This study explores the theological complexity of YHWH’s relationship with foreign kings and kingdoms in the Hebrew Bible, focusing on three primary models: defeat, support, and initial support followed by eventual punishment. While the first two are relatively straightforward, the third model undergoes significant development as Israel responds to imperial domination by Assyria and Babylon. The book of Jeremiah presents the most intricate expression of this model through YHWH’s relationship with Babylon and its king Nebuchadnezzar. Designated as YHWH’s “servant,” Nebuchadnezzar is portrayed as both an agent of divine judgment and an appointed imperial ruler, raising theological questions about divine justice, sovereignty, and complicity in oppression. Prophetic texts navigate these tensions by imposing temporal limits and affirming Babylon’s eventual downfall. Ultimately, this study argues that YHWH’s evolving relationship with foreign powers provided the exilic and postexilic communities with a theological framework to interpret suffering, resist imperial ideology, and sustain hope for restoration.