Jehoiakim

Son of Josiah and Zebidah, and king of Judah (608-598 B.C.). At the age of 25 he was made king by Pharaoh Necho in place of his brother Jehoahaz, who was deposed and exiled to Egypt. Necho changed his name from Eliakim to Jehoiakim (II Kgs 23:34; II Chr 36:4) and exacted heavy tribute from Judah (II Kgs 23:33; II Chr 36:3), which Jehoiakim collected by the imposition of crushing land taxes (II Kgs 23:35).

Jehoiakim is described as an evil and oppressive king (II Kgs 24:3; II Chr 36:5; Jer 22:18-23). In the fourth year of his reign (605 B.C.), Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonia met Necho in Battle at Carchemish. The Egyptian pharaoh was defeated and Babylonia took control of his countries including Judah (Jer 25:1; 46:2). At first Jehoiakim accepted the suzerainty of the new ruler but three years later, he rebelled (II Kgs 24:1).

Nebuchadnezzar sent Moabite, Syrian, Ammonite and Chaldean troops to invade Judah. Jerusalem was later captured (II Kgs 24:2) and a large number of the people along with part of the Temple treasure, were sent to Babylonia (II Chr 36:7). Many of these events are now attested by the extra-biblical source of the Babylonian Chronicle.

According to II Kings 24:6, Jehoiakim died peacefully. However, in Josephus' account (Antiq. x, 97) his body was thrown out over the gates of Jerusalem, as prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer 22:18-19; 36:30). It is recorded in Chronicles that Jehoiakim was sent to Babylon in fetters but no mention is made of his subsequent death (I Chr 36:6).

Concordance
II Kgs 23:34-36; 24:1, 5-6,19. I Chr 3:15-16. II Chr 36:4-5, 8. Jer 1:3; 22:18, 24; 24:1; 25:1; 26:1, 21-23; 27:1, 20; 28:4; 35:1; 36:1, 9,28-30, 32; 37:1; 45:1; 46:2; 52:2. Dan 1:1-2

Kings of Judah
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For other persons named Joachim, see Joachim (disambiguation).

Jehoiakim (Hebrew: יהוֹיָקִים‎, "he whom Jehovah has set up", also sometimes spelled Jehoikim) (c. 635-597 BC, reign 608-597 BC) was king of Judah. He was the second son of king Josiah by Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. His birth name was Eliakim.

On Josiah's death, Jehoiakim's younger brother Jehoahaz (or Shallum) was proclaimed king, but after three months (608 BC) pharaoh Necho II deposed him and replaced him with the eldest son, Eliakim, who adopted the name Jehoiakim and became king at the age of twenty-five ^[1]in the same year. In the meantime, Jehoahaz was exiled to Egypt, where he died.^[2]

Jehoiakim ruled originally as a vassal of the Egyptians, paying a heavy tribute. He is known for burning the manuscript of one of the prophecies of Jeremiah.^[3] Jeremiah had criticised the king's policies, insisting on repentance and strict adherence to the law. Another prophet, Uriah ben Shemaiah, proclaimed a similar message and was executed on the orders of the king. Jeremiah was spared from this fate, perhaps because he was well-connected.^[4] When the Egyptians were defeated by the Babylonians at Carchemish in 605 BC, he changed allegiances, paying tribute to Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon. After three years, with the Egyptians and Babylonians still at war, he switched back to the Egyptians and ceased paying the tribute to Babylon, an act which ultimately resulted in the Siege and Fall of Jerusalem of 597 BC and the subsequent deportation to Babylon of many Israelite nobles and others.^[5] Jehoiakim died at this time.

Jehoiakim was king for eleven years to 598 BC ^[6] and was succeeded by this son Jeconiah, (also known as Jehoiachin), who reigned for only three months.^[7][8]

Jehoiakim House of David
Regnal titles
Preceded by Jehoahaz	King of Judah 609 - 598 BC	Succeeded by Jeconiah

Sources

• 2 Kings 23:34-36
• 2 Kings 24:1-6, 24:19
• 1 Chronicles 3:15-16
• 2 Chronicles 36:4-5, 36:8
• Jeremiah 1:3
• Jeremiah 22:1,
• Jeremiah 26:1, 26:21-23
• Jeremiah 27:1, 27:20
• Jeremiah 28:4
• Jeremiah 35:1
• Jeremiah 36:1, 36:9, 36:28-32
• Daniel 1:1
• {http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=200&letter=J&search=Jehoiakim Jewish encyclopedia entry}

References

1. ^ 2 Kings 23:36
2. ^ Philip J. King, Jeremiah: An Archaeological Companion (Westminster John Knox Press, 1993), page 20.
3. ^ Jeremiah 36:1-32
4. ^ James Maxwell Miller, John Haralson Hayes, A History of Ancient Israel and Judah (Westminster John Knox Press, 1986) page 404-405.
5. ^ Philip J. King, Jeremiah: An Archaeological Companion' (Westminster John Knox Press, 1993), page 21.
6. ^ Dan Cohn-Sherbok, The Hebrew Bible, Continuum International, 1996, page x. ISBN 030433703X
7. ^ Philip J. King, Jeremiah: An Archaeological Companion (Westminster John Knox Press, 1993), page 23.
8. ^ 2 Chronicles 36:9

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