New International Version
2 Kings 25:24
24Gedaliah 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.”
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- 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
22Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. 23When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. 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.” 25In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. 26At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.
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 14:11She said, “Then let the king invoke the Lord his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.” “As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
- 2 Samuel 19:23So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king promised him on oath.
- Jeremiah 40:9Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.
- Ezekiel 33:24“Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’
- Jeremiah 43:6They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women, the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah along with them.
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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