What is the Exile in the Bible? 
In this article, we will discuss what is the exile in the Bible, as well as the Babylonian captivity. We will also discuss Jehoiachin’s exile and the exile of Zedekiah. We’ll also discuss how we can apply this study to our lives today.
Jehoiachin’s exile
Jehoiachin was the son of Josiah and the former king of Judah. He was captured by the Pharaoh Neco, who imposed a levy on Judah and forced it to pay the price. Jehoiachin ruled for eleven years, but did evil in God’s eyes. He eventually fell into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and was taken to Babylon.
The Jehoiachin Exile was a difficult time for the Jewish people. They were separated from Jerusalem and the Temple, and they were left with little options for communication with their gods. In this time, sacrifices were the only means of communication with the gods. Despite these difficulties, the exiled Jews developed survival strategies to cope with life in exile.
In the Bible, Jehoiachin was also known as Coniah or Jeconiah. He ruled in Judah for three months and ten days in 597 BC before being taken into captivity by the Babylonians. He was only 18 years old when he began to rule.
Jehoiachin’s exiling in Babylon was a horrible experience. During his lifetime, he repented for his sins, but God restored his favor. He is also considered to be a forerunner to the Messiah. His firmness in fulfilling the Law was one of the determining factors in his restoration.
After Jehoiachin’s exiling from Judah, he was imprisoned in Babylon. The Babylonians brought with them ten thousand captives and made Zedekiah king of Judah. During his exile, Jehoiachin had two sons.
Jehoiachin spent 37 years in Babylon before he was released in 560 BCE. While the biblical account does not tell the exact details of his exile, we can at least draw some conclusions. He was incarcerated for the sins of his people, and he was eventually set free.
The date of Jehoiachin’s exiling is not known for certain, but the Babylonian records synchronize the time of his release with the king’s birth. His release from Babylon brings the Books of Kings to a close.
His descendants included Baruch, Seraiah, and Malchiram. These sons of Jehoiachin’s lineage are also mentioned in the Bible. He had a brother named Zedekiah, but these brothers never had children.
Babylonian captivity
The Babylonian captivity is mentioned only briefly in the Bible. In Matthew 1:11 we are told about the forced enslavement and exile to Babylon. The Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, and it has also been translated into Greek. In addition, it mentions wars against the pharaoh and the fall of the kingdom of Judah.
During the Babylonian captivity, a large number of Jews chose to remain in Babylon, even after King Cyrus gave them permission to return home. Today, many refugees do not return home for a variety of reasons. In some cases, they become accustomed to the new environment and lifestyle. Some may even feel at home further away from their homeland.
The Babylonian captivity is described in the Hebrew Bible as a punishment for disobedience and idolatry. The captivity of the Jews in Babylon occurred after the conquest of Judah by the Persians in 598/7bce. God had instructed them to repent, and he chose Babylon to teach them a lesson. Hopefully, they took the lesson and learned to obey God’s commandments.
The emperors who ruled the Babylonian empire are named differently in the Bible. According to Herodotus, the first king of Babylon was Deioces. The second was Phraortes. Phraortes subdued the Persians and attacked the Assyrians at Ninevah. In 612, Cyaxares and Astyages followed him, and he eventually conquered the city of Ninevah. In the following years, Astyages and Cambyses ruled as kings. Astyages was Croesus’ brother-in-law. These two were followed by Cambyses, who gave the title of Cyrus to a trusted official.
Zedekiah’s exile
Zedekiah was the leader of the exiles, a community of people who were ruled by Babylonians for many years. Although Zedekiah was well-intentioned, he was not accepted as the legitimate ruler of the people of Judah. In fact, people in Jerusalem continued to regard Jehoiachin as their king. As a result, Zedekiah’s exile is often dated with events that occurred in Jehoiachin’s exile.
In the sixth century BC, Zedekiah ruled in an unrighteous way. For many years, God had warned the kingdom of Judah to repent. God had sent prophets and priests and even righteous kings. But it took many years for the people to stop worshiping idols and honoring pagan deities. Although Zedekiah had lived in obedience to God’s laws and principles, he later turned back to idolatry.
Zedekiah began his reign when he was 21 years old. His mother was named Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. Zedekiah did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah, and the result was that God determined to punish Judah.
During Zedekiah’s ninth year in rule, the Babylonians laid siege on Jerusalem. Zedekiah sought the help of Egypt and the prophet Jeremiah, but Jeremiah’s message was not well-received by Zedekiah. He was imprisoned for preaching against Zedekiah’s governmental policies.
Zedekiah’s reign ended in disaster. Jerusalem was captured by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. In response, Zedekiah and his people were captured and taken as prisoners to Babylon. Zedekiah died in Babylon after suffering in captivity.
Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in 597 BC, deposing King Jeconiah and installing Zedekiah. Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah’s uncle Mattaniah his vassal. The Babylonians also deported many of the people of Judah to Babylon.
King Zedekiah was headstrong. His officials refused to give the city to the Babylonians. However, God spoke to him directly through the prophet Jeremiah and told him to renounce worshipping idols and child sacrifice. In exchange, God promised him protection and blessing.
Zedekiah’s exile is a tragic tale of loss. His father was captured by the Babylonians, and he was captured as a result. The Babylonians did not win the war magnanimously. They felt cheated. Nebuchadnezzar felt betrayed by Zedekiah.
The fate of the people of Judah is uncertain. The kingdom was under siege by Nebuchadnezzar. The people of Judah had waited 11 years before the invasion. However, they were under siege, and there was no food.
In the Bible, Zedekiah’s rebellion was described as a rebellion against the God. In the prophets, Zedekiah is accused of breaking covenants. He had made a covenant with Nebuchadnezzar in the Lord’s name, and this covenant was interpreted as a rebellion against Yahweh. This was the cause of the exile.