or MATTANIAH, was the last king of Judah before the captivity
of Babylon. He was the son of Josiah, and uncle to Jehoiachin his
predecessor, 2 Kings xxiv, 17, 19. When Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem,
he carried Jehoiachin to Babylon, with his wives, children, officers,
and the best artificers in Judea, and put in his place his uncle
Mattaniah, whose name he changed into Zedekiah, and made him promise,
with an oath, that he would continue in fidelity to him, A. M. 3405, 2
Chron. xxxvi, 13; Ezek. xvii, 12, 14, 18. He was twenty-one years old
when he began to reign at Jerusalem, and he reigned there eleven years.
He did evil in the sight of the Lord, committing the same crimes as
Jehoiakim, 2 Kings xxiv, 18–20; 2 Chron. xxxvi, 11–13; and regarded not
the menaces of the Prophet Jeremiah, from the Lord; but hardened his
heart. The princes of the people, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
imitated his impiety, and abandoned themselves to all the abominations
of the Gentiles. In the first year of his reign, Zedekiah sent to
Babylon Elasah, the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, the son of Hilkiah,
probably to carry his tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. By these messengers
Jeremiah sent a letter to the captives at Babylon, Jer. xxix, 1–23. Four
years afterward, either Zedekiah went thither himself, or at least he
sent thither; for the Hebrew text may admit either of these
interpretations, Jer. li, 59; Baruch i, 1; Jer. xxxii, 12. The chief
design of this deputation was to entreat Nebuchadnezzar to return the
sacred vessels of the temple, Baruch i, 8. In the ninth year of his
reign, he revolted against Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Kings xxv. It was a
sabbatical year, in which the people should set their slaves at liberty,
according to the law, Exod. xxi, 2; Deut. xv, 1, 2, 12; Jer. xxxiv,
8–10. Then King Nebuchadnezzar marched his army against Zedekiah, and
took all the fortified places of his kingdom, except Lachish, Azekah,
and Jerusalem. He sat down before the last-mentioned city on the tenth
day of the tenth month of the holy year, which answers to our January.
Some time afterward, Pharaoh Hophrah, king of Egypt, marched to assist
Zedekiah, Jer. xxxvii, 3–5, 10. Nebuchadnezzar left Jerusalem, and went
to meet him, defeated him, and obliged him to return into Egypt; after
which he resumed the siege of Jerusalem. In the mean while, the people
of Jerusalem, as if freed from the fear of Nebuchadnezzar, retook the
slaves whom they had set at liberty, which drew upon them great
reproaches and threatenings from Jeremiah, xxxiv, 11, 22. During the
siege Zedekiah often consulted Jeremiah, who advised him to surrender,
and pronounced the greatest woes against him if he should persist in his
rebellion, Jer. xxxvii, 3, 10; xxi. But this unfortunate prince had
neither patience to hear, nor resolution to follow, good counsels. In
the eleventh year of Zedekiah, on the ninth day of the fourth month,
(July,) Jerusalem was taken, 2 Kings xxv, 2–4; Jer. xxxix, 2, 3; lii,
5–7. Zedekiah and his people endeavoured to escape by favour of the
night; but the Chaldean troops pursuing them, they were overtaken in the
plains of Jericho. He was seized and carried to Nebuchadnezzar, then at
Riblah, a city of Syria. The king of Chaldea, reproaching him with his
perfidy, caused all his children to be slain before his face, and his
eyes to be put out; then loading him with chains of brass, he ordered
him to be sent to Babylon, 2 Kings xxv, 4–7; Jer. xxxii, 4–7; lii, 4–11.
Thus were accomplished two prophecies which seemed contradictory: one of
Jeremiah, who said that Zedekiah should see and yet not see,
Nebuchadnezzar with his eyes, Jer. xxxii, 4, 5; xxxiv, 3; and the other
of Ezek. xii, 13, which intimated that he should not see Babylon, though
he should die there. The year of his death is not known. Jeremiah had
assured him that he should die in peace; that his body should be burned,
as those of the kings of Judah usually were; and that they should mourn
for him, saying, “Ah, lord!” Jer. xxxiv, 4, 5.
ZEPHANIAH was the son of Cushi, and was probably of a noble family of
the tribe of Simeon. He prophesied in the reign of Josiah, about B. C.
