2 Kings 25:8 kjv
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
2 Kings 25:8 nkjv
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
2 Kings 25:8 niv
On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
2 Kings 25:8 esv
In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month ? that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon ? Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
2 Kings 25:8 nlt
On August 14 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem.
2 Kings 25 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 25:9 | He burned the house of the Lord and the king's house... every great house he burned with fire. | Destruction of Temple & Jerusalem follows. |
| Jer 52:12 | In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month… came Nebuzaradan... into Jerusalem. | Parallel account; slight date variation (event vs arrival). |
| Jer 52:13 | He burned the house of the Lord... | Confirming Temple's destruction. |
| 2 Chr 36:19 | They burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem... | Historical fulfillment of judgment. |
| Lev 26:30 | I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars... | Prophetic warnings of land desolation. |
| Deut 28:52 | ...besieged in all your towns throughout all your land... | Fulfillment of curses for disobedience. |
| Jer 7:12-14 | ...go now to My place that was in Shiloh... So will I do to the house that is called by My name... | God abandoning His dwelling due to sin. |
| Jer 25:9 | Behold, I will send and take all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant... | God using Nebuchadnezzar as His instrument. |
| Jer 27:6-7 | Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, My servant... | Nebuchadnezzar's role as God's instrument. |
| Isa 10:5-6 | Ah, Assyria, the rod of My anger... I send him against a godless nation... | God's use of foreign powers for judgment. |
| Hab 1:6 | For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation... | God raising Babylon for judgment. |
| Lam 2:1-2 | How the Lord in His anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! | Mourning the destruction of Jerusalem. |
| Eze 5:11-12 | ...I also will cut you down. My eye will not spare you, nor will I have any pity. | Consequences for profaning the sanctuary. |
| Ps 74:6-7 | All its carved wood they broke down with axes... They set your sanctuary on fire... | Desecration and destruction of the Temple. |
| Ps 79:1 | O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple... | Lament over Jerusalem's desolation. |
| Zech 7:3-5 | ...should I weep in the fifth month and practice abstinence...? | Origin of mourning for the 5th month destruction. |
| Zech 8:19 | ...the fast of the fifth month and the fast of the seventh month... shall be seasons of joy and gladness... | Future restoration, changing fasts to feasts. |
| Dan 1:1-2 | ...Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it... | Daniel's contemporary account of Babylonian sieges. |
| Rom 9:17 | For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show My power in you..." | God's sovereignty over earthly rulers. |
| Joel 2:1 | ...for the day of the Lord is coming; indeed, it is near... | Divine judgment, a recurring theme. |
| Isa 39:6-7 | Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house... shall be carried to Babylon. | Prophecy of the Babylonian exile. |
| 2 Ki 24:20 | For because of the anger of the Lord it came to pass... that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. | Background to the final siege. |
2 Kings 25 verses
2 Kings 25 8 Meaning
This verse marks the precise date and arrival of Nebuzaradan, the commander of the Babylonian imperial guard, in Jerusalem during the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign. His arrival signified the commencement of the final, systematic destruction of Jerusalem and its holy Temple, bringing about the long-prophesied judgment and exile for the kingdom of Judah.
2 Kings 25 8 Context
This verse falls within the final chapters of 2 Kings, which document the irreversible decline and ultimate downfall of the southern kingdom of Judah. Chapter 25 narrates the third and final siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, begun due to King Zedekiah's rebellion against Babylon. Earlier verses describe the long siege, the city's famine, Zedekiah's attempted escape and capture, his sons being executed, and his own blinding. Verse 8 describes the precise timing of Nebuzaradan's arrival to systematically carry out the destruction that follows this defeat, leading to the burning of the Temple, the king's palace, and significant structures, the dismantling of the city walls, and the exile of the remaining populace. This climactic event fulfills centuries of prophetic warnings regarding Judah's persistent idolatry and disobedience to God's covenant.
2 Kings 25 8 Word analysis
- And in the fifth month: Hebrew b'ḥodesh haḥămîshî. Refers to the month of Av (Ab), which corresponds roughly to July/August. This month became a permanent mark of national tragedy for the Jewish people.
- on the seventh day of the month: Hebrew b'šiḇ‘â laḥōḏeš. Pinpoints the precise day. Jeremiah 52:12 states the tenth day, a slight chronological difference possibly indicating Nebuzaradan's arrival on the seventh and the full commencement of destruction on the tenth, or simply a scribal variance common in ancient texts for such detailed dating, not impacting the historical reality. This precision underscores the significance and historical veracity of the event.
- which is the nineteenth year: Hebrew shnat təsha‘-'eśreh. Refers to Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth regnal year. This precise dating establishes an external, verifiable historical anchor for biblical events within the chronology of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
- of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon: Hebrew ləmelech Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣar melech Bāḇel. Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC) was the most powerful ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, instrument of God's judgment on Judah. The double designation "King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon" emphasizes his supreme authority and position. Despite his pagan rule, Scripture frequently calls him "My servant" (Jer 25:9, 27:6), indicating God's sovereign control over even Gentile monarchs.
- came Nebuzaradan: Hebrew bāʾ Nəḇūzarʾăḏān. Nebuzaradan means "Nebo has given seed/offspring." He was Nebuchadnezzar's highly trusted chief commander. His coming implies not just arrival, but delegated authority for severe action.
- the captain of the guard: Hebrew rav-ṭabbāḥîm. Literally, "chief of the slaughterers" or "chief of the cooks." This was the title for the commander of the king's bodyguard and executioners. It signifies his immense power and the grim nature of his mission. His role involved implementing the king's most brutal commands, from executions to administering widespread destruction and deportation.
- a servant of the king of Babylon: Hebrew ʿeḇeḏ meleḵ-Bāḇel. Reinforces Nebuzaradan's position as acting directly on Nebuchadnezzar's behalf, ensuring that the king's will for the destruction of Jerusalem was fully executed.
- unto Jerusalem: Hebrew ʾel Yərušālayim. Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, the city of David, where the Temple stood. Its fate was directly tied to the spiritual state of its people. This destination signifies the climactic moment of divine judgment on the very heart of the covenant nation.
2 Kings 25 8 Bonus section
The precise date of Jerusalem's destruction in the "fifth month" (Av) became etched into Jewish memory, particularly through the annual fast of Tisha B'Av (the Ninth of Av), which commemorates not only this destruction by Nebuchadnezzar but also, tragically, the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in AD 70 on the same date. This striking parallel highlights a pattern of divine judgment linked to periods of national disobedience. Furthermore, the meticulous dating across biblical texts (2 Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) serves as powerful testimony to the historical reliability of the prophetic narrative, demonstrating that God’s Word concerning both warning and fulfillment is meticulously precise.
2 Kings 25 8 Commentary
2 Kings 25:8 is a poignant and historically precise marker of God's final judgment upon Judah. The verse meticulously details the chronological information (month, day, year) and the key figures (Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuzaradan) involved in Jerusalem's ultimate demise. It is not merely a record of an ancient defeat but a powerful theological statement: despite its perceived strength or sacred status, Jerusalem faced destruction due to generations of covenant unfaithfulness. The arrival of Nebuzaradan, "the captain of the guard," symbolizes the arrival of decisive, uncompromising judgment orchestrated by God Himself, even through the agency of pagan rulers, thereby highlighting His absolute sovereignty over all nations and events. This event confirmed the fulfillment of long-standing prophetic warnings and ushered in the Babylonian exile, a period of immense suffering but also profound spiritual reorientation for the Jewish people.