Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Kings 24:15

"And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon; and the king`s mother, and the king`s wives, and his officers, and the chief men of the land, carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon." — 2 Kings 24:15 (ASV)

The mighty of the land—Or “the great,” “the powerful.” The word used is quite distinct from that in 2 Kings 24:14 and 2 Kings 24:16. It refers not to bodily strength or fitness for war, but to civil rank or dignity. The term would include all civil and ecclesiastical functionaries—the nobles, courtiers, and elders of the city on one hand, and the priests, prophets (among them, Ezekiel), and Levites on the other.