King Nebuchadnezzar took all of Jerusalem captive, including all the commanders and the best of the soldiers, craftsmen, and artisans— 10,000 in all. Only the poorest people were left in the land.
The leaders of the Judean military groups in the countryside heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the poor people who were left behind in Judah— the men, women, and children who hadn’t been exiled to Babylon.
“ Son of man, the scattered remnants of Israel living among the ruined cities keep saying,‘ Abraham was only one man, yet he gained possession of the entire land. We are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’