Jehoiakim
A king of Judah installed by Pharaoh Neco after Neco deposed his brother Jehoahaz, and later a vassal of Babylon who rebelled. Jeremiah's preaching went against him throughout the reign; when the prophet's scroll was read to him he cut it column by column with a penknife and threw it on the brazier until it was consumed, then ordered Jeremiah and Baruch arrested. He also had the prophet Uriah extradited from Egypt and killed. He died as Nebuchadnezzar moved against Jerusalem, and Jeremiah said he would be buried with the burial of a donkey.
What we know — and how we know it
Unknown artistUnknown artist — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
ArchaeologyThe Babylonian Chronicle records Nebuchadnezzar's western campaigns during his reign — the backdrop to Judah's submission and revolt.
Where in scripture
2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesJeremiahDanielPharaoh Necoh 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.
2 Kings 23:34
Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment 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 Necoh.
2 Kings 23:35
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.
2 Kings 23:36 — Becomes king
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.
2 Kings 24:1
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
2 Kings 24:5
So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
2 Kings 24:6
He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
2 Kings 24:19
The sons of Josiah: the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth Shallum.
1 Chronicles 3:15
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
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Photo: Godot13 — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
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