2 Kings 25:24 kjv
And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.
2 Kings 25:24 nkjv
And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, and said to them, "Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you."
2 Kings 25:24 niv
Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. "Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials," he said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you."
2 Kings 25:24 esv
And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you."
2 Kings 25:24 nlt
Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babylonian officials meant them no harm. "Don't be afraid of them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you," he promised.
2 Kings 25 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 40:9-10 | Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid…serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.” | Gedaliah's almost identical words in Jeremiah's account. |
| Jer 27:12 | "I spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah... 'Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him...'" | Jeremiah's consistent prophecy: submit to Babylon. |
| Jer 29:7 | "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf..." | Principle of seeking peace/welfare even in exile. |
| Rom 13:1 | "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God..." | Submission to earthly authorities, as ordained by God. |
| 1 Pet 2:13 | "Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as supreme, or to governors as sent by him..." | General principle of civil obedience for God's sake. |
| Prov 16:7 | "When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." | Peace can come through divine favor and obedience. |
| Deut 28:15 | "But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord...all these curses shall come upon you..." | Consequences of disobedience, leading to captivity. |
| Deut 30:19 | "...choose life, that you and your offspring may live..." | Call to choose obedience for life and prosperity. |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice..." | Obedience to divine will is paramount. |
| Dan 2:21 | "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings..." | God's sovereignty over earthly rulers and kingdoms. |
| Dan 4:17 | "...that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will..." | God's ultimate control over nations. |
| Ezra 6:10 | "...that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons." | Praying for foreign rulers in exile. |
| Neh 9:36-37 | "Behold, we are slaves today, slaves in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good things. And its abundant produce goes to the kings..." | The reality of subjugation under foreign rule. |
| Ps 34:14 | "Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." | A general call to pursue peace and righteousness. |
| Ps 122:6 | "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! 'May they be secure who love you!'" | Prayer for peace, even in times of turmoil. |
| Heb 12:14 | "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." | Striving for peace as a spiritual imperative. |
| Titus 3:1 | "Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work..." | Instructions for Christians on civil conduct. |
| 1 Tim 2:1-2 | "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers... be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life..." | Prayer for peaceful life through leaders. |
| Ezr 9:7-9 | "...for our iniquities and for the iniquities of our fathers we have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands... that our God might grant us a little reviving." | Acknowledging foreign rule as divine discipline. |
| Acts 5:29 | "But Peter and the apostles answered, 'We must obey God rather than men.'" | A critical boundary to civil obedience, not relevant here. |
| Lev 26:34-35 | "Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate... it rested and enjoyed its Sabbaths." | Prophecy of land's desolation and rest. |
| Jer 25:9-11 | "...I will bring [Nebuchadnezzar] against this land... This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years." | Foretelling the period of Babylonian servitude. |
2 Kings 25 verses
2 Kings 25 24 Meaning
This verse conveys a solemn oath made by Gedaliah, the newly appointed Babylonian governor of Judah, to the Jewish remnant who remained in the land. He urged them not to fear the Babylonian officials or troops, but to settle in the land, serve the king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar), and in doing so, they would experience peace and well-being. It was a call for practical submission to the conquering power, offering a pathway to stability and survival amidst the ruins of their nation and the recent devastation of Jerusalem and the Temple.
2 Kings 25 24 Context
2 Kings chapter 25 details the final tragic fall of Judah and Jerusalem to the Babylonian Empire. After a protracted siege, Jerusalem was utterly destroyed in 586 BC, its Temple burned, and most of its people, including King Zedekiah, were carried into exile. Only the poorest of the land were left behind by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard. Amidst this desolation, Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam (who had protected the prophet Jeremiah), was appointed by the king of Babylon as governor over the remnant in Judah. The specific setting of verse 24 is immediately after Gedaliah has assumed this role. Various Jewish military leaders and remnants who had scattered during the siege were returning to Gedaliah at Mizpah, the provisional capital. Gedaliah's words are spoken to them, serving as an authoritative declaration of the new, harsh reality under Babylonian rule, and a practical counsel for their survival and the maintenance of a limited form of peace and order.
2 Kings 25 24 Word analysis
- Then Gedaliah (גְּדַלְיָהוּ - Gedalyahu): "YHWH is great." His name speaks of divine greatness, even though he serves under a pagan king as an instrument of God's will. He represents the last legitimate (though appointed by foreign power) Jewish authority in the land before complete desolation, embodying a fragile hope for the remnant.
