2 Kings 25:21-30

21 And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at ¹Riblah in the land of Hamath. ²So 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 ³Gedaliah the son of ⁴Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor.

23 ⁵Now 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 ⁶Mizpah, 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 ⁷But in the seventh month, ⁸Ishmael 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 ⁹Then 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.

Jehoiachin Released from Prison

27 ¹⁰And in the thirty-seventh year of ¹¹the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously ¹²freed^[a] Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison.

28 And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

29 So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life ¹³he dined regularly at the king's table,

30 and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.

Read Chapter Compare

2 Kings 25:21-30 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 13

1. [See ver. 20 above]
2. [2 Kings 23:27; Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 28:64]
3. Jeremiah 39:14; Jeremiah 40:5
4. 2 Kings 22:12
5. For ver. 23, 24, see Jeremiah 40:7-9
6. Joshua 18:26
7. Jeremiah 41:1, 2
8. Jeremiah 40:14, 15
9. See Jeremiah 43:4-7
10. For ver. 27-30, see Jeremiah 52:31-34
11. 2 Kings 24:12, 15
12. Genesis 40:13, 20
13. 2 Samuel 9:7, 13

Footnotes 1

[a]. Hebrew reign, lifted up the head of

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