Zedekiah
This is an article from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897. This article is written from a nineteenth century Christian viewpoint, and may not reflect modern opinions or recent discoveries in Biblical scholarship Please help the Wikipedia by bringing this article up to date.Zedekiah - righteousness of Jehovah. The last king of Judah.
He was the third son of Josiah, and his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, and hence he was the brother of Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:31; 24:17, 18).
He was born about 619 B.C.
His original name was Mattaniah; but when Nebuchadnezzar placed him on the throne as the successor to Jehoiachin he changed his name to Zedekiah. The prophet Jeremiah was his counsellor, yet "he did evil in the sight of the Lord" (2 Kings 24:19, 20; Jer. 52:2, 3).
He ascended the throne at the age of twenty-one years. The kingdom was at that time tributary to Nebuchadnezzar II.
Despite the strong remonstrances of Jeremiah and others, as well as the example of Jehoiachin, he threw off the yoke of Babylon, and entered into an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt.
This brought up Nebuchadnezzar, "with all his host" (2 Kings 25:1), against Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar began a siege of Jerusalem in about 589 B.C. During this siege, which lasted about eighteen months, "every worst woe befell the devoted city, which drank the cup of God's fury to the dregs" (2 Kings 25:3; Lam.4:4, 5, 10).
In the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar was successful in conquering Jerusalem. The city was plundered and laid in ruins. Zedekiah and his followers attempted to escape. The were able to make their way out of the city, but were captured on the plains of Jericho, and were taken to Riblah.
There, after seeing his own children put to death, his own eyes were put out, and, being loaded with chains, he was carried captive (B.C. 587) to Babylon (2 Kings 25:1-7; 2Chr. 36:12; Jer. 32:4,5; 34:2, 3; 39:1-7; 52:4-11; Ezek. 12:12), where he remained a prisoner, how long is unknown, to the day of his death.
After the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuzaraddan sent to carry out its complete destruction. The city was razed to the ground. Only a small number of vinedressers and husbandmen were permitted to remain in the land (Jer. 52:16). Gedaliah, with a Chaldean guard stationed at Mizpah, ruled over Judah (2 Kings 25:22, 24; jer. 40:1, 2, 5, 6).