2 Kings Chapter 24

Judah Subjected Under Babylon

A. The Reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah

1. (2 Kings 24:1) Nebuchadnezzar makes Judah a vassal kingdom.

“In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.”

The text records the first direct encounter between Judah and Nebuchadnezzar, the rising monarch of the Babylonian Empire. Judah sat in a strategic corridor between larger imperial powers. Because of this, Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem with the intention of bringing Judah under Babylonian authority, securing military and economic stability along the western flank of his empire. The king of Babylon could not allow Judah to remain aligned with Egypt or open to Egyptian influence, so he made Jehoiakim a vassal king for three years.

Nebuchadnezzar’s motivation is explained by the historical backdrop. Egypt had attempted to strike Babylon, provoking a counterattack. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian forces at the decisive Battle of Carchemish, pursued them southward, and subdued Jerusalem on the way. This occurred in 605 B.C., marking the first of three Babylonian interactions with Judah, followed by the invasions of 597 B.C. and 587 B.C. Archaeological evidence confirms the accuracy of this record. Excavations at Carchemish uncovered arrowheads, burn layers, and even a Greek mercenary’s shield, all pointing to the ferocity of Nebuchadnezzar’s victory. The Babylonian Chronicles also corroborate this campaign. These tablets, discovered in the late nineteenth century and published in 1956, provide detailed accounts of Nebuchadnezzar’s first decade and affirm his presence in Judah in 605 B.C.

Nebuchadnezzar’s advance was abruptly halted when he received news of his father’s death. Needing to secure his position as king, he traveled roughly five hundred miles back to Babylon in about two weeks, an impressive pace for ancient travel. Because of this urgent return, he removed only a limited number of captives from Jerusalem, including Daniel, along with select temple treasures. He also extracted a pledge of loyalty from Jehoiakim.

Despite this initial forced submission, Jehoiakim rebelled the moment the Babylonian king departed. Seeing an opportunity in Nebuchadnezzar’s absence, Jehoiakim rejected the oath he had sworn and attempted to throw off Babylonian rule. This decision would ultimately bring the full weight of Babylon down on Judah.

2. (2 Kings 24:2-4) The troubled reign of Jehoiakim

“And the LORD sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon, He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed, for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not pardon.”

The judgment that fell upon Jehoiakim did not come merely from political miscalculation but from divine initiative. The text states plainly that the LORD Himself sent against Judah raiding bands from the Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites. These forces formed a patchwork of hostile groups stirred up to weaken, harass, and destabilize Judah. The reason God did this was not because Jehoiakim’s rebellion against Babylon was noble or patriotic, but because his rebellion was rooted in spiritual pride and disobedience. He preferred political maneuvering over submission to God’s word, and therefore God did not bless his so-called independence movement. Though Judah thought nationalistic zeal would preserve them, the Lord rejected it because it was divorced from covenant faithfulness.

These mixed raiding groups reflected the composition of Nebuchadnezzar’s armies, which included contingents from several nations who willingly fought under a powerful Babylonian banner. Their presence was a direct fulfillment of prophetic warnings. The prophets had repeatedly declared that unrepentant Judah would face destruction, exile, and humiliation. The people, however, believed that God would deliver them simply because they were Judah and because the temple stood in Jerusalem. Yet the Lord’s will in this season was not deliverance but judgment. Jeremiah confronted this false hope in his day, urging Judah to submit to Babylon because this was God’s appointed discipline. Judah rejected Jeremiah’s message and attacked those who proclaimed it.

The text emphasizes that this judgment came upon Judah “to remove them from His sight,” language reflecting the severity of the nation’s sin. The Lord ties this judgment directly to the sins of Manasseh. Though Manasseh personally repented at the end of his life, the nation continued in the wickedness he introduced, including the shedding of innocent blood. Manasseh persecuted the righteous, filled Jerusalem with violence, and promoted idolatry and occult practices. Because innocent blood cried out from the ground, the Lord would not pardon it. The consequences of Manasseh’s reign spilled into the next generation, revealing that spiritual corruption, once entrenched, carries destructive inertia unless met with genuine national repentance.

3. (2 Kings 24:5-7) The passing of Jehoiakim

“Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim rested with his fathers. Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. And the king of Egypt did not come out of his land anymore, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the River Euphrates.”

