The Meaning of 2 Kings 25:4 Explained

2 Kings 25:4

KJV: And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.

YLT: then the city is broken up, and all the men of war go by night the way of the gate, between the two walls that are by the garden of the king, and the Chaldeans are against the city round about, and the king goeth the way of the plain.

Darby: And the city was broken into; and all the men of war fled by night, by the way of the gate between the two walls, which leads to the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about); and they went the way toward the plain.

ASV: Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about); and the king went by the way of the Arabah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the city  was broken up,  and all the men  of war  [fled] by night  by the way  of the gate  between two walls,  which [is] by the king's  garden:  (now the Chaldees  [were] against the city  round about:  ) and [the king] went  the way  toward the plain. 

What does 2 Kings 25:4 Mean?

Study Notes

And the city
Times of the Gentiles. 2 Kings 25:1-21 ; Daniel 2:29-45 ; Luke 21:24 ; Revelation 16:19 .

Context Summary

2 Kings 25:1-12 - The Captivity Made Complete
As the final catastrophe approaches, the historian becomes more minute in his dates, marking the month and the day. From Ezekiel 24:1 we gather that on the very day when the foe made his appearance before Jerusalem, the fact was revealed to Ezekiel in Babylon, and the fate of the city made clear. Jeremiah besought Zedekiah to submit, but to no purpose, Jeremiah 38:17. The siege lasted eighteen months, and its calamities may be gathered from Lamentations 2:20-21; Lamentations 4:3-20. Finally famine triumphed, Lamentations 4:8; Lamentations 4:10; Ezekiel 5:10. A third of the population perished of hunger and plague, Ezekiel 5:12.
Such is the divine judgment upon sin. God pleads long with man, but if man will not turn, then God whets His sword, and becomes terrible in His retribution. Amid all this catastrophe, however, we recall the tears of the book of Lamentations, like those of Jesus afterward. There is that in God which sorrows as He chastises, and causes Him to say, "How shall I make thee as Admah, and set thee as Zeboim?" Deuteronomy 29:23; Hosea 11:8. Notice how, in putting out the eyes of Zedekiah, two prophecies which appeared to be contradictory were reconciled and fulfilled, Jeremiah 32:5; Jeremiah 34:3; and Ezekiel 12:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 25

1  Jerusalem is besieged
4  Zedekiah taken, his sons slain, his eyes put out
8  Nebuzaradan defaces the city, exiles the remnant, except a few poor laborers;
13  and carries away the treasures
18  The nobles are slain at Riblah
22  Gedaliah, who was over those who remained, being slain, the rest flee into Egypt
27  Evil-Merodach advances Jehoiachin in his court

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 25:4 mean?

And was broken through the city [wall] and all the men of war [fled] at night by way of the gate between two walls which was by garden the king's and even though the Chaldeans [were] still encamped against the city all around and [the king] went of the plain
וַתִּבָּקַ֣ע הָעִ֗יר וְכָל־ אַנְשֵׁ֨י הַמִּלְחָמָ֤ה ׀ הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ דֶּ֜רֶךְ שַׁ֣עַר ׀ בֵּ֣ין הַחֹמֹתַ֗יִם אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־ גַּ֣ן הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְכַשְׂדִּ֥ים עַל־ הָעִ֖יר סָבִ֑יב וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ הָעֲרָבָֽה

וַתִּבָּקַ֣ע  And  was  broken  through 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּקַע  
Sense: to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.
הָעִ֗יר  the  city  [wall] 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אַנְשֵׁ֨י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הַמִּלְחָמָ֤ה ׀  of  war 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙  [fled]  at  night 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
דֶּ֜רֶךְ  by  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
שַׁ֣עַר ׀  of  the  gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
בֵּ֣ין  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
הַחֹמֹתַ֗יִם  two  walls 
Parse: Article, Noun, fd
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
אֲשֶׁר֙  which  was 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
גַּ֣ן  garden 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: גַּן 
Sense: garden, enclosure.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king's 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְכַשְׂדִּ֥ים  and  even  though  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
עַל־  [were]  still  encamped  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָעִ֖יר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
סָבִ֑יב  all  around 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ  and  [the  king]  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הָעֲרָבָֽה  of  the  plain 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲרָבָה  
Sense: desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness.