Jehoiakim

Jehoiakim was a king of Judah placed on the throne by Pharaoh Necho after he deposed Jehoahaz. Originally named Eliakim, Necho changed his name to Jehoiakim. He reigned for eleven years and is infamously known for cutting up and burning the scroll of Jeremiah's prophecies as it was read to him. He taxed the people heavily to pay tribute to Egypt.

Etymology & Roots

The Hebrew name יְהוֹיָקִים (Yehoyaqim) is a theophoric compound of יְהוֹ (Yeho-), the prefixed form of Yahweh, and the root קוּם (qum), meaning "to rise," "to stand up," or "to establish." The Hiphil form יָקִים (Yaqim) means "he causes to rise" or "he raises up," giving the complete name the meaning "Yahweh raises up."

The name was not given at birth but assigned by Pharaoh Necho when he placed Eliakim on Judah's throne: renaming a vassal was a standard ancient Near Eastern assertion of overlordship, much as Babylon later renamed Daniel as Belteshazzar. The alternate form Joiakim appears in post-exilic texts (Nehemiah 12:10, 12). The root qum is one of the most theologically productive verbs in biblical Hebrew, associated with resurrection, covenant standing, and divine vindication.

Biblical Bearers

Jehoiakim, born Eliakim, was the son of the righteous king Josiah and was placed on Judah's throne by Pharaoh Necho after Jehoahaz's deposition (2 Kings 23:34). He reigned eleven years and is remembered chiefly for wickedness: taxing the people to pay Egyptian tribute, building himself a palace with forced labor (Jeremiah 22:13-17), and most infamously cutting up and burning the scroll of Jeremiah's prophetic words as they were read to him (Jeremiah 36:22-26).

He also died in disputed circumstances — possibly in Babylonian captivity — and Jeremiah prophesied he would receive a dishonorable burial (Jeremiah 22:18-19).

Theological Significance

Jehoiakim's burning of Jeremiah's scroll is one of the most dramatic acts of divine-word rejection in all of Scripture. His name — "Yahweh raises up" — becomes deeply ironic: a king whose very title invoked divine elevation actively attempted to silence the divine voice. Yet the scroll was immediately rewritten at God's command (Jeremiah 36:27-32), and the prophet's words outlasted the king who sought to destroy them.

Theologically, Jehoiakim exemplifies the futility of opposing the Word of God with human power. His story also raises the question of legitimate authority: given a throne by a foreign overlord and given a name by that same power, his reign from beginning to end was built on foundations other than Yahweh's own purposes.

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