Nebuchadnezzar

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: From Akkadian Nabû-kudurri-uṣur, often rendered “Nabu, protect my heir/boundary stone,” reflected in Hebrew as נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר.
• Period/Era: Exilic (Neo-Babylonian Empire, early 6th century BC)
• Main References: 2 Kings 24–25; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 25; 27–29; 39; 52; Daniel 1–4
• Key Connections: Babylon; Judah’s last kings (Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah); Judean exiles including Daniel and his companions

Who was Nebuchadnezzar?

Nebuchadnezzar (Nebuchadnezzar II) was the king of Babylon who expanded imperial control over the Levant.
In the Old Testament he is the foreign ruler who besieged Jerusalem, deported Judeans, and ended the Davidic monarchy’s rule in the land.
Prophetic books present him as an instrument of judgment against Judah within the covenantal history of exile.
Daniel portrays him as a powerful monarch confronted with divine sovereignty over kings.

Key Events & Achievements

• Conquest of Judah: Subdued Jerusalem and began deportations to Babylon during Jehoiakim’s reign (2 Kings 24:1; Daniel 1:1–3).
• Fall of Jerusalem: Captured the city, destroyed the temple, and exiled much of the population under Zedekiah (2 Kings 25:8–12).
• Imperial Authority in Exile: Installed governance over the remaining land and maintained control over deported communities in Babylon (2 Kings 25:22–26; Jeremiah 29:1–7).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Nebuchadnezzar’s biblical legacy emphasizes that Israel’s exile occurred within God’s oversight of international powers and royal authority.

Key Verse

"Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:" — Ezra 1:1, ESV