Who is King Jehoiachin in the Bible?

Quick Facts

Father: King Jehoiakim, 2Ki 24:6
Mother: Nehushta, 2Ki 24:8
Predecessor: King Jehoiakim
Succession: 19th king
Length of reign: 3 months 10 days, 2Ch 36:9
Successor: King Zedekiah, 2Ch 36:10
Age when made a king: 18 years, 2Ki 24:8
Kingdom: Kingdom of Judah
Reign: December, 598 BC – March, 597 BC
Morality: evil king, 2 Kings 24:9
Other names:
Coniah, Jer 22:24, Jer 22:28; Jer 37:1
Jeconiah, 1Ch 3:16, 1Ch 3:17; Es 2:6; Jer 24:1; Jer 27:20; Jer 28:4; Jer 29:2
Bible reference: 2Ch 36:9-10; 2Ki 24:6-17

Jehoiachin becomes king of Judah

The name Jehoiachin means ‘Jehovah will establish‘. After King Jehoiakim was exiled, his son Jehoiachin reigned in his stead. Jehoiachin ascended to the throne at the young age of 18 and he reigned in Jerusalem for 3 months and 10 days. His mother was called Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan.

Sadly, this lad king embraced idolatrous religion like his father. Jehoiachin’s idolatry suggests that the kingdom lapsed into so much corruption that none in the inner circle was able to guide this young king to the path of godliness.

Jehoiachin and Nebuchadnezzar II

Before and around that time, the kingdom of Judah was on the verge of collapse and it was being kicked about by the superpowers of the day, namely, Egypt and Babylon. But during the short reign of Jehoiachin, Egypt was out of the game because it had lost a major battle and the Babylonians had taken all the territories of Egypt from the Nile River to the River Euphrates.

Now Babylon was the only foreign power left which was looting and devastating the Kingdom of Judah. After the death of King Josiah, the Babylonians invaded and besieged Jerusalem twice. Their first siege made the Kingdom of Judah become a vassal kingdom of Babylon. Their second siege led to the capture of Jehoiachin’s father and the looting of the Temple of Solomon.

Not long after Jehoiachin’s enthronement, again the Babylonians invaded and besieged Jerusalem for the third time. Jehoiachin, his mother, his wives, his servants, his officials, and his palace officials surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar II king of Babylon (2Ki 24:12). So Nebuchadnezzar II deposed him and he was no more king of Judah. This fulfilled what the Lord said through Prophet Jeremiah that King Jehoiakim’s descendants would not inherit the throne (Jer 36:30).

Jehoiachin and Co were taken into captivity in Babylon in the 8th year of Nebuchadnezzar II’s reign (2Ki 24:15). Nebuchadnezzar II also proceeded to loot Jerusalem; he carried off all the gold and the treasures of the Temple of Solomon and those of the king’s palace. In addition, he carried away 10,000 captives from Jerusalem comprising all the officials, 7000 mighty brave men, and 1000 craftsmen and smiths (2Ki 24:14). And Nebuchadnezzar II made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king of Judah and changed his name to Zedekiah (2Ki 24:17).

Jehoiachin released from prison

On the 25th day of the 12th month of King Jehoiachin’s 37th year in captivity, Evil-Merodach, the son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar II, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin from prison. Jehoiachin was about 55 years old at that time. King Evil-Merodach gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. And for the rest of his days, Evil-Merodach made him at his table always and gave him a regular allowance until the day of his death. (Jeremiah 52:31-34)

Major events during Jehoiachin’s reign

For the third time after King Josiah’s death, the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem and captured it. They carried off treasures from the Temple of Solomon and the king’s palace as loot to Babylon. They also carried Jehoiakim and his family and 10,000 people from Judah to Babylon. (2Ki 24:12-16)

Contemporaries of Jehoiachin

  • There was no king of Israel since the Kingdom of Israel was in exile.
  • Nebuchadnezzar II was the only king mentioned during Jehoiachin’s reign. (2Ki 24:11)

Category; Jehoiachin belongs to:

Tagged , .