מלכים ב, פרק כ״ד, פסוק י״ב

Facing the terror of a Babylonian siege, the young king chooses to give up his throne and his freedom in an attempt to save his life and his city. Accepting the heavy burden of the empire, he goes out to the King of Babylon. The primary approach among commentators is that this action is a gesture of complete surrender rather than a military maneuver. By handing himself over entirely, the young king hopes his submission will awaken the Babylonian king's mercy and spare him from further destruction [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג].

Despite this willingness to submit and his hope for peace, the King of Babylon refuses to accept the surrender. Instead, he decides to exile the young king along with his entire entourage, which includes his officials and mighty men [רד״ק]. This harsh response stems from Nebuchadnezzar's fear that the young king might eventually rebel, just as his father had done before him. Guided by an ancient proverb which warns that a bad dog does not produce a good puppy, the Babylonian king concludes that the son of a rebel simply cannot be trusted. As a result, he strips the young king of his royal power, exiles him, and appoints his uncle to rule in his place [רד״ק].

This dramatic shift in power occurs during the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign [מצודת דוד]. However, a different historical account places the exile in the seventh year. Commentators resolve this apparent contradiction in a few ways. One view suggests that the event happens exactly as seven full years conclude and the eighth begins, noting that partial years are often counted as complete ones [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, רלב״ג]. Another perspective explains that the "seventh year" does not actually refer to Nebuchadnezzar's time on the throne. Rather, it marks the seventh year since he first conquered the young king's father, a timeline that aligns perfectly with the eighth year of the Babylonian king's reign [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].