Topical Bible: Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Jehoiachin

◄ Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Jehoiachin ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Introduction:
Jehoiachin, also known as Jeconiah or Coniah, was the nineteenth king of the Kingdom of Judah. His reign was notably brief, lasting only three months and ten days, yet his impact and the circumstances surrounding his rule were significant in the history of Judah. Jehoiachin's reign is documented in the books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Jeremiah.

Background and Ascension:
Jehoiachin was the son of Jehoiakim and the grandson of Josiah, one of Judah's most reformative kings. He ascended to the throne at the age of eighteen, following the death of his father, Jehoiakim. His mother was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem (2 Kings 24:8).

Reign and Political Context:
Jehoiachin's reign occurred during a tumultuous period marked by the Babylonian threat under King Nebuchadnezzar II. The geopolitical landscape was dominated by the Babylonian Empire, which had already exerted influence over Judah. Jehoiachin's short reign was characterized by the continuation of his father's policies, which were not in alignment with the prophetic warnings given by Jeremiah and other prophets of the time.

Biblical Account:
The Bible records that Jehoiachin "did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his father had done" (2 Kings 24:9). His reign was marked by the continuation of idolatrous practices and a failure to heed the warnings of the prophets, which ultimately led to divine judgment upon Judah.

Exile to Babylon:
In the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, the Babylonian king besieged Jerusalem. Jehoiachin, along with his mother, servants, officials, and the elite of Judah, surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar. As a result, Jehoiachin was taken captive to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Exile for the people of Judah (2 Kings 24:12-16). The treasures of the house of the LORD and the king's house were also taken, and the city was left in a weakened state.

Life in Exile:
Jehoiachin spent thirty-seven years in Babylonian captivity. During this time, he was imprisoned until the reign of Evil-Merodach, Nebuchadnezzar's successor. In the year Evil-Merodach ascended the throne, he released Jehoiachin from prison, treated him kindly, and gave him a seat of honor above the other kings who were in Babylon (2 Kings 25:27-30). Jehoiachin was provided with a regular allowance and lived out his days in relative comfort.

Prophetic Significance:
Jehoiachin's life and reign hold prophetic significance, particularly in the writings of Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah pronounced a curse upon Jehoiachin, declaring that none of his offspring would prosper on the throne of David (Jeremiah 22:24-30). This prophecy underscored the end of the Davidic line's immediate rule over Judah, although it did not negate the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to David through the coming of the Messiah.

Legacy:
Jehoiachin's legacy is a complex one. While his reign was short and marked by failure to adhere to God's commands, his life in exile and subsequent release symbolize the enduring hope and mercy of God. His account serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience, the sovereignty of God over nations, and the unfolding of divine plans through history.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 24:8-16
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 36:9,10
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Palestine under Pagan Kings.
... crumbled buildings, and strewn all over with pieces ... The Assyrian kings of western
Asia, also invaded ... Sennacherib, the monarch who reigned seven hundred years ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/palestine under pagan kings.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... Wife Became More Wicked Than All The Kings That Had ... How Jotham, The Son Of Uzziah
Reigned Over The Tribe ... Instead Of Manasseh; And After Amon Reigned Josiah; He ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

Questions.
... 29. Who reigned after Hezekiah? 30. ... 24. What was the great wilfulness of these kings?
25. What was the end of Jehoiakim? ... 41. Who boasted over Jerusalem? 42. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/questions.htm

The Earlier Hebrew Histories.
... old songs are quoted: the "Song of Hannah," David's exquisite lament over Saul and ...
twenty years and then came to the throne and reigned for sixteen ... 2 Kings 16:2 ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter iv the earlier hebrew.htm

Jeremiah
... the vassalage of Babylonia, whose supremacy over Western Asia ... weak and vacillating
Zedekiah, who reigned from 597 ... faithful to their high office than the kings. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/jeremiah.htm

The Historical Books.
... infinite perfections and of his supreme power over the nations ... columns, first the
names of the Persian kings in their ... 1: He was a usurper who reigned less than ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xx the historical books.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... For we may pass over in silence Cometes of Crete, Cinyras of Cyprus ... a week; and for
a half, Vespasian with Otho, Galba, and Vitellius reigned. ... 2058] 2 Kings 22:8 ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

Appendices
... and not rather one of the unknown kings of the ... Assyrians 732 Hezekiah 727 Invasion
of Judah by Sennacherib ... 2. My father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/appendices.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... for centuries past had held rule over Upper Asia ... them with consternation, and peace
reigned supreme from ... the squads of labourers several real kings, the Arabian ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

Babylonia and Assyria
... Nergal-yusezib had reigned only one year when he ... for twelve years Esar-haddon ruled
over western Asia ... Babylonians as a representative of their ancient kings. ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm