The capture of King Zedekiah marks the final collapse of the rebellion against Babylon. After fleeing the besieged capital, the king is forcefully seized by Babylonian soldiers and taken to face justice before the foreign conqueror, sealing the fate of his kingdom [מצודת ציון].
Instead of being judged in Jerusalem, Zedekiah is brought to the king of Babylon in the city of Riblah. The primary approach among commentators explains that while Nebuchadnezzar initially arrived at Jerusalem, the prolonged siege prompted him to leave his army to finish the task while he relocated to Riblah. Therefore, upon the city's fall, the captured king had to be transported to him [רד"ק, מצודת דוד, חומת אנך]. A contrasting tradition suggests that Nebuchadnezzar never actually traveled to Jerusalem. In this view, his military commander managed the siege, but an image of Nebuchadnezzar was engraved on the commander's chariot. This portrait instilled such intense fear that it felt as though the Babylonian king were physically present on the battlefield [רד"ק, חומת אנך].
Once brought before his captors, Zedekiah faces a severe trial. The proceedings involve a harsh rebuke concerning his decision to rebel against Babylon and break his sacred oath to God [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He is tried strictly as a traitor to the crown and an oath-breaker, a conviction that ultimately leads to his brutal punishment [רלב"ג].
A subtle detail in the historical records highlights the dual nature of this trial. The account here notes that a collective group issued a single judgment against him, reflecting the formal political trial conducted by the Babylonian officers regarding the rebellion itself. In contrast, a parallel account in the Book of Jeremiah mentions that a single individual spoke multiple judgments against him [מנחת שי, מלבי"ם]. This points to Nebuchadnezzar himself, who harbored personal grievances against Zedekiah. According to tradition, Zedekiah had once witnessed Nebuchadnezzar eating a live rabbit and swore an oath to keep this humiliating act a secret. By later revealing the incident, Zedekiah broke his personal vow, leading the Babylonian king to issue additional, highly personal condemnations against him [מלבי"ם].