King Jehoiakim was the eighteenth king of Judah who reigned from 609 to 598 BC. He was the second son of King Josiah and Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah (2 Kings 23:36). Jehoiakim’s original name was Eliakim but it was later changed by the Pharaoh Necho II who placed him on the throne as a vassal king after deposing his brother Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:34).
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king and reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years (2 Kings 23:36). He reigned during a turbulent time when the Babylonians, Egyptians and Assyrians were fighting for control over the region. As a puppet king under Egypt, Jehoiakim had to pay heavy tribute which he extracted from the people through forced labor and high taxes (2 Kings 23:35). This led to resentment against his rule.
The Bible describes Jehoiakim as an evil king who did “what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 23:37). He reversed the religious reforms of his father Josiah by tolerating idolatry and allowing pagan altars and high places to be rebuilt (Jeremiah 22:13-17). He burned the scroll containing the prophecies of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:1-26). Jeremiah pronounced God’s judgment on Jehoiakim for his pride, injustice and shedding of innocent blood (Jeremiah 22:13-19; 26:20-23).
In 605 BC, the Babylonians led by Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at the Battle of Carchemish gaining control over Syria and Judah (Jeremiah 46:2). Jehoiakim switched allegiance and became a vassal to King Nebuchadnezzar for three years until the failure of an Egyptian-backed rebellion resulted in a Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 598 BC (2 Kings 24:1).
Jehoiakim died during the siege, leaving his son Jehoiachin to succeed him. Jeremiah prophesied that he would have “the burial of a donkey” with his corpse being dragged outside the gates of Jerusalem and left unlamented (Jeremiah 22:18-19; 36:30). Josephus wrote that Nebuchadnezzar slew Jehoiakim and left his body unburied outside the city walls.
Some key facts about King Jehoiakim:
- He was the second son of King Josiah and grandson of Amon.
- His original name was Eliakim which was changed by Pharaoh Necho II.
- He reigned for 11 years from 609-598 BC as a vassal king under Egypt and Babylon.
- He was an evil king who undid the religious reforms of his father Josiah.
- He burned the scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecies and disregarded his warnings.
- He imposed heavy taxation and forced labor leading to resentment against his rule.
- He rebelled against Babylon resulting in a siege of Jerusalem.
- He died during the siege and was given a dishonorable burial.
Jehoiakim’s Family Background
Jehoiakim was the second son of King Josiah, one of the most righteous kings of Judah (2 Kings 22:2). Josiah was a descendant of King David and his father was King Amon, one of the most wicked kings who reigned for only two years before being assassinated by his officials (2 Kings 21:19-24). Josiah came to the throne at the young age of eight after his father’s death (2 Kings 22:1). Jehoiakim’s mother was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah, about whom little is known (2 Kings 23:36).
Jehoiakim had an older brother named Jehoahaz who briefly became king of Judah after Josiah’s death in 609 BC. However, the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II deposed Jehoahaz after just three months and installed Jehoiakim as a vassal king in his place (2 Kings 23:31-35).
Jehoiakim had three sons who are named in the Bible – Jehoiachin who succeeded him as king (2 Kings 24:6), Zedekiah, and Mattaniah (2 Kings 24:17; Jeremiah 36:26). His descendants suffered the curse of Jehoiakim’s sins to the fourth generation according to Jeremiah 36:31.
Jehoiakim’s Reign as King of Judah
Jehoiakim became king of Judah at the age of twenty-five after Pharaoh Necho removed his brother Jehoahaz and placed him on the throne as a vassal ruler in 609 BC (2 Kings 23:36). His original name was Eliakim but it was changed by Pharaoh Necho to Jehoiakim when he made him king (2 Kings 23:34).
Jehoiakim reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years until 598 BC (2 Kings 23:36). Politically, his reign was dominated by the struggle between Egypt and Babylon for control of Syria-Palestine after the decline of the Assyrian empire. Judah was caught in the middle, having to pay tribute to both sides at different times.
Initially Judah was under Egyptian control. But the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar II defeated the Egyptians at the decisive Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC (Jeremiah 46:2). Judah then became a vassal state of Babylon. Jehoiakim was forced to pay heavy tribute to Nebuchadnezzar for three years (2 Kings 24:1).
In 601 BC, Jehoiakim attempted to assert independence by rebelling against Babylon, probably relying on promised support from Egypt. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem in 598 BC which ended when Jehoiakim died leaving his son Jehoiachin to succeed him (2 Kings 24:1-6).
Jehoiakim’s Policies and Character
Jehoiakim implemented several policies after becoming king of Judah that led to resentment against his rule:
- Heavy taxation – He taxed the people heavily in order to pay the heavy tribute demands from Egypt and Babylon (2 Kings 23:35).
- Forced labor – He used forced labor to build his extravagant palace (Jeremiah 22:13-17).
- Injustice – He shed innocent blood and practiced injustice (Jeremiah 22:3, 13-17).
- Reversal of reforms – He reversed the religious reforms of his father Josiah by allowing idolatry and pagan altars (Jeremiah 22:13-17).
