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Jehoiachin (Jeconiah; 6th cent. BCE), of the House of David, was the King of Judah, who was deported to Babylon by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in 598/597 BCE. He was the son of his predecessor Jehoiakim, and the nephew of his successor Zedekiah. While remaining in Babylon as hostage king, Jehoiachin regained his title after the death of Zedekiah and part of his freedom after the death of Nebuchadnezzar. He was succeeded by his son Sheshbazzar.

• Davidic Kings: ... -> Jehoiakim -> Jehoiachin -> Zedekiah -> Jehoiachin -> Sheshbazzar -> ...

Overview

Jehoiachin was the son of king Jehoiakim and "Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem."

After the death of his father he reigned only "three months" in Jerusalem. He surrendered to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, who deported him to Babylon, with his mother, his wives, and his officials, and replaced him with his uncle Zedekiah. Jehoiachin was then "eighteen years old" (not "eight years old" as reported by Chronicles). Official Babylonian records, dated to 592 BCE, mention the king and his 5 sons as recipients of food rations. The exiles in Babylon would continue to refer to him as their king (Ez 2:2).

Had Zedekiah proved to be a loyal vassal to the Babylonians, the fate of Jehoiachin and his children would have been sealed. But Zekediah rebelled in 588-586 and he and his direct descendants were executed. Jehoiachin now became the only king of Judah.

Only after the death of Nebuchadnezzar was King Jehoiachin released from prison and granted a position corresponding to his royal status as hostage king, as he was allowed to sit with his peers at the table of the new Babylonian king Evil-merodach (Awel-Markud).

Jehoiachin's successors, Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel, would play an important role in the Babylonian and early Persian period as "kings of Judah."

Jehoiachin in ancient sources

2 Kings

2 Kings 24:6-17 -- [6] So Jehoiakim slept with his ancestors: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead... [8] 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. [9] He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father had done. [10] At that time the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. [11] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. [12] King Jehoiachin of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign... [15] And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the elite of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon... [17] The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

2 Kings 25:27-30 (NRSV) -- [27] In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, King Evil-merodach of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison; [28] he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the other seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. [29] So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes. Every day of his life he dined regularly in the king’s presence. [30] For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion every day, as long as he lived.

Jeremiah

Jer 1:24-30 (NRSV) -- 24 As I live, says the LORD, even if King Coniah son of Jehoiakim of Judah were the signet ring on my right hand, even from there I would tear you off 25 and give you into the hands of those who seek your life, into the hands of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hands of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon and into the hands of the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But they shall not return to the land to which they long to return. 28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken pot, a vessel no one wants? Why are he and his offspring hurled out and cast away in a land that they do not know? 29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD! 30 Thus says the LORD: Record this man as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days; for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David, and ruling again in Judah.

Jer 24:1 (NRSV) -- ...This was after King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem King Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the artisans, and the smiths, and had brought them to Babylon.

Jer 27:19-20 (NRSV) -- 19 For thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, the sea, the stands, and the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take away when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon King Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.

Jer 28:1 (NRSV) -- [1] In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord's house, which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place King Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, says the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon"...

Jer 29 (NRSV) -- [1] These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.

Jer 37 (NRSV) -- Zedekiah son of Josiah, whom King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, succeeded Coniah son of Jehoiakim.

Jer 52:31-35 (NRSV) -- [31] In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, King Evil-merodach of Babylon, in the year he began to reign, showed favour to King Jehoiachin of Judah and brought him out of prison; [32] he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. [33] So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes, and every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table. [34] For his allowance, a regular daily allowance was given him by the king of Babylon, as long as he lived, up to the day of his death.

Ezekiel

Ez 1:2-3 -- [2] On the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, [3] the word of the Lord came to to the priest Ezekiel...

2 Chronicles

2 Chr 36:8-9 (NRSV) -- [8] ...Jehoiakim's son Jehoiachin succeeded him. [9] Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned for three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. [10] In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, along with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Josephus, Jewish Antiquities

Ant X 6:3-7:1 -- [6:3] ...the king of Babylon [=Nebuchadnezzar] made an expedition against Jehoiakim, whom... he commanded to be thrown before the walls, without any burial; and made his son Jehoiachin king of the country, and of the city: he also took the principal persons in dignity for captives, three thousand in number, and led them away to Babylon; among which was the prophet Ezekiel, who was then but young. And this was the end of king Jehoiakim, when he had lived thirty-six years, and of them reigned eleven. But Jehoiachin succeeded him in the kingdom, whose mother's name was Nehushta; she was a citizen of Jerusalem. He reigned three months and ten days. [7:1] But a terror seized on the king of Babylon, who had given the kingdom to Jehoiachin, and that immediately; he was afraid that he should bear him a grudge, because of his killing his father, and thereupon should make the country revolt from him; wherefore he sent an army, and besieged Jehoiachin in Jerusalem; but because he was of a gentle and just disposition, he did not desire to see the city endangered on his account, but he took his mother and kindred, and delivered them to the commanders sent by the king of Babylon, and accepted of their oaths, that neither should they suffer any harm, nor the city; which agreement they did not observe for a single year, for the king of Babylon did not keep it, but gave orders to his generals to take all that were in the city captives, both the youth and the handicraftsmen, and bring them bound to him; their number was ten thousand eight hundred and thirty-two; as also Jehoiachin, and his mother and friends. And when these were brought to him, he kept them in custody, and appointed Jehoiachin's uncle, Zedekiah, to be king... [see also 8:2]

Ant X 11:2 -- But now, after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-merodach his son succeeded in the kingdom, who immediately set Jeconiah (=Jehoiachin) at liberty, and esteemed him among his most intimate friends. He also gave him many presents, and made him honorable above the rest of the kings that were in Babylon; for his father had not kept his faith with Jeconiah, when he voluntarily delivered up himself to him, with his wives and children, and his whole kindred, for the sake of his country, that it might not be taken by siege, and utterly destroyed.

Related categories

• Davidic Kings (subject)

• Babylonian Kings (subject) / Nebuchadnezzar (subject) / Evil-merodach (subject)

External links

• Wikipedia