Jehoiakim
Summary
Installed as king by Pharaoh Neco, Jehoiakim was a ruthless ruler who burned Jeremiah's scroll, killed the prophet Uriah, and imposed heavy taxation. Daniel was taken to Babylon during his reign in the first deportation.
- Among the passages here, Jehoiakim is first named in 2 Kings 23:34: “Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father…”
- The record places Jehoiakim in Divided Kingdom.
- 39 verses name Jehoiakim, in 5 books.
- 6 moments stand in order on this page, each with its verse.
On this page
Start here
Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments.
Jeremiah 36:24→- 6 key events in order
- 39 verses name Jehoiakim, across 5 books
In Scripture
- Verses
- 39
- Books
- 5
Jehoiakim
- Role
- 18th King of Judah
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
- Dates
- 609–598 BC
- Tribe
- Judah
- Father
- Josiah
- Children
- Jehoiachin
The life in order
from the events the row records, with the first and last verse that names the person among the passages this page stands on
1Where the passages this page records open
2What the record holds, in its own order
- Installed by Pharaoh Neco2 Kings 23:34-35Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, where he died.
- Built lavish palace with forced laborJeremiah 22:13-17“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,
- First Babylonian deportation — Daniel takenDaniel 1:1-2In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
- Burned Jeremiah's scrollJeremiah 36:22-25Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters with a fire burning before him.
- Killed Uriah the prophetJeremiah 26:20-23Now there was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land the same things that Jeremiah did.
- Rebelled against Babylon2 Kings 24:1During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded. So Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, until he turned and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
3Where the passages this page records close
Biography
Jehoiakim, whose original name was Eliakim, was installed as a puppet king by Pharaoh Neco after the removal of his brother Jehoahaz. He oppressed his own people with heavy taxation to pay Egypt's tribute while building himself a lavish palace with forced labor. Jeremiah confronted him for this, comparing him unfavorably to his father Josiah.
When Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at Carchemish and Jehoiakim switched allegiance to Babylon, he initially submitted but then rebelled after three years. The most revealing scene of his character came when his secretary Jehudi read Jeremiah's scroll to him: as each section was read Jehoiakim cut it off with a penknife and threw it into the fire — a deliberate, section-by-section rejection of God's Word.
He also had the prophet Uriah extradited from Egypt and killed. The first Babylonian deportation, which included Daniel and his friends, occurred during his reign. He died ignominiously — according to Jeremiah, given "the burial of a donkey."
Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments.
What they got right, and what they got wrong
Strengths
Political survival instincts, transitioned allegiance from Egypt to Babylon
Weaknesses
Wickedness, oppression of his people, burning God's Word, murder of a prophet, pride, self-indulgence
Lessons
Rejecting God's Word does not make it untrue — it only accelerates judgment. Jehoiakim's burning of Jeremiah's scroll was an act of supreme futility; God simply had Jeremiah dictate it again with additions. What we try to destroy of God's truth only returns amplified.
Spiritual significance
Jehoiakim's burning of Jeremiah's scroll is one of Scripture's most graphic images of human rejection of God's Word. The contrast with Josiah — who tore his robes in repentance when the Law was read — could not be sharper. His reign shows that a nation's destruction is first a moral and spiritual event.
Jehoiakim in Scripture
Open a book to read its mentions here. Text: Berean Standard Bible. Names repeat in Scripture, so some of these verses may speak of another person called Jehoiakim. The two marks are drawn from the chapters this page's own references stand in.
Old TestamentNew Testamentsegment width = share of mentions
Old Testament5 books · 39 mentions
2 Kings8 mentions
- 2 Kings 23:34Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, where he died.
- 2 Kings 23:35So Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh Neco, but to meet Pharaoh’s demand he taxed the land and exacted the silver and the gold from the people, each according to his wealth.
- 2 Kings 23:36Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah.
- 2 Kings 24:1During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded. So Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, until he turned and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
- 2 Kings 24:2And the LORD sent Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim in order to destroy Judah, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servants the prophets.
3 further mentions in 2 Kings, read them in the book.
1 Chronicles2 mentions
2 Chronicles4 mentions
- 2 Chronicles 36:4Then Neco king of Egypt made Eliakim brother of Jehoahaz king over Judah and Jerusalem, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.
- 2 Chronicles 36:5Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
- 2 Chronicles 36:6Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jehoiakim and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
- 2 Chronicles 36:8As for the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations he committed, and all that was found against him, they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And his son Jehoiachin reigned in his place.
Jeremiah23 mentions
- Jeremiah 1:3and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
- Jeremiah 22:18Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’
- Jeremiah 22:24“As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “even if you, Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on My right hand, I would pull you off.
- Jeremiah 24:1After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, as well as the officials of Judah and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD.
- Jeremiah 25:1This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
18 further mentions in Jeremiah, read them in the book.
Daniel2 mentions
- Daniel 1:1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
- Daniel 1:2And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.
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