Prepare a place to slaughter his children for the sins of their ancestors; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities. – Isaiah 14:21

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 12, 2020): Isaiah 14

Biblically, Nebuchadnezzar II is a complex character. We actually seem to have two Nebuchadnezzars presented for us to consider within the biblical story. The first is the one who Jeremiah calls “The Destroyer of Nations” (Jeremiah 4:7). This Nebuchadnezzar is the one who destroyed Judah and the surrounding area. He was a dynasty maker, a powerful king who uprooted the Assyrians and the Egyptians who went before him to take control of the Near East. He is a man who stalks you in your nightmares. At the mention of his name, young children run and hide. And it is this description of Nebuchadnezzar that dominates the biblical narrative.

We find the second Nebuchadnezzar only in the writing of Daniel. Daniel’s Nebuchadnezzar is a much more sympathetic individual and one who converts to Judaism before his death. Scholars argue about which is the true Nebuchadnezzar, and usually side with Jeremiah’s “Destroyer of Nations.” These scholars generally regard the first few chapters of the Book of Daniel as “historical fiction.” But both Nebuchadnezzars may be historical; just a powerful king viewed from different perspectives. Most of the Bible sees Nebuchadnezzar from a distance, and therefore only knows him from his Empire building actions. He is “The Destroyer of Nations,” as he takes everything he sees for himself. It is only Daniel that gets to see the king from a more personal perspective.

Prophecy is hard, but it would appear, if Nebuchadnezzar is the king that Isaiah speaks about in this prophecy, that Isaiah sees Nebuchadnezzar as “The Destroyer of Nations.” We don’t know that it is Nebuchadnezzar that Isaiah is prophesying about here, but the facts fit. Nebuchadnezzar left his kingdom to his son, Amel-Marduk. Amel-Marduk means “Man or Servant of Marduk,” a nod to the most powerful of Babylonian gods, Marduk. Amel- Marduk was not a good king, and he was assassinated by Neriglissar, the husband of Amel-Marduk’s sister. Neriglissar reigned four years before his own death. Neriglisser was succeeded by his son, Labashi-Marduk, or “May I not come to shame, O Marduk.” Labashi-Marduk would have been the grandchild of Nebuchadnezzar. He was a child when he ascended the throne of Babylon, and he was never given a chance to grow up. Labashi-Marduk was murdered after reigning as king for only nine months by Nabonidus, who ruled in his place, ending the reign of the family of Nebuchadnezzar II, and seemingly fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. The children of Nebuchadnezzar II never rose to the power of their father and grandfather. Instead, Nebuchadnezzar’s children were slaughtered, and they built no cities.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Isaiah 15 & 16