The chronicler notes that Jehoiakim’s reign came to an end, though the circumstances of his death were dishonorable. Second Chronicles 36:6 records that Nebuchadnezzar bound Jehoiakim in bronze fetters intending to take him to Babylon. Jeremiah 22:19, however, prophesies that Jehoiakim would receive the burial of a donkey, dragged beyond the gates of Jerusalem and cast aside without ceremony or mourning. These statements together create a picture of a king who died in disgrace, either slain before being carried away or returned under humiliating conditions by his own people. Some interpreters suggest he may not have actually reached Babylon at all, but instead perished near Jerusalem after pledging subjection to Babylon and losing favor among pro-Babylonian factions.

The text also comments on the geopolitical landscape. Egypt, once a rival to Babylon, ceased its military campaigns because Nebuchadnezzar had stripped the Pharaoh of all territory from the Brook of Egypt up to the Euphrates River. Around 601 B.C., Egypt attempted one final counterattack against Babylon, winning a temporary tactical victory but failing to regain dominance. It was after this momentary Egyptian success that Jehoiakim attempted to revive his alliance with Egypt and rebel against Babylon, a decision Jeremiah condemned as rebellious against both Babylon and God. The failure of Egypt to rise again left Judah stranded in its rebellion, ultimately guaranteeing further Babylonian retaliation.

B. The Reign of Jehoiachin

1. (2 Kings 24:8-9) Jehoiachin, another evil king over Judah

“Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.”

Jehoiachin ascended to the throne at eighteen years old, though his reign lasted only three months. The record in 2 Chronicles 36:9 states that he was eight years old when he became king, but the more reliable figure is eighteen, supported by Hebrew manuscripts, the Syriac, and the Arabic traditions. The discrepancy is almost certainly due to a copyist’s numerical error. His throne-name was Jehoiachin, but he was also known as Jeconiah or the shortened form Coniah, names that appear in Jeremiah. His mother, Nehushta, a daughter of Elnathan, likely came from an influential Jerusalem family, suggesting she played a political role in his ascent.

Despite his youth and the brevity of his rule, Jehoiachin followed the wicked pattern of his predecessors. Scripture testifies that he did evil in the sight of the LORD, continuing the spiritual rebellion of his father Jehoiakim. Jeremiah 22:24 condemns him sharply, revealing that his character and leadership were so corrupt that the Lord compared him to a signet ring torn off His hand. Jehoiachin's short reign demonstrates that the downward spiral of Judah’s monarchy had reached irreversible momentum. Even a young king, ruling for only a few months, managed to perpetuate the same apostasy that brought Judah to the brink of judgment.

2. (2 Kings 24:10-12) Jehoiachin surrenders to Nebuchadnezzar

“At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, as his servants were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers went out to the king of Babylon, and the king of Babylon, in the eighth year of his reign, took him prisoner.”

The rebellion initiated by Jehoiakim brought swift consequences for his son. Babylonian forces surrounded Jerusalem, initiating a siege that made resistance impossible. When Nebuchadnezzar himself arrived, the outcome was sealed. Recognizing that defiance would only lead to destruction, Jehoiachin chose to surrender. He, along with his mother, his royal officials, and his leaders, voluntarily went out to meet the Babylonian king. This act of submission was likely an attempt to mitigate Babylon’s wrath by presenting themselves peacefully rather than forcing Nebuchadnezzar to storm the city.

Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin prisoner in the eighth year of his own reign. The captivity of the king emphasized God’s judgment on Judah. Just as God had permitted Jehoiakim to be humbled, He now allowed Jehoiachin to be taken in chains. Archaeological evidence confirms Jehoiachin’s presence in Babylon. Administrative tablets from the palace record daily rations of oil and barley provided to “Yaukin, king of the Judeans,” along with allocations for his sons. These tablets date from 592 to 569 B.C., verifying both the historicity of the Biblical account and the prolonged captivity of Judah’s monarch.

Jehoiachin’s surrender marks the beginning of the second major deportation and the deepening of Judah’s national collapse. He was not merely the victim of political misfortune but the object of divine judgment, his captivity fulfilling the prophetic warnings declared for generations.

3. (2 Kings 24:13-16) Jerusalem is impoverished and taken captive

“And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths, none remained save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s second advance against Jerusalem resulted in the systematic stripping of the city’s wealth. All remaining treasures from the temple and from the royal palace were seized. The vessels of gold crafted by Solomon for the temple were cut into pieces and carried away, fulfilling earlier prophetic warnings that judgment would reach even the sacred articles dedicated to worship. This loss was not only political but deeply spiritual, symbolizing the removal of God’s blessing and the collapse of the glory once associated with Israel’s worship.

