The First Deportation to Babylon

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began his reign in Jerusalem, and he reigned for three months. During this period, the text states he did evil in the sight of the Lord, following the actions of his father (2 Kings 24:8-9). While Jehoiachin was king, the servants of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against Jerusalem and besieged the city. Nebuchadnezzar arrived at the city while his servants were still besieging it (2 Kings 24:10-11).

Jehoiachin went out to the king of Babylon, accompanied by his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign. Nebuchadnezzar carried out all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, cutting in pieces the gold vessels which Solomon, king of Israel, had made (2 Kings 24:12-13). The text does not say how long the process of dismantling the vessels took.

Nebuchadnezzar carried away all Jerusalem, including all the princes and all the mighty men of valor, totaling ten thousand captives, along with all the craftsmen and smiths. The text states that none remained except the poorest people of the land. He carried Jehoiachin, the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officers, and the mighty of the land into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon (2 Kings 24:14-16). The king of Babylon then made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17).