The Death of Jehoiakim

The Death of Jehoiakim is described as follows:

2 Kings 24:6 “So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers . . . ” (In Scripture, “he slept with his fathers” means “he died”. See, for example: 2 Kings 13:9,13; 14:16; 15:7,38)

2 Chronicles 36:6 “Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.” (Although Jehoiakim is not specifically mentioned it is almost certain that he is the one to whom Ezekiel refers. )

Jeremiah 22:18,19 “He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”

Jeremiah 36:30 ” . . . and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.” Ezekiel 19:9 “And they put him in ward in chains and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.”2

On first reading these passages are apparently contradictory since Jehoiakim is said to be carried off to Babylon and yet cast beyond the gates of Jerusalem. But the passages may show something else:

Consider the following: Jehoiakim was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Nebuchadnezzar’s headquarters near Jerusalem, (but not to Babylon). Jehoiakim was put in a cage and bound in fetters to be carried to Babylon. (None of the passages asserts that he was actually taken to Babylon.) Jehoiakim died before leaving for Babylon3 so his body was dumped outside the walls of Jerusalem.

Perhaps he died from exposure while awaiting transportation to Babylon. It has been suggested that the A.V. of 2 Chron. 36:8 “Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him” be read literally, “that which was found upon him.” The abomination upon him might refer to extraordinary tattooing which would explain why he would be put into a cage and transported as a museum piece to Babylon. Return This would serve as a further humiliation to the Jews.