ירמיהו, פרק ל״ט, פסוק ז׳

The tragic fall of King Zedekiah reaches a painful climax with a severe and highly symbolic punishment. The king of Babylon violently blinds him, a fate that is far from a random act of cruelty. Rather, this punishment is a direct consequence of Zedekiah's past actions. He was responsible for the deaths of the members of the Sanhedrin, who were historically known as the "eyes of the congregation." These leaders had previously annulled the oath of loyalty that Zedekiah swore to Nebuchadnezzar, an act that ultimately led to their demise. Because he caused the destruction of the nation's "eyes," Zedekiah loses his own physical sight [חומת אנך].

After suffering this blinding, the fallen king is physically restrained with heavy chains designed to secure captives. The primary approach among commentators is that these chains were crafted from copper [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ], though another perspective suggests they were made of an exceptionally strong type of iron [רד״ק]. These restraints were specifically fastened to both of the king's feet [רד״ק].

The grim sequence of events concludes with Zedekiah being led away from his homeland. Stripped of his sight, his power, and his freedom, he is taken in these heavy bindings as a captive into exile in Babylon [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].