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(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Kings 25:22–30, “And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler. And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you. But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees. And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.”
Nebuchadnezzar took the vast majority of the people away from Judah and took them into Exile. Never the less, he left a few of the very poor people behind to keep the Land and make sure that it wouldn’t decay into wilderness and become totally useless. The few poor people in the Land were left with someone in charge so that they would be able to work together and not be prey to anyone who came and tried to plunder the little that had been left behind. Even though, there weren’t enough people to properly mount a rebellion against the Babylonians, the king appointed a man called Gedaliah as the governor of the province. He was responsible to the Babylonians for everything that happened in the Land. However, some of the local people decided to assassinate Gedaliah and they ran away to Egypt. After Nebuchadnezzar died he was replaced by Evilmerodach, his son in law, who only reigned for a few years. This king had a different policy towards Jehoiachin and let his out of prison so that he could live in freedom in Babylon and be supported by the public purse.
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