ירמיהו, פרק ל״ט, פסוק ט׳

Following the fall of Jerusalem, it became clear that the Babylonians did not kill all of the local residents [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The forced exile to Babylon encompassed three distinct populations. The first group consisted of the residents of Jerusalem who managed to survive the death and destruction of the conquest [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The second group was made up of individuals who had willingly surrendered. Following the earlier advice of the prophet Jeremiah, these people had chosen to defect and make peace with the Babylonian enemy [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Finally, the deportation extended beyond the capital to include a third group, which consisted of the remaining Jews who lived outside of Jerusalem in the surrounding cities of Judah [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Overseeing this massive relocation was Nebuzaradan, a senior Babylonian official. He served as the chief executioner, a high ranking minister appointed by the king to administer punishment and carry out death sentences. His powerful position was similar to the role held by Potiphar in Egypt generations earlier [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].