Topical Bible: Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Zedekiah

◄ Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Zedekiah ►

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Zedekiah, originally named Mattaniah, was the last king of Judah before the Babylonian conquest. He was the son of Josiah and the uncle of his predecessor, Jehoiachin. Zedekiah's reign is marked by political turmoil, prophetic warnings, and the eventual fall of Jerusalem. His account is primarily found in the books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Jeremiah.

Accession to the Throne

Zedekiah ascended to the throne at the age of 21, following the deportation of Jehoiachin to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, installed Zedekiah as a puppet king, changing his name from Mattaniah to Zedekiah, which means "The LORD is my righteousness" (2 Kings 24:17). His reign lasted for 11 years, from approximately 597 to 586 BC.

Political Context and Challenges

Zedekiah's reign was fraught with challenges, both internal and external. Judah was a vassal state under Babylonian control, and Zedekiah was expected to remain loyal to Nebuchadnezzar. However, he faced pressure from his own officials and the people of Judah to rebel against Babylonian rule. This tension is evident in the political alliances he sought, including attempts to form coalitions with Egypt and other neighboring nations (Jeremiah 27:1-11).

Prophetic Warnings

The prophet Jeremiah played a significant role during Zedekiah's reign, repeatedly warning the king and the people of Judah about the consequences of their disobedience to God. Jeremiah urged submission to Babylon as God's instrument of judgment, but his messages were largely ignored. Zedekiah, though often seeking Jeremiah's counsel, vacillated between listening to the prophet and yielding to the pressures of his advisors (Jeremiah 37:1-10).

Rebellion and Siege

Despite Jeremiah's warnings, Zedekiah eventually rebelled against Babylon, leading to a siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's forces. The siege lasted approximately 18 months, resulting in severe famine and hardship within the city (2 Kings 25:1-3). During this time, Zedekiah's leadership was marked by indecision and fear, as he struggled to maintain control over a desperate and divided populace.

Fall of Jerusalem and Zedekiah's Fate

In 586 BC, the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem, leading to the city's destruction. The temple was burned, and the city was left in ruins. Zedekiah attempted to escape but was captured near Jericho. He was brought before Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, where he witnessed the execution of his sons before his eyes were put out. Zedekiah was then taken in chains to Babylon, where he remained imprisoned until his death (2 Kings 25:4-7; Jeremiah 39:4-7).

Legacy

Zedekiah's reign is often viewed as a tragic end to the Davidic line of kings in Judah. His failure to heed prophetic counsel and his inability to navigate the complex political landscape of his time led to the downfall of Jerusalem. The biblical narrative portrays Zedekiah as a king caught between the demands of his people and the will of God, ultimately serving as a somber reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the importance of faithfulness to God's covenant.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 24:17-25:7
And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 36:11-21
Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Palestine under Pagan Kings.
... crumbled buildings, and strewn all over with pieces ... The Assyrian kings of western
Asia, also invaded ... Sennacherib, the monarch who reigned seven hundred years ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/palestine under pagan kings.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... Wife Became More Wicked Than All The Kings That Had ... How Jotham, The Son Of Uzziah
Reigned Over The Tribe ... Instead Of Manasseh; And After Amon Reigned Josiah; He ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

Concerning Jehoshaphat the King of Jerusalem and How Ahab Made an ...
... by his grandfather Abijah, when Jeroboam reigned over the ten ... hundred thousand of
the tribe of Judah, of whom ... from Jerusalem to Samaria, the two kings went out ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 15 concerning jehoshaphat the.htm

Questions.
... 14. Who reigned over the rest of Israel? 15. ... 29. Who reigned after Hezekiah?
30. ... 24. What was the great wilfulness of these kings? 25. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/questions.htm

'As Sodom'
... old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years ... is all but identical with
that in 2 Kings 25.It ... own acts, but declaring that his being 'given over to a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/as sodom.htm

Egypt
... by six dynasties of kings, who reigned in all ... he aimed at nothing less than sovereignty
over an united ... The kings themselves were, it is probable, Libyans by ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

City of God
... 33.--That the Times of All Kings and Kingdoms ... on His Forsaking the Chaldeans and
Passing Over into Mesopotamia ... the Blessing Which Jacob Promised in Judah His Son ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... year of the reign of Vaphres over the Egyptians, in ... twenty-nine years; and last
Cleopatra reigned twenty-two ... the period embraced by the Macedonian kings is, in ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

Jeremiah
... the vassalage of Babylonia, whose supremacy over Western Asia ... weak and vacillating
Zedekiah, who reigned from 597 ... faithful to their high office than the kings. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/jeremiah.htm

Demonstration xxi. --Of Persecution.
... and afterwards over all Israel; and Jesus reigned from the ... foresaw the weeks that
should remain over for his ... and before magistrates, and before kings that hold ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xxi of persecution.htm