2 Raja-raja 25:4

25:4 The enemy broke through the city walls, ¹  and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. ²  They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king’s garden. ³  (The Babylonians were all around the city.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley. ⁴ 

2 Raja-raja 25:7

25:7 Zedekiah’s sons were executed while Zedekiah was forced to watch. ⁵  The king of Babylon ⁶  then had Zedekiah’s eyes put out, bound him in bronze chains, and carried him off to Babylon.

2 Raja-raja 25:9-12

25:9 He burned down the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house. ⁷  25:10 The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem. 25:11 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, deported the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. ⁸  25:12 But he ⁹  left behind some of the poor of the land and gave them fields and vineyards.

[25:4]  ¹ tn Heb “the city was breached.”

[25:4]  ² tn The Hebrew text is abrupt here: “And all the men of war by the night.” The translation attempts to capture the sense.

[25:4]  ³ sn The king’s garden is mentioned again in Neh 3:15 in conjunction with the pool of Siloam and the stairs that go down from the city of David. This would have been in the southern part of the city near the Tyropean Valley which agrees with the reference to the “two walls” which were probably the walls on the eastern and western hills.

[25:4]  ⁴ sn Heb “toward the Arabah.” The Arabah was the rift valley north and south of the Dead Sea. Here the intention was undoubtedly to escape across the Jordan to Moab or Ammon. It appears from Jer 40:14; 41:15 that the Ammonites were known to harbor fugitives from the Babylonians.

[25:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “were killed before his eyes.”

[25:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “and every large house he burned down with fire.”

[25:11]  ⁸ tc The MT has “the multitude.” But הֶהָמוֹן (hehamon) should probably be emended to הֶאָמוֹן (he’amon).

[25:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “the captain of the royal guard.” However, the subject is clear from the preceding and contemporary English style would normally avoid repeating the proper name and title.