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
This verse describes the first major deportation to Babylon in 597 BC when King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and took King Jehoiachin captive. The Babylonians strategically removed the educated, skilled, and influential people to prevent rebellion and to benefit from their expertise in Babylon. This was a common practice of ancient empires to weaken conquered territories.
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