Topical Bible: Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Jehoiakim

◄ Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Jehoiakim ►

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Introduction:
Jehoiakim, originally named Eliakim, was the eighteenth king of Judah, reigning from approximately 609 to 598 BC. He was the son of King Josiah and the brother of Jehoahaz. His reign is noted for its political turmoil, idolatry, and conflict with prophetic voices, particularly that of Jeremiah. Jehoiakim's rule is documented in the books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and the prophetic writings of Jeremiah.

Background and Ascension:
Jehoiakim ascended to the throne after the brief reign of his brother Jehoahaz, who was deposed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt. Pharaoh Neco installed Eliakim as king, changing his name to Jehoiakim, which means "Yahweh raises up" (2 Kings 23:34). This change signified Egypt's dominance over Judah at the time, as Jehoiakim was effectively a vassal king under Egyptian control.

Reign and Political Context:
Jehoiakim's reign was marked by shifting allegiances and external pressures. Initially, he was a vassal to Egypt, paying heavy tribute to Pharaoh Neco (2 Kings 23:35). However, the geopolitical landscape changed with the rise of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar II. In 605 BC, after the Battle of Carchemish, Babylon became the dominant power in the region, and Jehoiakim became a vassal to Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:1).

Jehoiakim's loyalty to Babylon was short-lived. After three years, he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, which led to a series of Babylonian raids on Judah (2 Kings 24:1-2). This rebellion was a significant factor in the eventual Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem.

Religious and Moral Failings:
Jehoiakim's reign is characterized by a departure from the religious reforms of his father, Josiah. He is depicted as a king who did evil in the sight of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations (2 Kings 23:37). His reign saw the resurgence of idolatry and the neglect of the covenantal laws of Yahweh.

Jehoiakim's relationship with the prophet Jeremiah was particularly contentious. Jeremiah prophesied against the king and the nation, warning of impending judgment due to their unfaithfulness. Jehoiakim responded with hostility, even burning a scroll of Jeremiah's prophecies (Jeremiah 36:23). This act symbolized his rejection of divine warning and guidance.

Death and Legacy:
Jehoiakim's death is shrouded in some mystery. The Bible does not provide explicit details about the circumstances of his death, but it is implied that he died during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. Jeremiah prophesied that Jehoiakim would have the burial of a donkey, dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 22:19), indicating a dishonorable end.

Jehoiakim was succeeded by his son Jehoiachin, who reigned for only three months before being taken into Babylonian captivity. Jehoiakim's reign is often viewed as a period of decline for Judah, setting the stage for the eventual fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile.

Biblical References:
· 2 Kings 23:34-24:6
· 2 Chronicles 36:4-8
· Jeremiah 22:18-19; 36:1-32

Jehoiakim's reign serves as a cautionary tale of the consequences of disobedience to God and the perils of political alliances that compromise faithfulness to divine commandments. His account is a reminder of the importance of heeding prophetic voices and maintaining covenantal fidelity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 23:34-24:6
And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 36:5-8
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

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/

The Prophet Hosea.
... Menahem reigned ten years at Samaria ... ver.27), and, by his alliance with the kings
of Syria ... xxv., gave a survey of what he had prophesied over Judah during twenty ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm

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

'As Sodom'
... old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years ... is all but identical with
that in 2 Kings 25.It ... own acts, but declaring that his being 'given over to a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/as sodom.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

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

The Sixth vision "On Earth"
... the Sunteleia must find some Gentile power exercising sovereignty over the City ... his
uncle), and for eleven years he reigned in Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:2 ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the sixth vision on earth.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... And to pass over endless details (for it is not my purpose now to ... all the mysteries
of the Old Testament), [4376] five kings who previously reigned in the ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of ... If the
thousands of godly preachers who are scattered over our comparatively happy ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm