1 sn Riblah was a strategic town on the Orontes River in Syria. It was at a crossing of the major roads between Egypt and Mesopotamia. Pharaoh Necho had earlier received Jehoahaz there and put him in chains (2 Kgs 23:33) prior to taking him captive to Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar had set up his base camp for conducting his campaigns against the Palestinian states there and was now sitting in judgment on prisoners brought to him.
2 tn The Hebrew text has the plural form of the verb, but the parallel passage in Jer 52:9 has the singular.
3 tn Heb “were killed before his eyes.”
4 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tc The MT has “the multitude.” But הֶהָמוֹן (hehamon) should probably be emended to הֶאָמוֹן (he’amon).