He spoke kindly to him, and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon.
Parallel translations
- WEB and he spoke kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon,
- KJV And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;
- BSB And he spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and set his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
- NASB and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon.
- NLT He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Babylonian king spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and honored him above the other captive kings. The Davidic king was lifted up in a foreign court.
Overview
Evil-merodach treated Jehoiachin with favor, giving him a place of honor above the other vassal kings exiled in Babylon. This elevation of David's descendant, even in a pagan court, testifies to God's ongoing faithfulness to His covenant with David. It offers a quiet sign of grace amid judgment, anticipating the day God's people would be raised up and seated in honor through their King.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Dan 2:37You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory;
- Jer 27:6–11Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and I have also given the animals of the field to him to serve him.
- Dan 5:18–19You, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 25:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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