2 Kings 25:22
in 2 Kings 25Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over the people he had left behind in the land of Judah.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as for the people that 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.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 25
Commentary
7 notes on this verseMade Gedaliah - ruler - This was no regal dignity; he was only a sort of hind or overseer, appointed to regulate the husbandmen.
This site's exposition
he made Gedaliah the son
on 2 Kings 25:22-24
Gedaliah's father Ahikam had kept Jeremiah from being put to death at Jer 26:24, and his grandfather Shaphan was the scribe who read the newly found book of the law before Josiah at 22:8-10, three generations serving the same prophetic word across the kingdom's last decades. Gedaliah's oath to the captains, fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees, dwell in the land, matches Jeremiah's own counsel at Jer 27 and 29 to submit and seek the city's peace rather than resist. A family with a record of protecting God's word governs the ruin it could not prevent.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
His father Ahikam was one that countenanced and protected Jeremiah when the princes had vowed his death, Jer. xxvi. It is probable that this Gedaliah, by the advice of Jeremiah, had gone over the Chaldeans, and had conducted himself so well that the king of Babylon entrusted him with the government.
) that had weathered the storm, and (which was no small favour at this time, Jer. xlv. 5 ) had their lives given them for a prey. What a good posture they were put into.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And as for the people that remained,.... That were left in the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen; over these the king of Babylon made Gedaliah governor, to whom the captains, with their scattered troops, came, and submitted for a time; of whom; see Gill on Jer 40:7; see Gill on Jer 40:8; see Gill on Jer 40:9.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Gedaliah was Jeremiah's friend (Jer 26:24), and having, by the prophet's counsel, probably fled from the city as abandoned of God, he surrendered himself to the conqueror (Jer 38:2, 17), and being promoted to the government of Judea, fixed his provincial court at Mizpeh. He was well qualified to surmount the difficulties of ruling at such a crisis.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
We may be allowed to conjecture that Jeremiah, in gratitude for Ahikam’s service to himself Jer 26:24, recommended his son Gedaliah to Nebuzaradan, and through him to Nebuchadnezzar, for the office of governor.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָעָ֗ם | vehaam | and the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַנִּשְׁאָר֙ | hanishar | who remained | H7604 → | 133 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִשְׁאִ֔יר | hishir | he left behind | H7604 → | 133 times |
| נְבֽוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֖ר | nevukhadnetzar | Nebuchadnezzar | H5019 → | 60 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶ֑ל | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| וַיַּפְקֵ֣ד | vaiyafked | and he appointed | H6485 → | 303 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | over them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ | gedalyahu | Gedaliah | H1436 → | 32 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֲחִיקָ֥ם | ʾachikam | Ahikam | H296 → | 20 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שָׁפָֽן׃ פ | shafan | Shaphan | H8227 → | 34 times |
וְהָעָ֗םand the people
vehaamH5971 →1873 times
הַנִּשְׁאָר֙who remained
hanisharH7604 →133 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הִשְׁאִ֔ירhe left behind
hishirH7604 →133 times
נְבֽוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֖רNebuchadnezzar
nevukhadnetzarH5019 →60 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶ֑לBabylon
bavelH894 →262 times
וַיַּפְקֵ֣דand he appointed
vaiyafkedH6485 →303 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֔םover them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּGedaliah
gedalyahuH1436 →32 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אֲחִיקָ֥םAhikam
ʾachikamH296 →20 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
שָׁפָֽן׃ פShaphan
shafanH8227 →34 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 22:12and commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king:
it leads to
- Jeremiah 26:24
Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 26:24
Through
2 Chronicles 34:20and commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king:
it leads to
- 2 Kings 22:12
and commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king:
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 26:22
Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor along with some other men.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 22:12
Through
Jeremiah 41:2Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 25:25
In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down and killed Gedaliah, along with the…
- Jeremiah 40:5
But before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, “Return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him…
- 2 Kings 25:25
Through
Jeremiah 39:14had Jeremiah brought from the courtyard of the guard, and they turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So Jeremiah remained among his own people.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 38:28
And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
- Jeremiah 38:28
Through
Jeremiah 26:24Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 1:18–19
Now behold, this day I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of…
- Jeremiah 40:5–7
But before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, “Return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him…
- Jeremiah 1:18–19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 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 (…
- 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; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.