The Babylonian king then deported the strength of the nation. Ten thousand captives were taken, including all the princes, all the mighty men of valor, all craftsmen, smiths, and men skilled in labor or warfare. The purpose was clear. Nebuchadnezzar weakened Judah by removing every individual who possessed capability, influence, skill, or leadership. Only the poorest and least skilled remained in the land. This was a common imperial strategy, and it ensured that Judah would not be able to rebuild itself militarily or economically. The devil uses a similar tactic spiritually, seeking to remove or neutralize those who are zealous, faithful, and useful to the kingdom of God.

Jehoiachin himself was carried away to Babylon alongside the queen mother, the royal wives, the palace officials, and the leading men of the land. The deportation was thorough and strategic. Babylon’s purpose was to remove every strong and able individual, especially those who might be “apt for war.” Seven thousand valiant warriors and one thousand craftsmen and smiths were taken, representing the military and industrial backbone of the nation. Among the captives was the prophet Ezekiel, who would deliver his prophetic ministry from the land of exile during this period. With the city stripped of leaders, workers, soldiers, and wealth, Jerusalem appeared incapable of further resistance, setting the stage for the final destruction that would come in 586 B.C.

C. The Reign of Zedekiah

1. (2 Kings 24:17) Nebuchadnezzar makes Zedekiah king of Judah

“And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.”

Nebuchadnezzar placed Mattaniah, the uncle of Jehoiachin and brother of Jehoiakim, on the throne of Judah. By appointing a man from within the royal family, Nebuchadnezzar preserved political continuity while ensuring that the new king would be dependent upon Babylon for authority. Judah at this point was greatly diminished. Much of the land had already been weakened by earlier deportations, large segments of the population were gone, and the Negeb region had been severed from Judean control. Those who remained included a pro-Egypt faction and false prophets who filled the atmosphere with deceitful optimism, contradicting the warnings of Jeremiah. In renaming Mattaniah to Zedekiah, meaning “The LORD is Righteous,” Nebuchadnezzar unwittingly set the stage for a demonstration of God’s righteous judgment. The very name of the king would testify against the nation, for the justice of God would now be revealed in full.

2. (2 Kings 24:18-20) The evil reign and rebellion of Zedekiah

“Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until He had cast them out from His presence. So Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.”

Zedekiah ascended the throne at twenty-one and reigned for eleven years, yet his time as king was marked by evil, hardness, and rebellion against the Word of God. Second Chronicles 36:11-20 expands on the depth of his wickedness. Zedekiah refused to listen to Jeremiah, resisted prophetic warnings, and broke the solemn oath he had sworn to Nebuchadnezzar in the name of the LORD. He would not humble himself before the Word of God, and he allowed the leaders and priests of Judah to corrupt the temple again with idolatrous practices. Instead of repentance or reform, he presided over the final spiritual collapse of the nation.

Because of this long-term rebellion, the wrath of God fell upon Judah. The text states that the LORD cast them out from His presence. This was not a sudden judgment but the culmination of centuries of provocation, idolatry, rejection of prophets, and defiance of covenant warnings. One of the reasons for the exile, according to 2 Chronicles 36:21, was to allow the land to enjoy her Sabbaths. For seventy years the land would rest, fulfilling the Word of the LORD declared by Jeremiah. The exile was not a random tragedy but a purposeful and righteous act of divine judgment.

Despite the prophetic clarity given to him, Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. False prophets filled the land with empty promises of victory, assuring him that God would break Babylon’s power. Zedekiah believed their lies rather than the truth spoken through Jeremiah. When Jeremiah told Zedekiah plainly that his rebellion would fail, the king responded by imprisoning the prophet. Yet Jeremiah remained steadfast, declaring the Word of the LORD even from the dungeon.

Zedekiah ultimately rebelled because he lacked genuine faith in God. He broke his oath to Nebuchadnezzar because he had no respect for the God in whose name that oath had been sworn. His entire reign reveals a man driven by fear, politics, and the influence of false prophets, rather than repentance or submission to God. His rebellion set in motion the final Babylonian invasion and the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., proving that the cost of violating covenant and rejecting God’s Word is always severe.