The first Babylonian attack on Jerusalem (2 Kings 24:8-17)

Before King Jehoiakim's reign ended he had attempted to rebel against the increasing Babylonian control of Judah. The consequence was that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia, decided to invade Judah with an army and just as this invasion was about to take place, Jehoiakim died. His young son, Jehoiachin, became king as the Babylonian army invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem in 598 B.C. Jehoiachin faced an imposs-ible situation and surrendered to the Babylonians. Because of the Jewish surrender, the Babylonians did not destroy the city and contented themselves with taking a huge amount of loot and ten thousand of the leading men of the city, including the young king, who were forced to go back with the Babylonians as prisoners in 597 B.C.

The city was left stripped of its wealth and depleted of the best of its citizens and fighting men, and a brother of Jehoiakim, named Zedekiah, was made a puppet king to rule over Judah but subject to the Babylo-nians.

2 Kings 24: 18-20 gives the very brief comment of the historical writer on the reign of Zedekiah. As the king whose reign ended in the destruc¬tion of Jerusalem, he was judged by the writer to be a sinner who brought God's anger on Jerusalem and Judah.