630. He denounces the judgments of God against the idolatry and sins of
his countrymen, and exhorts them to repentance; he predicts the
punishment of the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, and Ethiopians, and
foretels the destruction of Nineveh; he again inveighs against the
corruptions of Jerusalem, and with his threats mixes promises of future
favour and prosperity to his people; whose recall from their dispersion
shall glorify the name of God throughout the world. The style of
Zephaniah is poetical; but it is not distinguished by any peculiar
elegance or beauty, though generally animated and impressive.
of Babylon. He was the son of Josiah, and uncle to Jehoiachin his
predecessor, 2 Kings xxiv, 17, 19. When Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem,
he carried Jehoiachin to Babylon, with his wives, children, officers,
and the best artificers in Judea, and put in his place his uncle
Mattaniah, whose name he changed into Zedekiah, and made him promise,
with an oath, that he would continue in fidelity to him, A. M. 3405, 2
Chron. xxxvi, 13; Ezek. xvii, 12, 14, 18. He was twenty-one years old
when he began to reign at Jerusalem, and he reigned there eleven years.
He did evil in the sight of the Lord, committing the same crimes as
Jehoiakim, 2 Kings xxiv, 18–20; 2 Chron. xxxvi, 11–13; and regarded not
the menaces of the Prophet Jeremiah, from the Lord; but hardened his
heart. The princes of the people, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
imitated his impiety, and abandoned themselves to all the abominations
of the Gentiles. In the first year of his reign, Zedekiah sent to
Babylon Elasah, the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, the son of Hilkiah,
probably to carry his tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. By these messengers
Jeremiah sent a letter to the captives at Babylon, Jer. xxix, 1–23. Four
years afterward, either Zedekiah went thither himself, or at least he
sent thither; for the Hebrew text may admit either of these
interpretations, Jer. li, 59; Baruch i, 1; Jer. xxxii, 12. The chief
design of this deputation was to entreat Nebuchadnezzar to return the
sacred vessels of the temple, Baruch i, 8. In the ninth year of his
reign, he revolted against Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Kings xxv. It was a
sabbatical year, in which the people should set their slaves at liberty,
according to the law, Exod. xxi, 2; Deut. xv, 1, 2, 12; Jer. xxxiv,
8–10. Then King Nebuchadnezzar marched his army against Zedekiah, and
took all the fortified places of his kingdom, except Lachish, Azekah,
and Jerusalem. He sat down before the last-mentioned city on the tenth
day of the tenth month of the holy year, which answers to our January.
Some time afterward, Pharaoh Hophrah, king of Egypt, marched to assist
Zedekiah, Jer. xxxvii, 3–5, 10. Nebuchadnezzar left Jerusalem, and went
to meet him, defeated him, and obliged him to return into Egypt; after
which he resumed the siege of Jerusalem. In the mean while, the people
of Jerusalem, as if freed from the fear of Nebuchadnezzar, retook the
slaves whom they had set at liberty, which drew upon them great
reproaches and threatenings from Jeremiah, xxxiv, 11, 22. During the
siege Zedekiah often consulted Jeremiah, who advised him to surrender,
and pronounced the greatest woes against him if he should persist in his
rebellion, Jer. xxxvii, 3, 10; xxi. But this unfortunate prince had
neither patience to hear, nor resolution to follow, good counsels. In
the eleventh year of Zedekiah, on the ninth day of the fourth month,
(July,) Jerusalem was taken, 2 Kings xxv, 2–4; Jer. xxxix, 2, 3; lii,
5–7. Zedekiah and his people endeavoured to escape by favour of the
night; but the Chaldean troops pursuing them, they were overtaken in the
plains of Jericho. He was seized and carried to Nebuchadnezzar, then at
Riblah, a city of Syria. The king of Chaldea, reproaching him with his
perfidy, caused all his children to be slain before his face, and his
eyes to be put out; then loading him with chains of brass, he ordered
him to be sent to Babylon, 2 Kings xxv, 4–7; Jer. xxxii, 4–7; lii, 4–11.
Thus were accomplished two prophecies which seemed contradictory: one of
Jeremiah, who said that Zedekiah should see and yet not see,
Nebuchadnezzar with his eyes, Jer. xxxii, 4, 5; xxxiv, 3; and the other
of Ezek. xii, 13, which intimated that he should not see Babylon, though
he should die there. The year of his death is not known. Jeremiah had
assured him that he should die in peace; that his body should be burned,
as those of the kings of Judah usually were; and that they should mourn
for him, saying, “Ah, lord!” Jer. xxxiv, 4, 5.
ZEPHANIAH was the son of Cushi, and was probably of a noble family of
the tribe of Simeon. He prophesied in the reign of Josiah, about B. C.
630. He denounces the judgments of God against the idolatry and sins of
his countrymen, and exhorts them to repentance; he predicts the
punishment of the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, and Ethiopians, and
foretels the destruction of Nineveh; he again inveighs against the
corruptions of Jerusalem, and with his threats mixes promises of future
favour and prosperity to his people; whose recall from their dispersion
shall glorify the name of God throughout the world. The style of
Zephaniah is poetical; but it is not distinguished by any peculiar
elegance or beauty, though generally animated and impressive.