Jehoiakim’s Reign and Babylonian Pressure
2 Kings 23:36-24:7
2 K.23.36 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עשרים: NUM,card,pl
- וחמש: CONJ+NUM,card,pl,abs
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יהויקים: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- במלכו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ואחת: CONJ+NUM,card,sg,f
- עשרה: NUM,card,m,pl
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אמו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- זבודה: NOUN,prop,f,sg
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- פדיה: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- מן: PREP
- רומה: NOUN,prop,f,sg
Parallels
- 2 Chronicles 36:5 (quotation): Direct parallel account of Jehoiakim: repeats the same data (age at accession 25, reigned 11 years in Jerusalem, mother's name Zebudah daughter of Pedaiah).
- 2 Kings 23:31 (structural): Another royal introductory formula in the same chapter (age, length of reign, and mother's name)—shows the standard king-list formula applied to Jehoahaz earlier in the narrative.
- 2 Kings 24:8 (structural): Royal formula for Jehoiachin (age 18, short reign, mother's name given); parallels the biographical style used for Judah’s kings, including Jehoiakim.
- 2 Kings 21:19 (structural): Royal introductory formula for Amon (age, years of reign, mother's name). Illustrates the recurring biographical pattern for Judean monarchs used throughout Kings.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebudah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
- Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Zebudah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
2 K.23.37 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הרע: ADJ,m,sg,def
- בעיני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ככל: PREP
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אבתיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,3s
Parallels
- 2 Chronicles 36:5 (verbal): Chronicles repeats the Deuteronomistic formula about Jehoiakim using virtually the same wording: he was X years old, reigned Y years, and 'did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done'—a direct verbal parallel to the Kings account.
- 2 Kings 21:20 (verbal): About Amon (Manasseh’s son): the narrative uses the same evaluative formula—he 'did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father'—showing the recurring trope of sons following the sinful patterns of their fathers.
- 1 Kings 21:25 (thematic): Describing Ahab, this verse offers a thematic parallel: it assesses a king by his evil in the LORD’s sight and compares his wrongdoing with prior rulers—both passages function to evaluate kingship by fidelity to YHWH and ancestral precedent.
Alternative generated candidates
- He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done.
- He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done.
2 K.24.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בימיו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- עלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- נבכדנאצר: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- יהויקים: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עבד: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- שלש: NUM,card,f,sg
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- וימרד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Chronicles 36:5-8 (verbal): Chronicles retells the fall of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar and the fate of Judah’s kings, offering a parallel narrative to 2 Kings’ account of Nebuchadnezzar’s dominance over Jehoiakim/Jehoiachin.
- Jeremiah 22:18-19 (thematic): Jeremiah condemns Jehoiakim for his rebellion and predicts his disgrace and death—themes that underlie the report that Jehoiakim served Babylon for a time then revolted.
- Jeremiah 27:6 (thematic): God declares that he has given the nations, including Judah, into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand—this frames the political submission and vassalage mentioned in 2 Kings 24:1.
- Daniel 1:1-2 (structural): Daniel opens with Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem and the deportation of captives to Babylon, situating the same Babylonian intervention in Judah described in 2 Kings 24:1.
- Ezekiel 17:15-21 (allusion): Ezekiel’s allegory recounts Judah’s king sending envoys to Egypt and rebelling against Babylon; it echoes the motif of vassalage followed by rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar found in 2 Kings 24:1.
Alternative generated candidates
- In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years; then he turned and rebelled against him.
- In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him.
2 K.24.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- גדודי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- כשדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- גדודי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- ארם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- גדודי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- מואב: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- ואת: CONJ
- גדודי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- עמון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישלחם: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf_wq,3,m,sg;obj=3,m,pl
- ביהודה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- להאבידו: PREP+VERB,hif,inf,poss:3,m
- כדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- הנביאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- 2 Chronicles 36:14-17 (verbal): Parallel narrative: Chronicles records that God brought the king of the Chaldeans against Judah and links the destruction to the prophets’ warnings, closely echoing 2 Kings’ language about God sending nations to punish Judah.
- Jeremiah 25:9 (quotation): Prophetic declaration that God will 'send and take all the families of the north'—identifying Babylon/Chaldeans as the instrument of judgment sent against Judah, directly related to the motive and agent in 2 Kings 24:2.
- Habakkuk 1:6 (thematic): God says He is raising up the Chaldeans (Babylonians) as a bitter, swift nation to execute punishment—the theological theme of God using foreign powers to chastise Israel/Judah parallels 2 Kings 24:2.
- Isaiah 10:5-6 (thematic): Isaiah portrays a foreign empire (Assyria) as 'the rod of My anger' sent by God to punish nations; this theological motif of God employing foreign armies as instruments of judgment underlies 2 Kings 24:2.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans and bands of Arameans and bands of Moabites and bands of the Ammonites; he sent them into Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which he had spoken by his servants the prophets.
- So the LORD sent against him the hosts of the Chaldeans, the hosts of the Arameans, the hosts of Moab, and the hosts of the Ammonites, and He sent them into Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that He spoke by His servants the prophets.
2 K.24.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אך: PART
- על: PREP
- פי: NOUN,m,sg,construct
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- היתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ביהודה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- להסיר: VERB,hiph,inf
- מעל: PREP
- פניו: NOUN,m,pl,cons+3,m,sg
- בחטאת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מנשה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ככל: PREP
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (quotation): God’s covenant with David promising an enduring house and throne — the primary promise that explains why the Lord would not utterly destroy David’s line.