The Bible describes Jehoiakim as an evil king who “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 23:37). He was arrogant, materialistic and showed no regard for God or God’s law. Some key aspects of his character according to scripture:
- Pride – Jeremiah warns him against the pride of his heart (Jeremiah 22:18-19).
- Covetousness – He lived in luxury in his opulent palace built by oppression (Jeremiah 22:13-17).
- Idolatry – He allowed and promoted idolatrous practices (Jeremiah 22:13-17).
- Rejection of God’s word – He rejected the prophecies and warnings of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:1-26).
- Persecution – He put prophet Uriah to death and sought to arrest Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:20-23).
Jehoiakim’s policies and personal character led the people of Judah into sin and rebellion against God, paving the way for God’s judgment.
Jehoiakim and the Prophet Jeremiah
The prophet Jeremiah, who ministered in Jerusalem during Jehoiakim’s reign, had a turbulent relationship with the king:
- Jeremiah prophesied that Jehoiakim would “have the burial of a donkey” because of his sins (Jeremiah 22:18-19). This was fulfilled when he died during the Babylonian siege.
- Jehoiakim burned the scroll containing Jeremiah’s prophecies (Jeremiah 36:1-26). The prophecies were later rewritten and amplified.
- Jeremiah condemned Jehoiakim’s injustice, covetousness, shedding of innocent blood and idolatry (Jeremiah 22:13-17).
- Jehoiakim persecuted Jeremiah’s prophesying. He put to death prophet Uriah who prophesied in Jeremiah’s name (Jeremiah 26:20-23).
- Jeremiah predicted that no lamentations would be made for Jehoiakim at his death because of his wickedness (Jeremiah 22:18).
- Jeremiah prophesied the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and burning of Judah because of Manasseh’s and Jehoiakim’s sins (Jeremiah 15:1-9).
Jehoiakim rejected Jeremiah’s prophecies and warnings, persecuting Jeremiah and even burning his written prophecies. But Jeremiah continued to pronounce God’s judgment which came to pass.
Jehoiakim’s Death and Burial
Jehoiakim died in 598 BC during the siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon before the city fell (2 Kings 24:6). Jeremiah had prophesied that Jehoiakim would die unlamented and have the burial of a donkey, being cast outside the Jerusalem gates (Jeremiah 22:18-19; 36:30).
According to the historian Josephus, Nebuchadnezzar slew Jehoiakim and commanded that his body be thrown outside the walls without burial:
So Jehoiakim the king was taken alive and brought to Nebuchadnezzar, and he slew him, and then buried him in the burial-place of his fathers; but he did not bring him to burial, but gave order to throw down his dead body with the beasts and birds of prey. He also slew his son Jehoiachin. (Antiquities of the Jews Book 10, Chapter 6)
Thus, Jehoiakim’s death fulfilled the prophecy that he would not be properly lamented or buried because of his sins but would suffer disgrace even in death.
Jehoiakim’s short-sighted policies and rejection of God’s word through the prophet Jeremiah led to disaster for Judah. Within a few years, Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon while Jehoiakim suffered the prophesied humiliating end that he richly deserved.
Lessons from Jehoiakim’s Life
The life of King Jehoiakim provides some important lessons:
- God judges sin, pride and arrogance.
- Rejecting God’s word leads to ruin.
- Oppressing the people invites God’s justice.
- No one can defy God’s prophets with impunity.
- Sin has consequences for future generations.
- God’s word is sure and will come to pass.
- An unrighteous life ends in disgrace.
Jehoiakim’s life serves as a negative example of an evil king who arrogantly rejected God’s word through the prophets and led the nation into disaster through his sins. His tragic end was a fulfillment of prophecy.
Jehoiakim in Biblical Narratives
Here are some of the key biblical passages that mention Jehoiakim and shed light on his character and reign as king:
1. Jehoiakim Becomes King
And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. (2 Kings 23:33-35)
This describes how the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II replaced Josiah’s son Jehoahaz with his brother Eliakim after imposing tribute, renaming him Jehoiakim and taking Jehoahaz captive. Jehoiakim taxed the people to pay the tribute.
2. Jehoiakim’s Evil Reign
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. (2 Kings 23:36-37)
This summarizes Jehoiakim’s age, length of reign, mother’s name and the evil he did before God, following his wicked predecessors.
3. Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll
And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them. Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. (Jeremiah 36:26-28)
This episode shows Jehoiakim’s defiance of Jeremiah’s prophecies by burning the scroll dictated by the prophet, followed by God’s command to rewrite the scroll.
4. Judgment Against Jehoiakim
Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.” (Jeremiah 36:30-31)
God pronounces judgment on Jehoiakim that his body would be dishonored in death and his descendants punished because he burned Jeremiah’s scroll and rejected God’s word.
Conclusion
In summary, King Jehoiakim was an evil and arrogant ruler who defied God’s prophets and led Judah into disaster through his sins. He rejected the word of God through the prophet Jeremiah, persecuted true prophets, imposed forced labor and high taxes on the people and promoted idolatry. Jehoiakim died during Babylonian siege of Jerusalem and suffered disgrace in death as prophesied. His life provides a sobering lesson on the consequences of resisting God’s word.