2 Kings 25:16-26

16 As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, ¹the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.

17 ²The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,^[a] and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework.

18 ³And the captain of the guard took ⁴Seraiah the chief priest and ⁵Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold,

19 and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and ⁶five men of the king's council who were found in the city, and the secretary of the commander 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.

20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at ⁷Riblah.

21 And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at ⁸Riblah in the land of Hamath. ⁹So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

Gedaliah Made Governor of Judah

22 And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed ¹⁰Gedaliah the son of ¹¹Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor.

23 ¹²Now when all the captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at ¹³Mizpah, 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.

24 And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you."

25 ¹⁴But in the seventh month, ¹⁵Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and put him to death along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

26 ¹⁶Then 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.

Read Chapter Compare

2 Kings 25:16-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 25

In this chapter is an account of the siege, taking, and burning of the city of Jerusalem, and of the carrying captive the king and the inhabitants to Babylon, 2Ki 25:1-12, as also of the pillars and vessels of the temple brought thither, 2Ki 25:13-17 and of the putting to death several of the principal persons of the land, 2Ki 25:18-22, and of the miserable condition of the rest under Gedaliah, whom Ishmael slew, 2Ki 25:23-26, and the chapter, and so the history, is concluded with the kindness Jehoiachin met with from the king of Babylon, after thirty seven years' captivity, 2Ki 25:27-30.

&c.] Of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. From hence to the end of 2Ki 25:7, the account exactly agrees with Jer 52:4-11. 18182-941226-1348-2Ki25.2

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 16

1. 1 Kings 7:47
2. [1 Kings 7:15-18; 2 Chronicles 3:15]
3. For ver. 18-21, see Jeremiah 52:24-27
4. 1 Chronicles 6:14; Ezra 7:1
5. Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 29:25; Jeremiah 37:3
6. Esther 1:14; [Jeremiah 52:25]
7. 2 Kings 23:33
8. [See ver. 20 above]
9. [2 Kings 23:27; Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 28:64]
10. Jeremiah 39:14; Jeremiah 40:5
11. 2 Kings 22:12
12. For ver. 23, 24, see Jeremiah 40:7-9
13. Joshua 18:26
14. Jeremiah 41:1, 2
15. Jeremiah 40:14, 15
16. See Jeremiah 43:4-7

Footnotes 1

[a]. A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.