And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
He took away all of Jerusalem, all the princes, all the brave warriors, a total of ten thousand prisoners, and all the skilled workers and metalworkers. Only the poorest people of the land were left behind.
The writer is describing how the Babylonian king forcibly removed nearly everyone of importance and skill from Jerusalem, leaving only the poorest citizens behind.
📚 Historical Context
In 597 BC, during the reign of King Jehoiachin of Judah, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II invaded Jerusalem as part of his campaign to conquer the region. This deportation, known as the first exile, involved taking the royal family, military leaders, skilled workers, and about ten thousand people to Babylon, leaving only the poorest residents behind to maintain the land. This event fulfilled prophetic warnings from figures like Jeremiah, reflecting God's judgment on Judah for persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness.
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