2 Kings 24:10 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

2 Kings 24:10 kjv

At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

2 Kings 24:10 nkjv

At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

2 Kings 24:10 niv

At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it,

2 Kings 24:10 esv

At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

2 Kings 24:10 nlt

During Jehoiachin's reign, the officers of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up against Jerusalem and besieged it.

2 Kings 24 10 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference Note
Lev 26:33	I will scatter you among the nations...	Prophecy of God scattering Israel for disobedience.
Deut 28:49-50	The Lord will bring a nation...a nation of fierce countenance...	Prophecy of foreign nation besieging and devastating Israel.
Deut 28:52	They shall besiege you...until your high and fortified walls fall...	Specific prophecy of siege leading to destruction of cities.
Isa 39:6-7	The days are coming when all...shall be carried to Babylon...	Hezekiah's descendants prophesied to be taken to Babylon.
Jer 20:4	For thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself...	Prophecy of Zedekiah delivered to King of Babylon.
Jer 21:7	After that,” says the Lord, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah...	Prediction of Jerusalem's kings and people handed to Nebuchadnezzar.
Jer 25:9-11	I will send and take all the families of the north...and Nebuchadnezzar my servant...	God declares Nebuchadnezzar His servant to bring judgment on Judah.
Jer 27:6	Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant.	God asserts His sovereign control over Nebuchadnezzar's actions.
Jer 34:1	Now the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar...and all the armies of his dominion against Jerusalem and all its cities that were left...	Reference to the wider Babylonian campaign against Judah's cities.
Hab 1:6	For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation...	God announcing His raising up of Babylon as His instrument.
2 Ki 23:36	Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old...and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem...	Background to Jehoiakim's reign leading to the conflict with Babylon.
2 Ki 24:1-2	In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years...	The initial submission and later rebellion of Jehoiakim against Babylon.
2 Ki 24:11	And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city, and his servants besieged it.	Direct parallel description of the king's arrival during the siege.
2 Ki 24:12	Then Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants...went out to the king of Babylon...	Jehoiachin's surrender to Nebuchadnezzar, the immediate outcome.
2 Ki 24:13	And he carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord...	Plundering of the Temple treasures following the city's surrender.
2 Ki 24:14-16	And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the captains and all the mighty men...	The first major wave of deportation (Jehoiachin's exile).
2 Chr 36:10	And when a year was expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon...	Parallel account in Chronicles of Jehoiachin's capture and exile.
Ezek 1:1-2	Now it came to pass...in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity...	Ezekiel's prophecies beginning during the captivity initiated by this event.
Ezek 12:1-3	Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see...	Ezekiel instructed to prepare for exile as a sign to the exiles.
2 Ki 25:1-3	Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign...that Nebuchadnezzar...came against Jerusalem...	The final, third siege and destruction of Jerusalem years later.
Jer 52:4-6	Now it came to pass...that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon...and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it.	Parallel account in Jeremiah of the final siege of Jerusalem.
Ezra 1:1	Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia...the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled...	God's faithfulness in bringing about the return after the exiles began with this event.
Matt 1:11	And Josiah begat Jechoniah [Jehoiachin] and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon...	Jehoiachin's captivity (from this siege) included in Jesus' genealogy, showing God's plan amidst judgment.

2 Kings 24 verses

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2 Kings 24 10 Meaning

2 Kings 24:10 records the precise moment when the forces of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, initiated the second major siege of Jerusalem. This marked a critical stage in the final decline and subjugation of the Kingdom of Judah, signifying the immediate and overwhelming threat that brought the capital under direct assault. It represents a further step in the fulfillment of God's judgment against Judah for its persistent sin and unfaithfulness.

2 Kings 24 10 Context

The events of 2 Kings 24:10 occur within a period of severe geopolitical upheaval in the Near East. The once-dominant Assyrian Empire had fallen, and Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar, was rapidly ascending to become the supreme regional power after defeating Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish (605 BC). Judah, nestled between these two giants, initially became a vassal state to Babylon under King Jehoiakim. However, Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, prompting Babylonian incursions and ultimately, the siege described in this verse. Though Jehoiakim dies (or is possibly killed/deposed) around the time of this siege, his son Jehoiachin reigns briefly for three months before surrendering. This siege, occurring around 597 BC, marked the second major Babylonian campaign against Jerusalem and led to the first large-scale deportation of the Judean elite, including King Jehoiachin, significant Temple treasures, and skilled craftsmen, to Babylon. This was not the final destruction of Jerusalem or the Temple, but it was a crucial step towards it, fulfilling decades of prophetic warnings about divine judgment for Judah's covenant unfaithfulness, idolatry, and rebellion.

