Judah Falls, Aug 15
- Dates
- 586 BC
Judah, the southern kingdom, falls to Nebuchadnezzar after a prolonged siege of 17 months leads to starvation. Zedekiah tries to escape but is captured and taken to Babylon.
In detail
When Israel sinned the Lord allowed the Assyrians to bring judgments against them (Isa. 10:5, 6), and now He permitted the Chaldeans to bring judgment upon a people "more righteous" than themselves (Hab. 1:6—13). The Hebrews were not all carried to Babylon at one time. The earliest captivity probably took place in 605 b.c. (see on 2 Kings 24:1 cf. Dan. 1:1—6). Other captivities were in Nebuchadnezzar's 7th year, 598 b.c. (Jer. 52:28), his 8th year, 597 b.c. (2 Kings 24:12—16), his 18th year, 587 b.c. (Jer. 52:29), his 19th year, 586 b.c. (2 Kings 25:7, 8, 11), and his 23d year, 582 b.c. (Jer. 52:30).
Bible passages
- 2 Kings 25:1-21
1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. 2 And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. …
- 2 Chronicles 36:15-21
15 And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy. 17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. …
- Jeremiah 52:4-30
4 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. 5 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 6 And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. …
Text of the King James Version.