2 Kings 25:1-30

25:1-26 | The third and final deportation of the southern kingdom of Judah into captivity occurred when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC Nebuchadnezzar’s representative, Nebuzaradan, supervised Jerusalem’s destruction. Nothing remained of the glories of David and Solomon’s reigns.

25:18-21 | Nebuzaradan executed several prominent people; among them, priests, military officials, and some of the king’s close associates. With Judah’s leaders dead or deported, the city all but gone, and the people taken captive, the long exile began. Not until 538 BC, shortly after the Persian king Cyrus conquered Babylon, would the Israelites start to reoccupy their homeland (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1-2).

25:22 | Gedaliah was from a prominent Jerusalem family – his grandfather a scribe during the reign of Josiah, his father a member of the mission sent to Huldah. The prophet Jeremiah was allowed to stay and assist him (Jer. 39:11-14; 40:1-5).

25:25-26 | Jews is a reference to the Judeans; that is, to the men of Judah. Chaldeans is used to designate people from the land of Chaldees (Babylon), the southern area of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. From as early as Abraham to as late as Jesus, Egypt was commonly a place of safety in times of international crisis.

25:27-30 | Even during judgment, God did not forget His promises. Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Evil-Merodach, released Jehoiachin from prison, probably to stay in good graces with the Jewish people. And with this act, David’s line was preserved. Jehoiachin’s release also foreshadowed the Jewish people’s release from captivity (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1-2).