2 Kings 24 10 Word analysis

"At that time" (בָּעֵת הַהִיא - ba'ēt hahî): This temporal phrase signifies a continuity, linking the narrative to the preceding events of Jehoiakim's rebellious reign and the shifting political landscape. It pinpoints the historical juncture when Nebuchadnezzar's attention decisively turned to Jerusalem, underscoring the unfolding divine judgment on Judah.
"the servants of Nebuchadnezzar" (עַבְדֵי נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּר - 'avdey nĕvukadnē'tsar): The Hebrew 'avdei (servants/slaves) refers to the military commanders and forces acting directly under Nebuchadnezzar's command. This emphasizes the organized and decisive nature of the Babylonian assault, acting as the king's executive arm. It also highlights the idea of human instruments in God's broader plan of judgment, as prophets like Jeremiah called Nebuchadnezzar "my servant" (Jer 25:9).
"king of Babylon" (מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל - meleḵ Bāvel): This specifies the identity and authority of Nebuchadnezzar, identifying him as the absolute monarch of the powerful Babylonian Empire. Babylon was God's chosen, though unwitting, agent of discipline against Judah.
"came up to Jerusalem" (עָלוּ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם - 'ālû Yĕrûšālayim): The verb 'ālû (came up) typically denotes movement towards a higher elevation, accurate for Jerusalem's geographical position. Militarily, "came up" signifies an advance, an offensive, underscoring the purposeful and determined nature of the invasion directed at Judah's spiritual and political capital.
"and the city was besieged" (וַתָּצוּר הָעִיר - vattātsûr hā'îr): The Hebrew verb tātsûr (was besieged) indicates the city was encircled and put under military pressure to cut off supplies and force surrender. This word choice emphasizes the strategic encirclement of Jerusalem. The passive voice ("was besieged") highlights Jerusalem's vulnerability and lack of control over its fate, being acted upon by an external, superior force. This condition of siege was a fulfillment of covenant curses (Deut 28:52) for disobedience.

2 Kings 24 10 Bonus section

Instrument of God: While Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan king, the biblical narrative consistently presents him as God's instrument for discipline against His people (e.g., Jer 25:9, 27:6). This demonstrates God's sovereignty over all nations and rulers, using them to achieve His divine purposes, even those who do not acknowledge Him.
Climax of Apostasy: This siege culminates a long period of spiritual decline and political instability in Judah. From Manasseh's idolatry to Jehoiakim's defiance, the kingdom had consistently spurned divine warnings from prophets like Isaiah, Micah, and Jeremiah. This event served as a stark demonstration that divine patience had reached its limit, ushering in the severe covenant curses.
The Beginning of the End: This second siege and the subsequent deportation (often called "Jehoiachin's captivity") were not the final destruction of Jerusalem. However, they stripped Judah of its remaining power and prestige, its royal line (temporarily), and a significant portion of its skilled populace. It fundamentally altered the trajectory of the Judean state, making the final fall in 586 BC almost inevitable. The event initiates the seventy years of desolation for Jerusalem prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer 25:11-12).

2 Kings 24 10 Commentary

2 Kings 24:10 is a pivotal verse marking a new phase in the prophesied judgment on Judah. Following Jehoiakim's rebellious tenure, Babylon's response was swift and overwhelming. The "servants of Nebuchadnezzar" arriving at Jerusalem indicates a concerted military effort, a divine instrument fulfilling warnings given centuries earlier. The city's immediate state of "being besieged" encapsulates the distress, impending famine, and the inevitable loss of independence. This event is not an isolated incident but the unfolding consequence of Judah's persistent idolatry and disregard for the Mosaic Covenant, leading to a period of intense divine discipline. While Jehoiachin reigns briefly, the outcome of this siege, his deportation, and the plundering of the Temple underscore that God's covenant with David did not preclude severe temporal judgments on the kings and nation when they departed from righteousness. The very real suffering of the siege served as a tangible manifestation of God's righteous wrath and sorrow over His unfaithful people, paving the way for the later complete destruction and a longer exile.