And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
2 Kings 24:11 records Nebuchadnezzar himself coming against Jerusalem while his servants maintained the siege, during the brief reign of Jehoiachin after his rebellion against Babylon. It belongs to the closing history of Judah's kings after the ten tribes were swept away, part of the continuous history from Solomon's accession to the Babylonian Captivity, whose fuller account of the fall is told in 2 Kings 24-25. The siege ended in the capture of the city, the removal of the temple's treasures, and the deportation of Jehoiachin with his court to Babylon, after which Zedekiah was placed on the throne. Those carried away were the king, his royal family, the wealthy, the artisans and many of God's people, leaving only the poorest in Judah as a nation greatly diminished by destruction and death. Judah fell because she followed Israel's departure from God and leaned toward Babylonian idolatry, so God permitted the captivity as chastisement to bring remaining truth to light, beginning the capture, scattering and overthrow of the kingdom through which the promise came; it is also understood of Nebuchadnezzar's coming in Jehoiakim's reign when Daniel and his companions were carried to Babylon.
Context and Siege Narrative
The verse stands in the closing history of Judah's kings. It belongs to the third great section of the history of the kings, the history of the remaining kingdom of Judah after the ten tribes had been swept away, covering 2 Kings 18-25. It is part of the continuous history from the accession of Solomon to the Babylonian Captivity told as one whole by the books of Kings. The fuller account of Zedekiah's fall is told in 2 Kings 24-25, to which this arrival against Jerusalem and siege by his servants belongs as part of Judah's downfall.
It records Nebuchadnezzar himself returning to Jerusalem during Jehoiachin's brief reign and coming against the city while his servants did besiege it. The return and siege followed Jehoiachin's rebellion against Babylon. It came soon after Josiah's death, when Judah fell before Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian conqueror. During that brief reign the Babylonian occupation left Jehoiachin with no meaningful rule over Judah. The siege ended in taking the king and many of Judah's people captive.
The coming was in Nebuchadnezzar's seventh year, B.C. 598, only a few years after his victorious campaign against Neco. At that time Phoenicia revolted under the leadership of Tyre, and Jehoiakim of Judah renounced his allegiance after obtaining a promise of aid from Egypt. He marched into Palestine at the head of a vast army composed partly of his own Babylonian subjects and partly of his Mede allies. He first invested Tyre and then, finding that city too strong to be taken by assault, left a portion of his army to continue its blockade while he himself pressed forward against Jerusalem. Thus the city was besieged by his servants under his personal direction while the Egyptians failed to come to Jehoiakim's aid. The verse is cited as part of the account of Nebuchadnezzar's successive attacks and captivities, in which the third captivity, in 586 B.C., is identified with Jerusalem's complete destruction.
Fall, Captivity, and Lessons
Nebuchadnezzar himself returned to Jerusalem during Jehoiachin's brief reign and came against the city while his servants besieged it, after Jehoiachin rebelled against Babylon. The siege ended in the capture of the city, the removal of the treasures of the temple, and the capture and deportation of Jehoiachin with his court and many of the people to Babylon. Jehoiachin was removed to Babylon and Zedekiah was placed on the throne in his stead.
Those carried away were the king, the royal family, the wealthy people and the artisans, with many of God's people taken into captivity, while only the poorest people remained in Judah. Only a small remnant of a few thousand captives was taken, representing a nation greatly diminished by destruction and death. This deportation is dated about 599 B.C.
The coming against Jerusalem is also reckoned to the reign of Jehoiakim, when the city was taken and some of the chief men were carried away to Babylon. Among them were Daniel and his three companions, and this provides the historical setting for Daniel 1, for their learning and wisdom and promotion in Babylon.
Judah fell because she followed Israel's course of departure from God until captivity came upon her. Her people were inclined to imitate Babylonian idolatry, and God permitted captivity by Babylon as chastisement, with affliction and reverses meant to bring any remaining truth to light. Babylon's successful assault and siege began the capture and scattering of Judah and the overthrow of its kingdom, the culmination of repeated efforts by hostile nations to destroy or oppress the people through whom the promise came.
