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advice and surrender to the Chaldeans. But once more fear prevented his taking that step,
notwithstanding the assurances of Jeremiah. In the end Zedekiah was even in fear that his
nobles should hear of his conference with the prophet, and bade him give a different
interpretation to their interview.
Meantime the siege was continuing, without hope of relief. Tyre suffered straits similar to
those of Jerusalem, while Ammon, Moab, Edom, and the Philistines had not only
withdrawn from the alliance, but were waiting to share in the spoil of Judah (Ezekiel 25).
At length a gleam of hope appeared. An Egyptian army, under their King Hophra, the
grandson of Necho, advanced through Phoenicia, and obliged the Chaldeans to raise the
siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 37:5-7). The exultation and reaction in Jerusalem may be
imagined - and it was probably in consequence of it that Jeremiah, who still predicted
calamity, was cast into prison (ib. ver. 4). But the relief of Jerusalem was brief. The
Egyptian army had to retire, and the siege of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans was resumed,
and that under even more disadvantageous circumstances to the besieged. To the other
calamities that of famine was now added (2 Kings 25:3). Of the horrors of that time
Jeremiah has left a record in the Book of Lamentations (comp. i 19; ii. 11, 12, 20; iv. 3-
10). The last resistance was soon overcome. On the ninth day of the fourth month
[Tammuz], in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the enemy gained possession of the northern
suburb (2 Kings 25:4; Jeremiah 39:2, 3; 52:6, 7). Before the middle gate the Babylonian
captains held a council of war (Jeremiah 39:2, 3). Then the king and all the regular army
sought safety in flight during the darkness of the night (Jeremiah 39:4). As the Chaldeans
held the northern part of the city, they fled southwards. Between the two walls, through
the Tyropoeon, then out of the "fountain-gate," and through the king's garden, they made
haste to gain the Jordan. But their flight could not remain unobserved. They were pursued
and overtaken in the plains of Jericho. The soldiers dispersed in various directions. But
the king himself and his household were taken captives, and carried to the headquarters at
Riblah, where Nebuchadrezzar himself was at the time. Here Zedekiah was formally
arraigned and sentence given against him. His daughters were set free, but his sons were
slain before him. It was the last sight the king saw. His eyes were put out;* he was
bound
hands and feet with double fetters of brass, and so carried to Babylon. (Compare 2 Kings
25:4-7; Jeremiah 4-7; 43:6; Ezekiel 12:12, 13.) There he died in ward** (Jeremiah
52:11).
- This was a not uncommon Chaldean and ancient Persian mode of punishment when the
object was to render a prince unfit for future government.
** "A house of ward," rather than an actual prison, to which latter Jehoiachin had been
confined. Blind Zedekiah was kept in a house of ward.
(^)