- Psalm 89:3-4,29-37 (verbal): Affirms the eternal covenant with David and God’s faithfulness to preserve his dynasty; echoes the motif of a perpetual 'lamp' to David and his descendants.
- Jeremiah 33:17-21 (thematic): Prophetic assurance that David will always have a descendant on the throne — a later articulation of the same promise that prevents total removal of David’s line.
- 1 Kings 11:32-36 (allusion): God’s earlier decision not to remove the entire kingdom from David’s house for David’s sake; parallels the rationale given for sparing Judah/ David’s line.
Alternative generated candidates
- Yet it was because of the LORD that this came upon Judah—to remove them from his presence, because of the sin of Manasseh, according to all that he had done.
- Yet it was the LORD’s purpose concerning Judah to remove it from His presence on account of the sin of Manasseh, in accordance with all that he had done.
2 K.24.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וגם: CONJ
- דם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנקי: ADJ,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שפך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וימלא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- דם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נקי: ADJ,m,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- אבה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לסלח: VERB,qal,inf
Parallels
- Proverbs 6:16-17 (verbal): Lists ‘hands that shed innocent blood’ as one of the abominations — a direct verbal echo of guilt for shedding innocent blood.
- Isaiah 59:7-8 (thematic): Speaks of people who ‘make haste to shed innocent blood’ and describes national corruption and consequent judgment, paralleling the reason given for Jerusalem’s punishment.
- Jeremiah 22:3 (thematic): A royal admonition to ‘do justice… and do no wrong, do not shed innocent blood’; connects kingly misconduct in shedding innocent blood with divine judgment.
- Zechariah 7:9-10 (allusion): Calls the community to justice and explicitly forbids shedding innocent blood as part of covenantal ethics — a recurring motive for communal punishment when ignored.
Alternative generated candidates
- Also the innocent blood that he shed filled Jerusalem, and the LORD would not pardon.
- Moreover, the innocent blood he shed filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, so that the LORD would not pardon.
2 K.24.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויתר: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- יהויקים: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הלא: PART
- הם: PRON,personal,3,m,pl
- כתובים: VERB,pual,ptcp,m,pl
- על: PREP
- ספר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- הימים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- למלכי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cstr
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
Parallels
- 2Kgs.24.19 (verbal): Same closing formula for the next king (Jehoiachin): 'And the rest of the acts of Jehoiachin... are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah' — a direct verbal parallel within the same chapter.
- 2Chr.36.5 (verbal): Chronicles' parallel account of Jehoiakim repeats the summary notice about his reign and refers readers to the royal chronicles, echoing the same documentary formula.
- 1Kgs.14.29 (structural): Ends the reign-account of Jeroboam with the same type of bibliographic note — pointing readers to ‘the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel’ — showing the standard historiographical closing used for Israelite and Judahite kings.
Alternative generated candidates
- As for the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
- As for the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
2 K.24.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישכב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהויקים: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עם: PREP
- אבתיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,3s
- וימלך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהויכין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- תחתיו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Chronicles 36:9 (quotation): Chronicles retells the end of Jehoiachin’s predecessor and the succession, paralleling the kings-list formula about Jehoiachin's accession.
- 1 Chronicles 3:16-17 (structural): Genealogical list that includes Jehoiachin/Jeconiah in the Davidic line, providing the family/succession context behind the statement that his son reigned in his stead.
- Jeremiah 22:24-30 (thematic): Prophetic oracle against Coniah/Jehoiachin condemning his line and royal succession—connects thematically to the account of royal transfer and its divine judgment implications.
- Jeremiah 52:31-34 (allusion): Later historical note about Jehoiachin’s fate (release from Babylonian prison) that continues the narrative of his reign and post-reign circumstances mentioned in 2 Kings.
Alternative generated candidates
- So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
- Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
2 K.24.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולא: CONJ
- הסיף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עוד: ADV
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לצאת: VERB,qal,inf
- מארצו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- לקח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מנחל: PREP
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- עד: PREP
- נהר: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- פרת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- היתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- למלך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 15:18 (verbal): The phrase 'from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates' echoes the territorial formula in God's promise to Abraham, providing the same geographic frame for imperial control.
- Ezekiel 29:19-20 (quotation): Ezekiel explicitly states that God will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon—directly paralleling the report that the Babylonian king took Egypt's territory.
- Jeremiah 44:30 (allusion): Jeremiah prophesies that Pharaoh Hophra will be given into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar—an anticipatory oracle that corresponds to the historical transfer of Egyptian control to Babylon.
- Ezekiel 30:13 (thematic): Ezekiel foretells the handing over of Egypt to a 'mighty one' (Nebuchadnezzar) and the despoiling of its wealth, thematically matching the account of Babylon's seizure of Egyptian dominions and spoils.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the king of Egypt no longer went out from his land, for the king of Babylon had taken from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates all that had belonged to the king of Egypt.
- The king of Egypt did not again go out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates all that had belonged to the king of Egypt.
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebudah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done.
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him the bands of the Chaldeans, bands of the Arameans, bands of the Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; and he sent them into Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD by his servants the prophets.
Yet the LORD had determined to remove Judah from before him because of the sin of Manasseh, according to all that he had done. And also for the innocent blood that he had shed—he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood—and the LORD would not pardon.
As for the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. And the king of Egypt did not again go out of his land; for the king of Babylon had taken from the River of Egypt to the River Euphrates all that had belonged to the king of Egypt.