Jehoiakim
Jehoiakim was a king of Judah installed by Pharaoh Necho, who taxed the land to pay Egyptian tribute and did evil in the sight of the LORD. He became notorious for cutting up and burning the scroll of Jeremiah's prophecies piece by piece in his winter fire, and for shedding innocent blood. His reign saw Judah fall under Babylon's power, and Jeremiah foretold that he would be buried 'with the burial of an ass.'
Biography
- Occupation
- King of Judah
- Tribe
- Judah
- Father
- Josiah
- Children
- Jehoiachin
- Era
- Fall of Judah
- Nationality
- Israelite (Judah)
- Also Known As
- Eliakim
Family
Did You Know?
Jehoiakim infamously sliced Jeremiah's scroll column by column with a penknife and burned it in his fire (Jeremiah 36:23), only for Jeremiah to dictate an even longer replacement - a vivid picture of a king who could burn God's word but not silence it.
Installed by Pharaoh Necho, who changed his name from Eliakim, he was a puppet caught between Egypt and Babylon, and his rebellion set the stage for Judah's destruction.
Jeremiah prophesied he would receive 'the burial of an ass' - dragged out and cast beyond the gates of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 22:19) - a shocking indignity for a Davidic king.
Key Chapters
Key Passages
Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll
Jeremiah 36:21-26
Jehoiakim contemptuously slices and burns Jeremiah's scroll, seeking to arrest the prophet and his scribe.
21o the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribeโs chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king.