Shortly after the fall of Jerusalem and Zedekiah’s death, we find that Jeremiah was released from prison and dwelled among a small remnant still in the land of Judea (Jer. 39:14; 40:6). The group was under the appointed governorship of Gedaliah, who was subsequently murdered by a fellow military leader named Ishmael (Jer. 41:2). Ishmael apparently rejected the political arrangement. In verse 10 we read that Ishmael and his band took the entire remnant as prisoners. Notice who is particularly mentioned as being among the group: “Then Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people … even the king’s daughters”—Zedekiah’s daughters!
Her name was TEPHI-Remember, Jechoniah’s line had been fully disqualified from ever inheriting the Davidic throne, and Zedekiah’s sons had all been killed. The term “tender one”—as used in Ezekiel’s riddle—certainly implies a young female. Could one of Zedekiah’s daughters be used to perpetuate the throne? Would this be at all legal?
According to Hebrew law, a man could pass the family inheritance on to a daughter if he had no son (Num. 27:8). Certainly this would apply even to the throne. Athaliah, wife of King Jehoram of Judah, took the throne by treachery; nevertheless, her brief reign was not challenged because she was female (II Kings 11:1-3). The promise in Jeremiah 33:17—that David would never lack a man to sit on his throne—must not be taken to exclude women. While the Hebrew word ish is used throughout the Old Testament to designate a male, the term is used frequently of humans in general (Job 14:12; 15:16; 34:21; Psa. 39:11; 78:25; etc.). Moreover, the legitimacy of the maternal line is clearly upheld in the fact that Jesus’ only blood link back to David is through his mother, Mary.
It appears that Nebuchadnezzar’s desire was to destroy the dynasty established under Solomon and permanently end the succession of Jewish kings. But the Babylonian king may have been completely unaware of Zedekiah’s daughters; at the very least, he was apparently unfamiliar with Hebrew law—specifically that a princess could inherit the throne if there were no male heirs. There was, however, one stipulation: the heiress had to marry within the royal tribe, the tribe of Judah, if she was to retain the inheritance (see Numbers 36:6-7 for the precedent). Thus, Zedekiah’s daughters had every right to the throne of their father—as long as they married someone from the tribe of Judah.
The story of Jeremiah and Zedekiah’s daughters ends with them still in Egypt—at least as far as the Bible goes. We are left to speculate—based on historical accounts, the prophecies of Ezekiel, the promises concerning David’s throne, and the “mysterious commission” given to Jeremiah—as to what happened next.
Muda mfupi baada ya kuanguka kwa Yerusalemu na kifo cha Sedekia, tunapata kwamba Yeremia aliachiliwa kutoka gerezani na akaishi miongoni mwa mabaki machache bado katika nchi ya Yuda (Yer. (Mithali 39:14; 40:6) Kikundi hicho kilikuwa chini ya utawala wa Gedalia, ambaye baadaye aliuawa na kiongozi mwenzake wa kijeshi aliyeitwa Ishmaeli (Yer. 41:2) Je, hilo ni kweli? Yaonekana Ishmaeli alikataa mpango huo wa kisiasa. Katika mstari wa 10, tunaona kwamba Ishmaeli na kikundi chake waliwachukua mabaki wote kuwa mateka. Ona ni nani hasa anayetajwa kuwa miongoni mwa kikundi hicho: <unk>Basi Ishmaeli akawateka mateka wengine wote wa watu... hata mabinti wa mfalme <unk> mabinti wa Sedekia! Jina lake lilikuwa TEPHI-Kumbuka, ukoo wa Yekonia ulikuwa umepuuzwa kabisa kamwe kurithi kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, na wana wote wa Sedekia walikuwa wameuawa. Neno "mwenye upole" linalotumiwa katika fumbo la Ezekieli bila shaka linamaanisha mwanamke mchanga. Je, mmoja wa mabinti wa Sedekia angeweza kutumiwa kudumisha kiti cha ufalme? Je, jambo hilo lingekuwa halali? Kulingana na Sheria ya Kiyahudi, mwanamume angeweza kumpa binti yake urithi wa familia ikiwa hakuwa na mwana. 27:8) Ni nini? Bila shaka hilo lingetumika hata kwa kiti cha ufalme. Athalia, mke wa mfalme Yehoramu wa Yuda, alichukua kiti cha enzi kwa hila; hata hivyo, utawala wake mfupi haukushtakiwa kwa sababu alikuwa mwanamke (II Wafalme 11:1-3). Ahadi katika Yeremia 33:17 kwamba Daudi hatakosa mtu wa kukaa juu ya kiti chake cha enzi haipaswi kuchukuliwa kuwa inawakataza wanawake. "Jina la Kiebrania ""ish"" linatumiwa katika Agano la Kale kuwakilisha wanaume, lakini neno hilo linatumiwa mara nyingi kwa wanadamu kwa ujumla (Ayubu 14:12; 15:16; 34:21; Zaburi 37:1, 2). - 1 Waebrania 11:1, 2, 4." 39:11; 78:25; na kadhalika). Isitoshe, uhalali wa ukoo wa mama unathibitishwa waziwazi na ukweli kwamba uhusiano wa damu wa pekee wa Yesu na Daudi ni kupitia mama yake, Maria. Inaonekana kwamba tamaa ya Nebukadneza ilikuwa kuharibu nasaba iliyoanzishwa chini ya Sulemani na kukomesha kabisa urithi wa wafalme Wayahudi. Lakini huenda mfalme wa Babeli hakujua kabisa kuhusu binti za Sedekia; angalau, inaonekana kwamba hakujua sheria ya Kiebrania - hasa kwamba malkia angeweza kurithi kiti cha ufalme ikiwa hakukuwa na warithi wa kiume. Hata hivyo, kulikuwa na sharti moja: mrithi huyo alipaswa kuolewa na mtu wa kabila la kifalme, kabila la Yuda, ikiwa angetaka kuhifadhi urithi (tazama Hesabu 36:6-7, kwa mfano). Hivyo, binti za Sedekia walikuwa na haki ya kutawala kama mfalme wa Yuda maadamu waliolewa na mtu wa kabila la Yuda. Hadithi ya binti za Yeremia na Sedekia inamalizika wakiwa bado Misri - angalau kadiri Biblia inavyoeleza. Tunaachwa tufikirie - kwa kutegemea masimulizi ya kihistoria, unabii wa Ezekieli, ahadi kuhusu kiti cha enzi cha Daudi, na "tume ya siri" iliyopewa Yeremia - kuhusu kilichotokea baadaye.