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 began in 597 BC when Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, installed him as a puppet king after deposing Jehoiachin. His reign lasted until the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Rebellion Against Babylon

Zedekiah's tenure as king was marked by political instability and rebellion. Despite being placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar and swearing an oath of allegiance to him, Zedekiah eventually rebelled against Babylonian rule. This rebellion was influenced by pressure from his advisors and alliances with surrounding nations, including Egypt. The prophet Jeremiah repeatedly warned Zedekiah against this course of action, urging submission to Babylon as God's will (Jeremiah 27:12-15). However, Zedekiah ignored these warnings, leading to dire consequences for himself and his kingdom.

The Siege and Fall of Jerusalem

In response to Zedekiah's rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign. The siege lasted approximately eighteen months, resulting in severe famine and hardship within the city. The biblical account in 2 Kings 25:1-3 describes the dire conditions: "So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year."

Capture and Punishment

As the Babylonian forces breached the city walls, Zedekiah attempted to escape by night through a gate between the two walls near the king's garden. However, he was captured on the plains of Jericho (2 Kings 25:4-5). Zedekiah was brought before Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, where he faced judgment. The king of Babylon pronounced a harsh sentence: Zedekiah's sons were killed before his eyes, and then his eyes were put out. He was bound in bronze shackles and taken to Babylon, where he remained imprisoned until his death (2 Kings 25:6-7; Jeremiah 39:6-7).

Prophetic Fulfillment

Zedekiah's fate fulfilled the prophecies spoken by Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Jeremiah had warned that Zedekiah would be captured and taken to Babylon, but he would not die by the sword (Jeremiah 34:2-5). Ezekiel prophesied that Zedekiah would not see Babylon, even though he would die there (Ezekiel 12:13). These seemingly contradictory prophecies were reconciled in the manner of Zedekiah's punishment—blinded and taken to Babylon, he indeed did not see the land of his exile.

Legacy

Zedekiah's reign and personal outcome serve as a somber reminder of the consequences of disobedience to God's commands and the futility of relying on human alliances over divine guidance. His account is a pivotal moment in the history of Judah, marking the end of the Davidic monarchy in Jerusalem until the prophesied restoration.