- swore (וַיִּשָּׁבַע - vayyishava'): To take an oath, making a binding promise. This word highlights the gravity and earnestness of Gedaliah's declaration. It wasn't just advice but a solemn assurance to instill trust and commitment among a frightened and disillusioned people.
- to them and their men: Referring to the Jewish remnant, particularly the military captains and their followers who had scattered during the war and were now reassembling. They were a vulnerable and demoralized group, questioning their future and security.
- 'Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; (מִפְּנֵי הַכַּשְׂדִּים - mippənê haKasdîm, Chaldeans): The Chaldeans are the Babylonians, Nebuchadnezzar's forces. This phrase addresses their primary fear: ongoing violence, reprisal, or further oppression from the occupying power. Gedaliah reassures them of a shift from conquest to governance.
- dwell in the land (שְׁבוּ בָאָרֶץ - shvu ba'aretz): "To sit," "to reside," "to settle." This directly counters the impulse to flee or remain nomadic out of fear. It encourages them to take root again, even if under foreign domination. It signals a shift from constant flight to a potential, albeit diminished, sense of normalcy.
- and serve the king of Babylon, (וְעִבְדוּ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל - ve'ivdu et-melekh Bavèl): "To labor," "to work," "to serve," or "to be enslaved to." This command is pivotal. It demands their active submission and obedience to the new imperial authority. It acknowledges Babylon's sovereignty as a divinely ordained reality (cf. Jeremiah's prophecies). This was a very difficult pill to swallow for many, symbolizing complete subjugation.
- and it will be well with you.' (וְיִטַב לָכֶם - veyitav lakhem): "It will be good for you," or "it will turn out well for you." This is the promised outcome of their obedience and submission. "Well" implies peace (shalom), security, and a measure of prosperity under the new regime, representing a state far preferable to continued resistance or further flight and destitution. It was the only way to avoid further divine judgment and national suffering.
- "Do not be afraid... dwell in the land and serve... and it will be well": This group of phrases encapsulates Gedaliah's entire strategy: alleviating fear, establishing residence, demanding obedience, and promising positive results. It reflects a pragmatic and spiritual understanding of their situation—God's judgment was irreversible, and the path to even limited "good" lay in submission, echoing the words of the prophet Jeremiah. This phrase sequence is a summary of divine discipline and the possibility of peace even within subjugation, a conditional blessing dependent on their behavior towards the conquerors.
2 Kings 25 24 Bonus section
This verse subtly underscores the deep cultural and theological conflict facing the post-destruction remnant. For a people whose identity was inextricably linked to their land, Temple, and Davidic kingship, "dwelling in the land" yet "serving the king of Babylon" was a profound spiritual challenge. It implicitly presented a polemic against any lingering Messianic expectations of immediate divine deliverance or restoration through resistance, as had been promoted by false prophets earlier (e.g., Jer 28). Instead, the immediate path to well-being was through accepting the bitter reality of divine judgment and yielding to God's chosen instrument of discipline. Gedaliah's instruction sets the stage for the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah among the remnant, which continued to stress faithful submission to Babylon even in the aftermath of Gedaliah's death, emphasizing that only God determines the destiny of nations and peoples.
2 Kings 25 24 Commentary
2 Kings 25:24 serves as a poignant and pragmatic directive amidst national catastrophe. Gedaliah, operating under the authority of Babylon, endeavors to restore a semblance of order and hope for the shattered remnant of Judah. His counsel directly aligns with the repeated warnings and prophecies of Jeremiah, urging the people to submit to Babylonian rule as God's will and judgment upon their disobedience. This verse offers the last potential pathway to a modicum of stability and 'well-being' for the remnant of Judah. It presents a challenging paradox: true welfare, in this specific historical moment, required submission to an earthly oppressor, acknowledging God's sovereignty over all nations, even those He used as instruments of His discipline. The promise "it will be well with you" was conditional, an offer of limited peace and a continued existence in their own land, contingent on their allegiance to Babylon. This fleeting opportunity for peace tragically ended with Gedaliah's assassination, further exacerbating the suffering of the remaining people and leading to a mass flight to Egypt.