Monday 2021.08.16
In my OT reading today, I finished the remaining last two chapters of Second
Kings. This portion of scripture records the account of the reigns of the last
three kings of Judah leading to the fall of Jerusalem into the hands of King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia.
The following were the last three kings of Judah:
- Jehoiakim (Eliakim) ben Josiah, reigned 11 yrs
- Jehoiachin ben Jehoiakim, reigned 3 months
- Zedekiah (Mattaniah) ben Josiah, reigned 11 yrs
The invasion of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia took place in three
stages:
The first stage of Babylonian invasion happened some time during the
reign of King Jehoiakim ben Josiah. Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land of Judah
and King Jehoiakim submitted to his rule for three years. 2 Kings 24:7 tells
us that by the end of those years,
"the king of Babylonia now controlled all the territory that had belonged to
Egypt, from the River Euphrates to the northern border of Egypt."
The second stage of Babylonian invasion took place during the short
three-month reign of Jehoiachin ben Jehoiakim. It was the
8th year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. King Nebuchadnezzar himself came
personally to Jerusalem and captured King Jehoiachin. He carried away the
treasures of the Temple as well as took captives of the princes, leaders, and
skilled workmen of Jerusalem.
2 Kings 24:12b - 16 GNB
In the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign he took Jehoiachin prisoner 13and
carried off to Babylon all the treasures in the Temple and the palace. As the
LORD had foretold, Nebuchadnezzar broke up all the gold utensils which King
Solomon had made for use in the Temple. 14Nebuchadnezzar carried away as
prisoners the people of Jerusalem, all the royal princes, and all the leading
men, 10,000 in all. He also deported all the skilled workmen, including the
blacksmiths, leaving only the poorest of the people behind in Judah.
15Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon as a prisoner, together with
Jehoiachin's mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of Judah.
16Nebuchadnezzar deported all the important men to Babylonia, 7,000 in all,
and 1,000 skilled workers, including the blacksmiths, all of them able-bodied
men fit for military duty.
The third stage of Babylonian invasion occurred when King Zedekiah
(Mattaniah) ben Josiah, the puppet king set up by Nebuchadnezzar to rule over
Judah, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. In the 10th day 10th month 9th year of
Zedekiah's reign (which was roughly in the
17th year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign), Jerusalem was under siege by
the Babylonian army again. Then, in the third year of siege, on the 9th day
4th month 11th year of Zedekiah (which was the
19th year of Nebuchadnezzar), the walls of Jerusalem were broken
through. King Zedekiah was captured, his eyes taken out, and he was carried
off to Babylon.
The third stage of invasion concluded on the
7th day 5th month 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, when Commander
Nebuzaradan entered the city of Jerusalem, burned down the Temple, demolished
the city walls, and took captives of the remaining skilled workmen and
priests, and looted whatever treasures remained in the Temple.
2 Kings 25:8 - 12 GNB
8On the seventh day of the fifth month of the nineteenth year of King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, Nebuzaradan, adviser to the king and commander of
his army, entered Jerusalem. 9He burnt down the Temple, the palace, and the
houses of all the important people in Jerusalem, 10and his soldiers tore down
the city walls. 11Then Nebuzaradan took away to Babylonia the people who were
left in the city, the remaining skilled workmen, and those who had deserted to
the Babylonians. 12But he left in Judah some of the poorest people, who owned no property, and
put them to work in the vineyards and fields.
Jerusalem had fallen. The Kingdom of Judah had come to an end.
I have finished reading the book of Second Kings and have come to the end of
the Former Prophets section of the Neviim in the Hebrew divisions of
scripture. Tomorrow I will embark on reading the Latter Prophets, beginning
with the book of the prophet Isaiah. Please visit
The Law, Prophets and Writings
page for full details of the Hebrew divisions of scripture.
In my NT reading today, I read Second Corinthians chapters seven through nine
using the New King James Version.
Today's Passages:
2 Kings 24:1 - 25:29 GNB --> Isaiah NIV
2 Corinthians 7:1 - 9:15 NKJV
