King Zedekiah faces a starving and besieged Jerusalem, yet he hesitates to surrender. His delay stems not from a fear of the conquering Babylonian army, but from a deeply personal terror of his own people. He reveals to the prophet Jeremiah that his greatest anxiety is the revenge and humiliation he might suffer at the hands of his political rivals [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
The king is terrified of the Jews who have already defected and joined the Chaldean camp [מצודת ציון]. He worries that the moment he turns himself in, the Chaldeans will hand him directly over to these Jewish defectors. The conquerors might do this as a reward. To show appreciation to those who surrendered early, the Chaldeans might offer the former king to the defectors as a slave [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Zedekiah is paralyzed by the thought that these defectors will then mock, disgrace, and abuse him [מצודת ציון].
The intense hatred these defectors hold for the king comes from the bitter political climate of the time. The defectors originally fled the city in secret, completely against the king's orders. Had Zedekiah caught them, he would have executed them. Because of this, he now fears they will take their revenge and murder him in a painful and humiliating way [רד״ק]. Broadening this political background, [מלבי״ם] explains that Jerusalem was torn apart by a virtual civil war. Two factions divided the city: one pushed for peace with the Chaldeans, while the king and his officials insisted on fighting. The defectors belonged to the peace faction and naturally carried a deep resentment toward Zedekiah.
This political tension adds a heavy psychological burden to the king's hesitation. Jeremiah had promised Zedekiah that he would survive if he surrendered, but the prophet never promised that his life would be pleasant. This incomplete guarantee only made the king more anxious. He realized he might stay alive, but he feared being condemned to a miserable life of shame and disgrace under the control of his own domestic enemies [מלבי״ם].