English Standard Version
2 Kings 25:24
24And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you."
2 Kings 25:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babylonian officials meant them no harm. “Don’t be afraid of them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you,” he promised.
Context of 2 Kings 25:24
22And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor. 23Now when all the captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, 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. And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you." 25But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and put him to death along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
Read all of 2 Kings 252 Kings 25:24 word by word
וַיִּשָּׁבַ֨ע לָהֶ֤ם גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ וּלְאַנְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם אַל־תִּֽירְא֖וּ מֵעַבְדֵ֣י הַכַּשְׂדִּ֑ים שְׁב֣וּ בָאָ֗רֶץ וְעִבְד֛וּ אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל וְיִטַ֥ב לָכֶֽם׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Gedaliahגְּדַלְיָ֫הוּgedalyâh gedalyâhû · GedaliahH1436
- swareשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
- to them, and to their menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto them, Fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- not to be the servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- of the Chaldeesכַּשְׂדִּיםkaώdîy kaώdîymâh · ChaldeaH3778
- dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Babylonבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- and it shall be wellיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
Cross-references for 2 Kings 25:24
- 2 Samuel 14:11Then she said, "Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed." He said, "As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."
- 2 Samuel 19:23And the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king gave him his oath.
- Jeremiah 40:9Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
- Ezekiel 33:24"Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, 'Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.'
- Jeremiah 43:6the men, the women, the children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 25:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Gedaliah sware to them - He pledged himself in the most solemn manner to encourage and protect them.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24As rebels against the Babylonian king, their lives were forfeit. Gedaliah pledged himself to them by oath, that, if they gave no further cause of complaint, their past offences should be forgiven.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-30Verses 22-30 The king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah to be the governor and protector of the Jews left their land. But the things of their peace were so hidden from their eyes, that they knew not when they were well off. Ishmael basely slew him and all his friends, and, against the counsel of Jeremiah, the rest went to Egypt. Thus was a full end made of them by their own folly and disobedience; see Jeremiah chap. 40 to 45 Jehoiachin was released out of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-24Gedaliah's family had experience in civic matters, so people initially accepted his role as governor (see also Jeremiah 40:1–12). A seal impression found at Lachish shows Gedaliah's importance as the officer "over the house" (see study note on 1 Kings 4:6). The prophet Jeremiah, along with army commanders, went to Mizpah to support Gedaliah (Jeremiah 40:6). This Mizpah was a border town in Benjamin and was known in Israelite history as a place for…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2622-26. Nebuchadnezzar ... made Gedaliah ... ruler--The people permitted to remain were, besides the king's daughters, a few court attendants and others (Jr 40:7) too insignificant to be removed, only the peasantry who could till the land and dress the vineyards. Gedaliah was Jeremiah's friend (Jr 26:24), and having, by the prophet's counsel, probably fled from the city as abandoned of God, he surrendered himself to the conqueror (Jr 38:2, 17), and being…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 25:24
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries