At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
At that time - within three months after his accession to the throne; it was the spring of the year (2 Chronicles 36:10): so early did he indicate a feeling hostile to the interests of his Assyrian liege-lord, by forming a league with Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar sent his generals to besiege Jerusalem, as Jeremiah had foretold (Jer. 22:38; 24:30), and soon after followed in person. Convinced of the hopelessness of making any effectual resistance, Jehoiachin, going to the Camp of the besiegers, surrendered (2 Kings 24:12), in the expectation, probably, of being allowed to retain his throne as a vassal of the Assyrian empire. But Nebuchadnezzar's clemency toward the kings of Judah was now exhausted; so that Jehoiachin was sent as a captive to Babylon, according to Jeremiah's prediction (Jeremiah 22:24), accompanied by the queen-mother (the same who had held that dignity under Jehoahaz, 2 Kings 23:31), his generals, and officers. This happened in the eighth year of Nebuchaduezzar's reign, computing from the time when he was associated with his father in the government. Those that were left consisted chiefly of the poorer Sort of people and the unskilled workmen. The palace and the temple were ransacked. The smaller golden vessels had been taken on the first capture of Jerusalem, and placed by Nebuchadnezzar in the temple of his god, as tokens of victory, and used by Belshazzar at his impious feast, for the purpose of rewarding his army with these trophies, among which were, probably the golden candlesticks, ark etc. (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:7; Daniel 1:2). Now the gold plating was torn off all the larger temple furniture.