2 Kings 25 7

2 Kings 25:7 kjv

And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

2 Kings 25:7 nkjv

Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.

2 Kings 25:7 niv

They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.

2 Kings 25:7 esv

They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.

2 Kings 25:7 nlt

They made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons. Then they gouged out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon.

2 Kings 25 verses

2 Kings 25 7 Meaning

2 Kings 25:7 graphically depicts the brutal fate of King Zedekiah at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar after Jerusalem's fall. The verse highlights the methodical cruelty inflicted: first, Zedekiah was forced to witness the execution of his own sons, stripping him of his lineage and future hope. Immediately following this traumatic event, his eyes were put out, permanently blinding him and severing his connection to the visual world, particularly after seeing the most horrific sight. Bound in bronze shackles, symbolizing complete subjugation and enslavement, he was then led away to Babylon, marking the final, humiliating end of the Judean monarchy and the irreversible defeat of the Southern Kingdom. This act solidified Babylonian dominion and fulfilled divine judgment.

2 Kings 25 7 Context

2 Kings 25:7 is a pivotal verse marking the absolute low point of Judah's history under the Davidic monarchy. It concludes the narrative of King Zedekiah's failed attempt to escape after Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in the 11th year of his reign (around 586 BC). Following a devastating siege of nearly 18 months, marked by severe famine and desperation, the city walls were breached. Zedekiah and his soldiers attempted to flee but were captured in the plains of Jericho. The sequence of events in this verse—the slaughter of his children, his blinding, his binding, and deportation to Babylon—was carried out by Nebuchadnezzar in Riblah, where the king of Babylon had his headquarters. This horrific act served as a definitive judgment upon Judah for generations of disobedience and idolatry, as prophesied by various prophets, particularly Jeremiah and Ezekiel. It signified the end of national sovereignty and the beginning of the seventy-year Babylonian exile.

2 Kings 25 7 Word analysis

• And they slew: The verb "slew" (Hebrew: שָׁחַט, shachat) denotes a ritualistic or severe slaughter, often associated with killing animals for sacrifice or for food. Here, it underscores the methodical, brutal execution of Zedekiah's sons, not just a casual killing. It implies a deliberate act of destruction, designed for maximum psychological impact.
• the sons of Zedekiah: (Hebrew: בְּנֵי צִדְקִיָּהוּ, b'nei Tzidkiyahu) The immediate royal lineage. Their execution before their father's eyes was intended to break Zedekiah entirely, eliminating any potential future claim to the throne through his direct descendants and destroying his hope for a dynastic continuity. This was a common, cruel practice by ancient conquerors to prevent future rebellions and extinguish rival royal lines.
• before his eyes: (Hebrew: לְעֵינָיו, l'einav) This phrase accentuates the intentional cruelty and psychological torment. It wasn't enough to kill his sons; Zedekiah had to see it. This served to demoralize and terrorize him completely, making his subsequent blinding even more profound by first showing him the worst possible sight.
• and put out the eyes of Zedekiah: (Hebrew: וַיְנַקֵּר אֶת־עֵינֵי צִדְקִיָּהוּ, vay'naqqer et-einei Tzidkiyahu) "Put out the eyes" (from נִקֵּר, niqer) implies gouging or plucking out, an agonizing and permanent mutilation. Blinding was a severe ancient punishment for captured kings or rebels. It physically incapacitates, prevents future leadership (as a blind man could not be king), removes dignity, and renders a once-powerful figure utterly dependent and powerless. This act specifically fulfilled Ezekiel's prophecy that Zedekiah would go to Babylon but not "see" it (Ezek 12:13), ingeniously reconciled with Jeremiah's prophecy that he would behold the king of Babylon (Jer 34:3), as he saw his enemy and the horrific death of his sons just before being blinded.
• and bound him: (Hebrew: וַיֶּאְסֹר, vaye'esor) The verb "bound" indicates restriction and captivity. This binding signifies Zedekiah's complete loss of freedom and power, making him a captive property of the conquerors.
• with fetters of brass: (Hebrew: בַנְּחֻשְׁתַּיִם, bann'chushtayim) "Fetters" are chains, and "brass" (bronze) was a common material for such restraints, signifying a strong, secure, and public display of his complete subjugation. Bronze, unlike more valuable metals, denotes the ignominy of his defeat rather than any symbolic status. It implies an inescapable and harsh imprisonment.
• and carried him to Babylon: (Hebrew: וַיְבִאֵהוּ בָבֶלָה, vay'vieihu Bavelah) This final action marks the culmination of the judgment. Babylon was the place of exile, representing the defeat of Judah and the complete disruption of their national life and identity. For a king, being "carried" (forced away) to the land of his conquerors, especially in such a pitiful state, was the ultimate humiliation and proof of his kingdom's downfall. It signifies the irreversible end of his reign and presence in the Promised Land.

2 Kings 25 7 Bonus section

The horrific details of Zedekiah's demise serve as a stark contrast to the initial covenant promises given to David concerning his dynastic longevity (2 Sam 7:16). While the direct physical kingship ended in disgrace here, the line of David was preserved through other branches, notably through Jehoiachin (Zedekiah's predecessor and nephew), who later had descendants in Babylon (1 Chr 3:17-18). This seemingly contradictory preservation highlights God's faithfulness to His ultimate promises even amidst severe judgment, laying the groundwork for the future restoration and the coming Messiah, the true King from David's line (Matt 1:12-16). The precision of the prophecies, especially those of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, regarding Zedekiah's specific fate (seeing and not seeing Babylon) further demonstrates the sovereign control of God over human events and His word's infallibility.

2 Kings 25 7 Commentary

2 Kings 25:7 encapsulates the tragic end of the kingdom of Judah, the Davidic monarchy, and the rule of its last king, Zedekiah, under the mighty hand of Nebuchadnezzar. It is not merely a historical record of violence but a profound theological statement. The systematic and calculated brutality inflicted upon Zedekiah was a public spectacle of complete subjugation. Witnessing the murder of his sons was designed to crush his spirit, erasing his lineage and future hope. The immediate act of blinding then condemned him to live forever with that final, horrific image seared into his memory, unable to ever physically see the land he lost or the faces of his conquerors, yet forever 'seeing' the pain. Bound with brass, he became a symbol of Judah's utterly defeated state, dragged off to Babylon as a stark monument to divine judgment against persistent rebellion and covenant disobedience. This verse powerfully illustrates the severe consequences of turning away from God, fulfilling centuries of prophetic warnings about exile and desolation, marking a painful transition from national independence to forced captivity.