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2 Kings 25:23-25

Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, “Don’t be afraid because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah, so that he died, with the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.

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2 Kings 25:23-25 sits inside this longer paragraph.

The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold; and out of the city he took an officer who was set over the men of war; and five men of those who saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe, the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the city. Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. The king of Babylon attacked them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land. As for the people who were left 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, governor. Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, “Don’t be afraid because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah, so that he died, with the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah. All the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces, arose, and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; and he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon, and changed his prison garments. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life; and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him from the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.

    Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said to them, “Don’t be afraid because of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

    But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah, so that he died, with the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.

  • KJV King James Version

    And 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.

    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.

    But 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.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.

    And Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said unto them: 'Fear not because of the servants of the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.'

    But 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 Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah.

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Cross-references (12)

  • Jeremiah 40:7-9 (v23) Now when all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah…
  • Zechariah 7:5 (v25) “Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for…
  • Zechariah 8:19 (v25) Yahweh of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy and gladness, and…
  • Jeremiah 40:15–41:15 (v25) Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, “Please let me go, and I will kill Ishmael the son of…
  • Joshua 18:26 (v23) Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
Show all 12 cross-references
  • 2 Samuel 14:11 (v24) Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He…
  • 2 Samuel 19:23 (v24) The king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” The king swore to him.
  • 2 Kings 11:1 (v25) Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring.
  • Jeremiah 40:9-10 (v24) Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the…
  • Jeremiah 40:11-12 (v23) Likewise when all the Jews who were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and who were in all the countries, heard that…
  • Jeremiah 43:6 (v24) the men, and the women, and the children, and the king’s daughters, and every person who Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with…
  • Ezekiel 33:24-29 (v24) “Son of man, those who inhabit the waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we…

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (16 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v24 That is, he did exhort them in the Name…

That is, he did exhort them in the Name of the Lord, according to Jeremiah’s counsel, to submit themselves to Nebuchadnezzar, seeing it was the revealed will of the Lord.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv23–25 2Ki 25:23 And when all the captains of the…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv23–25 The captains of the armies, which escaped away when…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On v25 And it came to pass in the thirty and…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv24–25 Swear - Assured them by his promise and oath,…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv23–25 Verse 23. To Mizpah] This is said to have…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv23–25 2Ki 25:23. When all the captains of the armies…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv23–25 The captains of the armies - i. e., the…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v25 Ishmael . . . of the seed royal, came,…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv23–25 23. The captains of the armies — The men…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv23–25 23. And [R.V. Now] when all the captains ……
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv23–25 (23) The captains of the armies.—Rather, the army captains;…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv23–25 And when all the captains of the armies; rather,…
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v25 seventh month
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v25 the seventh month
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv23, 25 25:23-24 Because Gedaliah came from a family experienced in…
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