King Jehoiachin

How He Became King: After his father Jehoiakim was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar
When He Began Reigning: 8 years old
Reign Length: 3 months
Ruled Over: Judah
Type of King: Evil
Prophet: Jeremiah
Death: Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and took him to Babylon
Burial: Unknown

After Jehoiakim died, his son Jehoiachin became ruler over Judah. If you examine the Scriptures you will see that the Bible gives two very different ages for the start of his rule:

2 Chronicles 36:9: “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.”

2 Kings 24:8: “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.”

So what’s going on here? Well, the book of Jeremiah gives us a hint. It tells us that at this point in history Israel had a king and a queen:

Jeremiah 13:18: “Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.”

Legally, Jehoiachin became king when he was 8 years old. However, his mother ruled in his stead until the king turned 18. That is why for a period of time the land had a king and a queen, and that is why the Bible gives two different ages.

Jehoiachin’s reign was short. He was a wicked ruler and only reigned for three months. During his reign Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem and conquered it:

2 Kings 24:10: “At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.”

Nebuchadnezzar achieved a decisive victory. He carried away all the treasures of the Temple and of the palace. He also carried away Jerusalem’s people, princes, and craftsmen, leaving behind only the very poorest people. Finally, Nebuchadnezzar carried away Jehoiachin, his mother, and his wives to Babylon:

2 Kings 24:13: “And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said.
14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.”

Nebuchadnezzar then made Zedekiah (Jehoiachin’s father’s brother) king over Judah.