four chapters in the Bible that record the fall of Jerusalem reflecting the importance of this event (39; 52; 2 Kings 25; 2 Chron. 36).39:1...
  • Jeremiah wrote almost as much about Babylon's future as he did about the futures of all the other nations in his other oracles combined. The length of this oracle reflects the great importance of Babylon in his ministry as we...
  • This chapter has many similarities to 2 Kings 24:18-25:30 with the exception of 25:22-26, the story of Gedaliah's assassination (cf. chs. 40-41). This chapter forms a fitting conclusion to the book since it records the fulfil...
  • This is one of four accounts of the fall of Jerusalem in the Old Testament (cf. 2 Kings 25; 2 Chron. 36:11-21; Jer. 39:1-14). The repetition underlines the importance of the event.52:1 Zedekiah (Mattaniah, 2 Kings 24:17) was ...
  • This section is an almost verbatim repetition of 2 Kings 25:27-30. It closes the book on a note of hope.52:31 In 562 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar's son Evilmerodach (Awel-Marduk, lit. man of Marduk; 562-560 B.C.), who succeeded his fa...
  • This book does not identify its writer. The common view that Jeremiah wrote it rests on a preface in the Greek Septuagint, which the Latin Vulgate adopted and elaborated on. The Septuagint version of Lamentations begins, "And...
  • Ezekiel was also to do something else during the time he was dramatizing the siege of Jerusalem with his model (ch. 4)."After Ezekiel represented the factof the siege (first sign [4:1-3]), the lengthof the siege (second sign ...
  • 11:1 The Spirit next lifted Ezekiel up in his vision and transported him to the east (main) gate of the temple courtyards where God's glory had moved (cf. 10:19). There the prophet saw 25 of the governing leaders of the peopl...
  • This prophecy shows that there were no more rulers left in Judah who could restore the nation to its former glory. Evidently the exiles hoped that some Davidic descendant would prove successful in overcoming the Babylonians a...
  • Four messages announce God's judgment on Jerusalem for her unfaithfulness (vv. 22-27, 28-31, 32-34, 35).23:22-24 Because of her behavior the Lord promised to turn Oholibah's soldier-lovers against her, even the Babylonians, C...
  • 26:7-9 In an explanatory prophecy about Tyre's destruction, the Lord promised to send Nebuchadnezzar as an invader from the north (cf. 2 Kings 25:21; Jer. 52:9). He was a "king of kings"in that many rulers were subject to him...
  • In 605 B.C. Prince Nebuchadnezzar led the Babylonian army of his father Nabopolassar against the allied forces of Assyria and Egypt. He defeated them at Carchemish near the top of the Fertile Crescent. This victory gave Babyl...
  • 1:8 Evidently Daniel took the initiative with this decision, and his three friends followed his lead. His decision was not to remain morally pure but to remain ceremonially pure. Ceremonial purity was something that concerned...
  • God would treat Judah with the same justice that He promised Israel's other neighbor nations. Judah's overflowing sin was her failure to live by the Torah, the instruction that Yahweh had given her, including the Mosaic Coven...
  • v. 11 God cited one specific instance of Edom's violence against her brother, but as I explained in the introduction, which instance is unclear. Edom's treachery against Judah had taken place on a particular "day"in the past....
  • This is the first of four messages that Zechariah received from the Lord that bear on the question just raised. That there were four separate messages seems clear since each one begins with the same preamble: "The word of the...
  • 15:5 "After these things I looked"(Gr. meta tauta eidon) indicates a transition to a new vision and a new subject: the bowl judgments. These are in a category of their own. John saw the heavenly temple opened. This gave the s...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. 2. And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ...
  • Zedekiah was one and twenty 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. 2. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of th...
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