2 Kings 25

2 Kings · Chapter 25

2 Kings 25:18

1And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.2And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.3And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.4And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.5And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.6So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.7And 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.8And 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:9And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire.10And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.11Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.12But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.13And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.14And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.15And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.16The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.17The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.18And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:19And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:20And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:21And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.22And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.23And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.24And 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.25But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.26And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.27And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;28And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;29And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.30And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:The captain of the guard also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of second rank, and the three doorkeepers.And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold:

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he tookוַיִּקַּ֣חvai-yi-KACHH3947G
to take: take

לָקַח (la.qach) : take 1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take, take in the hand 1a2) to take and carry along 1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away 1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept 1a5) to take up or upon, put upon 1a6) to fetch 1a7) to take, lead, conduct 1a8) to take, capture, seize 1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be taken away, be removed …

[the] chief ofרַב־rav-H7227B
chief

רַב (rav) captain, chief Aramaic equivalent: rav.re.van (רַבְרְבָן "noble" H7261)

[the] bodyguardsטַבָּחִ֗יםta-ba-CHIMH2876
guard

טַבָּח (tab.bach) 1) executioner, cook, bodyguard, guardsman 1a) cook (who also killed the animal for food) 1b) guardsmen, bodyguard Aramaic equivalent: tab.bach (טַבָּח "guardsman" H2877)

Seraiahשְׂרָיָה֙se-ra-YAHH8304H
Seraiah

שְׂרָיָהוּ (se.ra.yah) A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.25.18; son of: Azariah (H5838L); father of: Jehozadak (H3087) and Ezra (H5830) § Seraiah = "Jehovah is ruler" 1) the scribe or secretary of David 2) son of Azariah, father of Jehozadak, and the chief priest in the reign of king Zedekiah of Judah and at the time of the capture of Jerusalem 3) son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite and one of the men who went to Gedaliah, the governor over Judah appointed by Nebuchadnezzar, and gave their oath to serve the king of Babylon …

[the] priest ofכֹּהֵ֣ןko-HENH3548
priest

כֹּהֵן (ko.hen) 1) priest, principal officer or chief ruler 1a) priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah) 1b) pagan priests 1c) priests of Jehovah 1d) Levitical priests 1e) Zadokite priests 1f) Aaronic priests 1g) the high priest Aramaic equivalent: ka.hen (כָּהֵן "priest" H3549)

the headהָרֹ֔אשׁha-ROSHH7218HNo entry
Zephaniahצְפַנְיָ֖הוּtze-fan-YA-huH6846G
Zephaniah

צְפַנְיָהוּ (tse.phan.yah) A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.25.18; son of: Maaseiah (H4641X) § Zephaniah = "Jehovah has treasured" 1) the 9th in order of the 12 minor prophets; descendant of king Hezekiah of Judah and prophet in the time of king Josiah of Judah 2) son of Maaseiah and second priest in the reign of king Zedekiah of Judah; succeeded Jehoiada and an officer of the temple; slain at Riblah on the capture of Jerusalem 3) father of Josiah and Hen in the time of the prophet Zechariah 4) a Levite

a priestכֹּהֵ֣ןko-HENH3548
priest

כֹּהֵן (ko.hen) 1) priest, principal officer or chief ruler 1a) priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah) 1b) pagan priests 1c) priests of Jehovah 1d) Levitical priests 1e) Zadokite priests 1f) Aaronic priests 1g) the high priest Aramaic equivalent: ka.hen (כָּהֵן "priest" H3549)

secondמִשְׁנֶ֑הmish-NEHH4932H
second

מִשְׁנֶה (mish.neh) 1) double, copy, second, repetition 1a) double 1b) copy (of law) 1c) second (in order) 1c1) second rank 1c2) second in age 1d) second quarter or district

[the] threeשְׁלֹ֖שֶׁתshe-LO-shetH7969
three

שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) 1) three, triad 1a) 3, 300, third Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)

[the] keepers ofשֹׁמְרֵ֥יsho-me-REIH8104H
to keep: obey

שָׁמַר (sha.mar) : obey/observe 1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to keep, have charge of 1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life 1a2a) watch, watchman (participle) 1a3) to watch for, wait for 1a4) to watch, observe 1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory) 1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain 1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow) 1a8) to keep, preserve, protect 1a9) to keep, reserve 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware 1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain 1b3) to be kept, be guarded …

the thresholdהַסַּֽף׃ha-SAFH5592B
threshold

סַף (saph) 1) threshold, sill 1a) threshold, sill, door-keeper

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.