מלכים ב, פרק כ״ד, פסוק ז׳

Dramatic shifts in regional power shattered the hopes of the people of Judah, who could no longer rely on the fading strength of the Egyptian empire for protection [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This geopolitical collapse was not merely a matter of military strategy, but a deliberate act of God. Through Egypt's defeat, God avenged the blood of King Josiah, who had been killed years earlier by the Egyptian king during a battle at the Euphrates River [רלב״ג].

Stripped of its former glory, Egypt was forced into isolation, and its king no longer ventured beyond his borders. Had he been able to march forth, his focus would have been on Judah. Some suggest he intended to provide military aid to Jehoiakim [רש״י]. Others argue his goal was to assert political control by placing Jehoiachin on the throne, just as he had previously intervened to crown Jehoiachin's father, Jehoiakim [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

The immediate cause of this Egyptian paralysis was the overwhelming dominance of Babylon. The Babylonian king had decisively defeated Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish during the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign [רש״י]. Following this victory, Babylon swept through the region, capturing all the territory that had once belonged to Egypt, stretching from the Brook of Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This massive loss of land entirely stripped Egypt of its ability to act during this time [אברבנאל].

However, this period of Egyptian isolation was not permanent. The king of Egypt remained confined to his land only until the later reign of Zedekiah. During that time, the Egyptian army finally marched out once more, causing the Chaldeans to temporarily retreat from their siege on Jerusalem [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].