2 Kings 24:11 records Nebuchadnezzar himself coming against Jerusalem while his servants maintained the siege, during the brief reign of Jehoiachin after his rebellion against Babylon. It belongs to the closing history of Judah's kings after the ten tribes were swept away, part of the continuous history from Solomon's accession to the Babylonian Captivity, whose fuller account of the fall is told in 2 Kings 24-25. The siege ended in the capture of the city, the removal of the temple's treasures, and the deportation of Jehoiachin with his court to Babylon, after which Zedekiah was placed on the throne. Those carried away were the king, his royal family, the wealthy, the artisans and many of God's people, leaving only the poorest in Judah as a nation greatly diminished by destruction and death. Judah fell because she followed Israel's departure from God and leaned toward Babylonian idolatry, so God permitted the captivity as chastisement to bring remaining truth to light, beginning the capture, scattering and overthrow of the kingdom through which the promise came; it is also understood of Nebuchadnezzar's coming in Jehoiakim's reign when Daniel and his companions were carried to Babylon.
Context and Siege Narrative
The verse stands in the closing history of Judah's kings. It belongs to the third great section of the history of the kings, the history of the remaining kingdom of Judah after the ten tribes had been swept away, covering 2 Kings 18-25. It is part of the continuous history from the accession of Solomon to the Babylonian Captivity told as one whole by the books of Kings. The fuller account of Zedekiah's fall is told in 2 Kings 24-25, to which this arrival against Jerusalem and siege by his servants belongs as part of Judah's downfall.
It records Nebuchadnezzar himself returning to Jerusalem during Jehoiachin's brief reign and coming against the city while his servants did besiege it. The return and siege followed Jehoiachin's rebellion against Babylon. It came soon after Josiah's death, when Judah fell before Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian conqueror. During that brief reign the Babylonian occupation left Jehoiachin with no meaningful rule over Judah. The siege ended in taking the king and many of Judah's people captive.
The coming was in Nebuchadnezzar's seventh year, B.C. 598, only a few years after his victorious campaign against Neco. At that time Phoenicia revolted under the leadership of Tyre, and Jehoiakim of Judah renounced his allegiance after obtaining a promise of aid from Egypt. He marched into Palestine at the head of a vast army composed partly of his own Babylonian subjects and partly of his Mede allies. He first invested Tyre and then, finding that city too strong to be taken by assault, left a portion of his army to continue its blockade while he himself pressed forward against Jerusalem. Thus the city was besieged by his servants under his personal direction while the Egyptians failed to come to Jehoiakim's aid. The verse is cited as part of the account of Nebuchadnezzar's successive attacks and captivities, in which the third captivity, in 586 B.C., is identified with Jerusalem's complete destruction.
Fall, Captivity, and Lessons
Nebuchadnezzar himself returned to Jerusalem during Jehoiachin's brief reign and came against the city while his servants besieged it, after Jehoiachin rebelled against Babylon. The siege ended in the capture of the city, the removal of the treasures of the temple, and the capture and deportation of Jehoiachin with his court and many of the people to Babylon. Jehoiachin was removed to Babylon and Zedekiah was placed on the throne in his stead.
Those carried away were the king, the royal family, the wealthy people and the artisans, with many of God's people taken into captivity, while only the poorest people remained in Judah. Only a small remnant of a few thousand captives was taken, representing a nation greatly diminished by destruction and death. This deportation is dated about 599 B.C.
The coming against Jerusalem is also reckoned to the reign of Jehoiakim, when the city was taken and some of the chief men were carried away to Babylon. Among them were Daniel and his three companions, and this provides the historical setting for Daniel 1, for their learning and wisdom and promotion in Babylon.
Judah fell because she followed Israel's course of departure from God until captivity came upon her. Her people were inclined to imitate Babylonian idolatry, and God permitted captivity by Babylon as chastisement, with affliction and reverses meant to bring any remaining truth to light. Babylon's successful assault and siege began the capture and scattering of Judah and the overthrow of its kingdom, the culmination of repeated efforts by hostile nations to destroy or oppress the people through whom the promise came.