FEATURED STUDY | June 3, 2026 | A Study on Chapter 25 of the Book of 2 Kings
The Fall of Jerusalem
In the book The Winds of War, Aaron Jastrow is a Jewish American citizen living in Europe. Despite the signs of an impending war about to break out, Jastrow refuses to return to the safety of the United States. He is in Poland when Germany invades and is unable to get out of the country. He is eventually sent to a concentration camp where he dies in a gas chamber. While this is a fictional account, there were some American Jews who suffered his fate. They refused to leave Europe until it was too late as many thought the British could negotiate a peaceful treaty with Germany which would avert a war. In our study of 2nd Kings chapter 25, we see the people of Judah including the king refusing to believe God’s judgement was at hand, many thinking that they would be saved by Egypt.
In the preceding chapter, Zedekiah was installed as king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. While he was beholden to Nebuchadnezzar, he eventually rebelled against him. Nebuchadnezzar responded by sending his army to lay siege to Jerusalem in Zedekiah’s 9th year. The siege lasted 18 months causing severe famine and finally the city wall was breached and Zedekiah fled along with the army of Judah. He was captured at Jericho, ironically the site of Israel’s first military victory (as noted by Russell Dilday). He was taken before the king of Babylon and made to watch as his sons were executed then his eyes were gouged out and he was taken to Babylon where he remained prisoner until his death (see also Ez. 12:12-13).
The commander of the Babylonian army came to Jerusalem and set fire to all its buildings including the temple and the palace. The temple was stripped of all the items made of bronze, silver and gold. The chief priest and other important Levites were taken prisoner along with the king’s officials and executed in the presence of Nebuchadnezzar. Gedaliah was appointed as governor over the people remaining in Judah. He reassured the surviving army officers that if they would submit to the Babylonians, it would go well for them. A man named Ishmael who was of royal blood led a group of 10 men who killed Gedaliah after which they fled to Egypt.
The chapter ends by noting that 37 years after the second siege of Jerusalem, Jehoiachin was released from prison by Evil-Merodach who had become the new king of Babylon. Of the 3 exiled kings, he was treated the best because he had surrendered rather than resisting.
Chapter 36 of 2nd Chronicles provides little additional information except that it ends on a much happier note by recording the order of King Cyrus to rebuild the temple after Judah had been in captivity for 70 years.
Several chapters of the book of Jeremiah are devoted to the events preceding the fall of Jerusalem. In chapter 27, Jeremiah told Zedekiah that he should serve Nebuchadnezzar so that he and the people would live. In chapter 28, the false prophet Hananiah predicted that God would break the yoke of Babylon and return the objects taken from the temple. Jeremiah said that a prophet who prophesied peace would only be recognized as sent by God if his prophecy came true. He told Hananiah that he would die for persuading Judah to resist Nebuchadnezzar which came to pass in the 7th month of the year.
In chapter 34, Jeremiah told Zedekiah that Nebuchadnezzar would burn down the city and that he would be captured but would not die by the sword. When the Babylonian army withdrew from Jerusalem, Jeremiah prophesied that God would send the army back to take the city and burn it down. In chapters 37 and 38, Jeremiah repeated his message to Zedekiah that he should submit to Nebuchadnezzar but Zedekiah was afraid of the retribution by the Jews who had already surrendered to Babylon. Zedekiah held out until it was too late to surrender and that decision resulted in the deaths of his family and officials of his court.
The destruction of Jerusalem occurred in 586 after the 3rd and final siege, the previous sieges being in 605 and 597. Also, Zedekiah had 3 meetings with Jeremiah during which he was told to surrender because God had sent Nebuchadnezzar (see also Ez. 10:1-19). This demonstrates God’s patience, allowing multiple opportunities for repentance. Judgement delayed, however is not judgement avoided (see 2nd Peter 3:4-7).
Chapter Studies by Book
2 Kings (Current Study)