Zedekiah
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Zedekiah (Hebrew: צִדְקִיָּהוּ, Tzidkiyahu; Greek: ζεδεκιας, Zedekias) was the last king of Judah.
He was the third son of Josiah, and his mother was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, thus he was the brother of King Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:31; 24:17,18). In Hebrew, his name means, Şidhqî Yāhû (צִדְקִי יָהוּ), "YHWH [is] my righteousness." William F. Albright dates the reign of Zedekiah to 597-587 B.C.E., while E. R. Thiele to 597-586 B.C.E.
Zedekiah's original name was Mattanyahu (Hebrew: מַתַּנְיָהוּ, Mattanyāhû, "Gift of God"; traditional English: Mattaniah), but when Nebuchadnezzar II 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; Jeremiah 52:2, 3).
Background
Zedekiah came to the throne in place of Jehoiachin, whose reign in Jerusalem began upon the death of his father around 598 B.C.E. at the age of 18, near the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah, who counseled a policy of non-resistance toward Babylon, had been a bitter opponent of his father, and strongly denounced Jehoiachin as well.
King Nebuchadnezzar II succeeded in having Jehoiachin removed from office and taken in chains to Babylon. Most of the royal household and those officials of Judah who had joined the rebellion against Babylon were forced into exile. The prophet Jeremiah, who had urged cooperation with the Babylonians, was allowed to remain in Jerusalem, and Zedekiah—Jehoaiachin's uncle—was identified as a sutiable replacement as king under Babylonian supervision.
Zedekiah was only three years older than Jehoiachin, ascending the throne at the age of 21. Nebuchadnezzer required an oath of fealty from him, which he made in the name of Israel's God (2 Chronicles 36:13). Zedekiah soon began to be influenced by the call to patriotism, made by prophets, priests, and other citizens who believed that God would side with Judah in a rebellion against the pagan Babylonians. Jeremiah, however, counseled caution.
and became a strong leader. 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 revolted against 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 589 B.C.E. 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; Lamentations 4:4, 5, 9).
In the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar succeeded in conquering Jerusalem. The city was plundered and reduced to ruins. Zedekiah and his followers attempted to escape, making their way out of the city, but were captured on the plains of Jericho, and were taken to Riblah.
There, after seeing his own sons put to death, his own eyes were put out, and, being loaded with chains, he was carried captive (587 B.C.E.) to Babylon (2 Kings 25:1-7; 2 Chronicles 36:12; Jeremiah 32:4,5; 34:2, 3; 39:1-7; 52:4-11; Ezekiel 12:12), where he remained a prisoner, how long is unknown, to the day of his death.
After the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuzaraddan was 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, was left to rule over Judah (2 Kings 25:22, 24; Jer. 40:1, 2, 5, 6).
Zedekiah in the Book of Mormon
According to the Book of Mormon, Zedekiah's son Mulek escaped death and travelled across one of the oceans (Atlantic or Pacific) to the Americas, where he founded a nation that later merged with the Nephites.[1][2]
Notes
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This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.
| House of David Cadet Branch of the Tribe of Judah | ||
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| Regnal Titles
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| Preceded by: Jeconiah |
King of Judah 597 B.C.E. – 586 B.C.E. |
Judah conquered by Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon |
| Leader of the House of David | Succeeded by: Shealtiel | |
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