2 Kings 24:12
in 2 Kings 24Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials all surrendered to the king of Babylon. So in the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon took him captive.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
KJV
And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
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This verse in 2 Kings 24
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAnd Jehoiachin king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon,.... Not to fight with him, but to submit to him, and to surrender the city to him, and be at his mercy: he and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers; the royal family, courtiers, and nobles: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign; Of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, and which was the eighth of the first captivity, and from whence the seventy years' captivity were reckoned.
This site's exposition
the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
on 2 Kings 24:10-12
Jehoiachin surrenders with "his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials". Gill dates the capture to the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign and reckons the seventy years of captivity from this point. The whole royal household goes out together, the pattern the exile keeps to the book's last chapter.
This site's exposition
in the eighth year
Jeremiah 52:28 dates a deportation to the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, and Albert Barnes explains the one-year gap as two ways of counting the years. Adam Clarke reads the surrender as a bid for better terms. Jehoiachin was taken captive with his household.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
There is an excellent and significant illustration in the book of Kings, showing how the sin of fornication is prevented by an attack of pride.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Had he made his peace with God, and taken the method that Hezekiah did in the like case, he needed not to have feared the king of Babylon, but might have held out with courage, honour and success. But wanting the faith and piety of an Israelite, he had not the resolution of a man.
He and his royal family, his mother and wives, his servants and princes, delivered themselves up prisoners of war; this was the consequence of their being servants of sin.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
But Nebuchadnezzar's clemency towards the kings of Judah was now exhausted, so that Jehoiachin was sent as a captive to Babylon, according to Jeremiah's prediction (Jer 22:24), accompanied by the queen mother (the same who had held that dignity under Jehoahaz) (2Ki 23:31), his generals, and officers.
Jehoiachin - went out - He saw that it was useless to attempt to defend himself any longer; and he therefore surrendered himself, hoping to obtain better terms.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The eighth year - Jeremiah calls it the seventh year Jer 52:28, a statement which implies only a different manner of counting regnal years.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Yehoyachin king of Yehudah, came out to the king of Bavel. That he do to him as he wishes, and not for war. 6 Nevuchadnetzar, at this time, did not come to destroy Yerusholayim. He only demanded that Yehoyachin be handed over to him. See Vayikra Rabboh:6.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּצֵ֞א | vaiyetze' | and he went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| יְהוֹיָכִ֤ין | yehoyakhin | Jehoiachin | H3078 → | 10 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יְהוּדָה֙ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְאִמּ֔וֹ | veimo | and mother his | H517 → | 220 times |
| וַעֲבָדָ֖יו | vaavadav | and servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| וְשָׂרָ֣יו | vesarav | and officials his | H8269 → | 421 times |
| וְסָֽרִיסָ֑יו | vesarisav | and court-officials his | H5631 → | 42 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֤ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֹתוֹ֙ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| בִּשְׁנַ֥ת | bishnat | in year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| שְׁמֹנֶ֖ה | shemoneh | eight | H8083 → | 109 times |
| לְמָלְכֽוֹ׃ | lemalekho | of reigning his | H4427 → | 348 times |
וַיֵּצֵ֞אand he went out
vaiyetze'H3318 →1067 times
יְהוֹיָכִ֤יןJehoiachin
yehoyakhinH3078 →10 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
יְהוּדָה֙Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶ֔לBabylon
bavelH894 →262 times
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וְאִמּ֔וֹand mother his
veimoH517 →220 times
וַעֲבָדָ֖יוand servants his
vaavadavH5650 →799 times
וְשָׂרָ֣יוand officials his
vesaravH8269 →421 times
וְסָֽרִיסָ֑יוand court-officials his
vesarisavH5631 →42 times
וַיִּקַּ֤חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶ֔לBabylon
bavelH894 →262 times
בִּשְׁנַ֥תin year
bishnatH8141 →877 times
שְׁמֹנֶ֖הeight
shemonehH8083 →109 times
לְמָלְכֽוֹ׃of reigning his
lemalekhoH4427 →348 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Kings 25:27On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he released King Jehoiachin of Judah from…
it leads to
- Genesis 40:20
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he held a feast for all his officials, and in their presence he lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
- Jeremiah 52:31–34
On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the first year of the reign of Evil-merodach king of Babylon, he pardoned…
- Genesis 40:13
Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer.
- Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.
- Genesis 40:20
Through
Jeremiah 52:28These are the people Nebuchadnezzar carried away: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;
it leads to
- 2 Kings 24:12–16
Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials all surrendered to the king of Babylon. So in the eighth year of his reign, the king of Babylon took him…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 24:12–16
Through
2 Chronicles 36:10In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned Jehoiachin and brought him to Babylon, along with the articles of value from the house of the LORD. And he made Jehoiachin’s relative Zedekiah king over Judah and…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 37:1
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah son of Josiah the king of Judah, and he reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim.
- Jeremiah 37:1
Through
Jeremiah 24:1After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, as well as the officials of Judah and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:2
(This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)
- 2 Chronicles 36:10
In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned Jehoiachin and brought him to Babylon, along with the articles of value from the house of the LORD. And he made Jehoiachin’s relative Zedekiah king over Judah and…
- Jeremiah 29:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
What the record shows
1 entry- Jehoiachin's capture (597 BC (2 Adar))undisputed
Babylonian Chronicle BM 21946
verse:2ki.24.12
About 2 Kings

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonExileJehoiachinCarried to Babylon after three months' reign; the captive king lifted from prison to the king's table in the book's final scene —…
- PlaceBabil Governorate (archaeological site)BabylonAncient Mesopotamian city and imperial capital; site of the Israelite exile and a recurring biblical symbol of worldly power.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 5.12; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
