Zedekiah, originally named Mattaniah, was the last king of Judah, reigning from approximately 597 to 586 BC. He was the third son of Josiah and the uncle of his predecessor, Jehoiachin. Zedekiah's ascent to the throne was orchestrated by Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of Babylon, who deposed Jehoiachin and installed Zedekiah as a vassal king. This political maneuver was part of Nebuchadnezzar's strategy to maintain control over the region following the first Babylonian siege of Jerusalem.

Historical Context and Ascension

Zedekiah's reign began during a tumultuous period in Judah's history. After the fall of Jerusalem in 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to Babylon along with many of the kingdom's elite, including the prophet Ezekiel. In his place, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Mattaniah as king, changing his name to Zedekiah, which means "The Lord is my righteousness" (2 Kings 24:17). This name change symbolized Zedekiah's subservience to Babylon and his role as a puppet ruler.

Prophetic Warnings and Rebellion

Throughout his reign, Zedekiah faced pressure from both internal factions and external forces. The prophet Jeremiah, who remained in Jerusalem, repeatedly warned Zedekiah against rebelling against Babylon, urging submission as the will of God (Jeremiah 27:12-15). Despite these warnings, Zedekiah vacillated between allegiance to Babylon and the temptation to join regional coalitions against it.

Ezekiel, who was among the exiles in Babylon, also prophesied about Zedekiah's fate. In Ezekiel 17:11-21, the prophet uses the allegory of two eagles and a vine to depict Zedekiah's betrayal of Nebuchadnezzar by seeking an alliance with Egypt. Ezekiel foretold that this rebellion would lead to Zedekiah's downfall and the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem

In 589 BC, Zedekiah succumbed to the pressure from his advisors and entered into an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt, rebelling against Babylonian rule. This decision prompted Nebuchadnezzar to lay siege to Jerusalem once more. The siege lasted approximately two years, culminating in the catastrophic fall of the city in 586 BC.

As prophesied, Zedekiah's rebellion ended in disaster. The Babylonians captured him near Jericho after he attempted to flee the besieged city. He was taken to Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar pronounced judgment. Zedekiah witnessed the execution of his sons before his eyes were put out, and he was taken in chains to Babylon, fulfilling the prophecy that he would go to Babylon but not see it (Jeremiah 39:6-7; Ezekiel 12:13).

Legacy and Theological Significance

Zedekiah's reign is often viewed as a period of tragic failure, marked by his inability to heed prophetic counsel and his ultimate betrayal of Babylon. His account serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of disobedience to God's will and the futility of relying on human alliances over divine guidance.

Theologically, Zedekiah's downfall underscores the sovereignty of God in the affairs of nations and the fulfillment of prophetic words. His reign and its tragic end are chronicled in the books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, providing a comprehensive account of the final days of the kingdom of Judah before the Babylonian exile.Ezekiel 12:10-16
Say you to them, Thus said the Lord GOD; This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.
Nave's Topical Index

Ezekiel 17:12-21
Say now to the rebellious house, Know you not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and has taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;
Nave's Topical Index

The Last King of Judah
... Of Zedekiah it is recorded: "He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord ...
And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 36 the last king.htm

The Last Agony
... We have the flight and fate of Zedekiah and his evil ... Conscience made a coward of
him; for he, at all events ... It was to be 'in the dark,' the king himself was to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the last agony.htm

Carried Captive into Babylon
... and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?" The king entered into
a ... "As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul," Zedekiah promised, "I ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 37 carried captive into.htm

The Captivity.
... was bent on trusting for help to the Egyptians, who had made him king, and treated ...
The last son of Josiah, Mattanias, or Zedekiah, was set up as king, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson x the captivity.htm

Babylon.
... He made the city exceedingly grand and beautiful. ... him the dream itself, which the
king had forgotten ... soon after the taking of Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar threw the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xi babylon.htm

'As Sodom'
... soon followed, and the perjured young king once more ... God's 'wrath,' not thereby
diminishing Zedekiah's responsibility for ... of the besieging army made, and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/as sodom.htm

The End
... his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound ... On the north side a breach
was made in the wall ... The king of Babylon did not go in person, but despatched a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the end.htm

On the Sunday Called "Episozomenes," to those who had Come to ...
... that are left in the king of Judah's house, shall be ... face, and put out the eyes of
Zedekiah, and bound ... seed (royal) of the land, but made king by Nebuchadnezzar ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xix on the sunday.htm

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
... 1:Pet.2:6-8); "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root ... of the seed of the land
[the king's seed, meaning Zedekiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar made king in the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxv the figurative language.htm

Book 9 Footnotes
... of this seeming contradiction to dissuade Zedekiah from believing ... Josephus says,
this king was slain by Nebuchadnezzar himself. ... 17] That Daniel was made one of ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm

Who was King Zedekiah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What was the Babylonian captivity/exile? | GotQuestions.org

When and how was Judah conquered by the Babylonians? | GotQuestions.org

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