2Ki 25 | TNotes | STEP | 25:1 Siege ramps were characteristic of ancient Near Eastern warfare. Attackers built tall earthen ramps and towers to give them a more advantageous position (see Jer 52:14 ; Ezek 21:22 ).

25:1 ^a Siege ramps were characteristic of ancient Near Eastern warfare. Attackers built tall earthen ramps and towers to give them a more advantageous position (see Jer 52:14 ^b; Ezek 21:22 ^c).
25:4 ^d Using battering rams (Ezek 4:2 ^e), the Babylonians broke down a section of Jerusalem’s wall and penetrated the city. At nightfall, King Zedekiah and the remaining troops escaped through the gate at the southeastern corner of the city into the Kidron Valley, attempting to reach the Jordan Valley.
25:6 ^f Riblah, formerly an Assyrian administrative center, served as Nebuchadnezzar’s battle headquarters, as it had for the Egyptians (23:33 ^g).
25:7 ^h gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes: Rebellious leaders were commonly blinded in the ancient Near East. However, Zedekiah’s blinding seems especially cruel; the last image he had was of his sons being slaughtered.

• True to the prophetic word, Zedekiah was taken into captivity, where he died (Jer 32:4-5 ⁱ; 34:3 ^j; 52:11 ^k; Ezek 12:11-14 ^l).
25:8 ^m Nebuzaradan is known from one of Nebuchadnezzar’s inscriptions as an important official.
Summary for 2Kgs 25:9-10: 25:9-10 ⁿ destroyed all the important buildings: The Babylonians destroyed key religious and civic buildings to discourage further resistance or insurrection, and they demolished the city’s walls, leaving Jerusalem defenseless.
Summary for 2Kgs 25:11-12: 25:11-12 ^o The Babylonians took the majority of the population into exile, even some who willingly defected (Jer 39:9 ^p; 52:15 ^q).

• Because the poorest people were unlikely to cause trouble, they were left behind to work the vineyards and fields.
Summary for 2Kgs 25:13-16: 25:13-16 ^r The Babylonians broke up the Temple furnishings that had been crafted by Huram of Tyre and all the other bronze articles (see 1 Kgs 7:13-50 ^s) for their own use. The transport of these valuable furnishings to Babylon was a major undertaking; everything of value was carried away (see also Jer 52:17-23 ^t).
25:17 ^u 7½ feet is 5 cubits, a reading taken from parallel texts (see NLT note). The Hebrew text reads 3 cubits (4.5 feet), which might reflect the height of the decorative work adorning the upper part of the capital (cp. 1 Kgs 7:17-18 ^v).
Summary for 2Kgs 25:18-20: 25:18-20 ^w Instead of deporting key citizens and officials as in the Babylonian invasion of 597 BC (24:14 ^x), Nebuchadnezzar had these leaders put to death. Even religious leaders were executed.

• Although Seraiah the high priest was slain, his son Jehozadak was sent into exile (1 Chr 6:15 ^y). Thus the priestly line continued even in captivity and later returned to Jerusalem beginning in 538 BC (Ezra 1:1–2:20 ^z).
25:21 ^aa So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land: Like the northern kingdom before it (17:5-17 ^ab), Judah was exiled as punishment for their covenant infidelity. A remnant later returned to the Promised Land in 538 BC (2 Chr 36:22-23 ^ac; Ezra 1:1–2:20 ^ad; see also 2 Chr 36:15-21 ^ae; Jer 25:11 ^af; 29:10 ^ag; Dan 9:2 ^ah).
Summary for 2Kgs 25:22-30: 25:22-30 ^ai Two short appendices describe subsequent events. The first (25:22-26 ^aj) details the area’s reorganization; the second (25:27-30 ^ak) tells of the later kind treatment accorded King Jehoiachin. 25:22 ^al Gedaliah’s father Ahikam and grandfather Shaphan had been trusted officials during Josiah’s reign (22:3 ^am, 12 ^an). Ahikam had supported Jeremiah during the reign of Jehoiakim (Jer 26:24 ^ao).
Summary for 2Kgs 25:23-24: 25:23-24 ^ap Because Gedaliah came from a family experienced in civic affairs, his governorship was initially well accepted (see also Jer 40:1-12 ^aq). A seal impression recovered from Lachish confirms Gedaliah’s importance as the officer “over the house” (see study note on 1 Kgs 4:6).

• In addition to the army commanders, the prophet Jeremiah also went to Mizpah to support Gedaliah (Jer 40:6 ^ar). This Mizpah was a border town in Benjamin; it had been prominent in Israelite history as a place of religious assembly (1 Sam 7:5-6 ^as).

• The men listed here held important posts. Ishmael was from a prominent family of royal lineage (2 Kgs 25:25 ^at; Jer 36:12 ^au). Johanan served Gedaliah faithfully (Jer 40:13-16 ^av). The name Jezaniah occurs on materials recovered from excavations at Tell-en-Nasbeh.
25:25 ^aw Gedaliah had been warned that Ishmael was plotting to assassinate him but was unconvinced (Jer 40:13-16 ^ax); his trust cost him his life. Ishmael also killed many Judeans and Babylonians, fled with many captives, and escaped to Ammon (Jer 41:4-15 ^ay).
25:26 ^az Then all the people of Judah, led by Johanan, fled in panic to Egypt against Jeremiah’s counsel (see Jer 42:1–43:7 ^ba).
Summary for 2Kgs 25:27-30: 25:27-30 ^bb Evil-merodach (Babylonian, Amel-marduk, “man of Marduk”) succeeded Nebuchadnezzar II at his death and reigned a short time (561–560 BC).

• He was kind to Jehoiachin: Babylonian annals give details of the rations Jehoiachin received in prison. The narrator’s mention of Jehoiachin living in gracious circumstances is perhaps intended to provide hope that God would preserve and restore a repentant people to their land (see 1 Kgs 8:46-53 ^bc; Isa 35:8-10 ^bd; 51:11 ^be; Jer 29:10-14 ^bf; Zeph 3:20 ^bg).