25:7 put out the eyes of Zedekiah. Blinding was a common punishment for rebellious captives in the ancient Near East (Ezek. 12:13).

took him to Babylon. Zedekiah ignored the counsel of Jeremiah (Jer. 38:14–28). Jeremiah had urged the king to surrender to Babylon because the Lord’s judgment was inevitable. Through a peaceful surrender, Jerusalem could be spared destruction. Zedekiah’s stubborn resistance brought only horrible results for both his family and the people. Zedekiah himself died in Babylon (Jer. 52:11).