They secretly fled but found only dire consequences.
In this scene, Scripture describes the catastrophic moment when the Babylonian forces overcame the defenses of Jerusalem. The verse states, “Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls which was by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.” (2 Kings 25:4). This “city” is Jerusalem, located in the southern highlands of the ancient territory of Judah. The reference to the gate near the king’s garden indicates a known royal section inside Jerusalem’s fortifications, perhaps connected closely to King Zedekiah’s palace. The Chaldeans, originating from the region of Babylon (in what is now southern Iraq), maintained siege lines and surrounded the city, forcing the defenders to attempt a desperate nighttime escape. Their route through the Arabah—an extensive desert valley running from the vicinity of the Dead Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba—represented a final hope of fleeing their oppressors.
When the verse says, “Then the city was broken into…” (2 Kings 25:4), it shows that Jerusalem’s security had finally collapsed. King Zedekiah, who reigned from about 597 BC to 586 BC, was the last king of Judah before the Babylonian captivity. His forces had resisted the Chaldeans, but the moment of defeat had arrived, fulfilling earlier prophecies about Jerusalem’s downfall (Jeremiah 39:4). In the midst of the turmoil, the men of war sneaked out under cover of darkness, hoping to save themselves from immediate capture. Yet, as the verse notes, “…though the Chaldeans were all around the city…” (2 Kings 25:4), escape was extraordinarily difficult.
It is notable how the people used an exit by the king’s garden, an area likely located on the eastern side of the city, which could have provided a more secluded way out. In a broader sense, this verse provides a stark reminder of the consequences of defying God’s guidance, a theme later echoed in the New Testament with references to impending judgment upon Jerusalem (Luke 21:20). Even amidst the chaos, God’s sovereignty is evident, demonstrating that human attempts to evade divine judgment are futile unless they turn in repentance and faith.
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2 Kings 25:4 meaning
In this scene, Scripture describes the catastrophic moment when the Babylonian forces overcame the defenses of Jerusalem. The verse states, “Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls which was by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.” (2 Kings 25:4). This “city” is Jerusalem, located in the southern highlands of the ancient territory of Judah. The reference to the gate near the king’s garden indicates a known royal section inside Jerusalem’s fortifications, perhaps connected closely to King Zedekiah’s palace. The Chaldeans, originating from the region of Babylon (in what is now southern Iraq), maintained siege lines and surrounded the city, forcing the defenders to attempt a desperate nighttime escape. Their route through the Arabah—an extensive desert valley running from the vicinity of the Dead Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba—represented a final hope of fleeing their oppressors.
When the verse says, “Then the city was broken into…” (2 Kings 25:4), it shows that Jerusalem’s security had finally collapsed. King Zedekiah, who reigned from about 597 BC to 586 BC, was the last king of Judah before the Babylonian captivity. His forces had resisted the Chaldeans, but the moment of defeat had arrived, fulfilling earlier prophecies about Jerusalem’s downfall (Jeremiah 39:4). In the midst of the turmoil, the men of war sneaked out under cover of darkness, hoping to save themselves from immediate capture. Yet, as the verse notes, “…though the Chaldeans were all around the city…” (2 Kings 25:4), escape was extraordinarily difficult.
It is notable how the people used an exit by the king’s garden, an area likely located on the eastern side of the city, which could have provided a more secluded way out. In a broader sense, this verse provides a stark reminder of the consequences of defying God’s guidance, a theme later echoed in the New Testament with references to impending judgment upon Jerusalem (Luke 21:20). Even amidst the chaos, God’s sovereignty is evident, demonstrating that human attempts to evade divine judgment are futile unless they turn in repentance and faith.