And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.
The king of Babylon struck them down and killed them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken away from their homeland as captives.
This verse describes the final devastating blow when Babylon's king executed Judah's leaders and carried the people away from their homeland into exile.
📚 Historical Context
This verse marks the end of the kingdom of Judah in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem after a long siege. Riblah was Nebuchadnezzar's military headquarters in Syria, where he executed many of Judah's nobles and officials before deporting the survivors to Babylon. This began the 70-year Babylonian exile, fulfilling the warnings of prophets like Jeremiah about the consequences of turning away from God.
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