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Zedekiah

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Last king of Judah, deposed and blinded by Nebuchadnezzar after Jerusalem’s fall, symbolizing tragic defiance and divine judgment.

Detailed Definition
Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon, witnessed his sons’ execution, and died in exile. In poetry, Zedekiah symbolizes the agony of failed leadership, the cost of broken oaths, and the tragic end of Davidic monarchy in historical catastrophe.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Jeremiah 37–39, Zedekiah’s weakness during Jerusalem’s fall inspires tragic poetry about failed leadership; 19th-century verse depicts Zedekiah blinded and exiled as consequence of indecision; Contemporary poems contrast Zedekiah’s fear of nobles with Jeremiah’s bold truth-telling; In poems about judgment, Zedekiah’s broken oath to Nebuchadnezzar symbolizes national unfaithfulness; Some liturgical laments include Zedekiah in cycles of exile and consequence; Educational poems cite Zedekiah to teach about covenant, politics, and divine sovereignty.
Additional Notes
Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, installed by Nebuchadnezzar, rebels and suffers horrific consequences—his sons slain, eyes gouged (2 Kings 25); his name means “Yahweh is righteousness,” creating tragic irony; poets use Zedekiah to explore failed leadership, the collapse of covenant monarchy, and the human cost of geopolitical miscalculation.
Also Known As
Zedekiah king of Judah Mattaniah
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