2 Chronicles 36 5

2 Chronicles 36:5 kjv

Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

2 Chronicles 36:5 nkjv

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

2 Chronicles 36:5 niv

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD his God.

2 Chronicles 36:5 esv

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

2 Chronicles 36:5 nlt

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

2 Chronicles 36 verses

2 Chronicles 36 5 Meaning

2 Chronicles 36:5 details the beginning and length of King Jehoiakim's reign over Judah, stating that he was twenty-five years old when he ascended the throne and reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. The verse critically evaluates his rule as "evil in the sight of the LORD his God," indicating a deep moral and spiritual failure to adhere to God's commandments and covenant.

2 Chronicles 36 5 Context

The verse is situated in 2 Chronicles 36, the final chapter of the book, which chronicles the rapid decline of the kingdom of Judah through its last four kings leading up to the Babylonian exile. Josiah's righteous reign had been a beacon of hope, but his successors – Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah – were consistently evil, accelerating the nation towards divine judgment. Jehoiakim, initially named Eliakim, was appointed king by Pharaoh Neco after Josiah's death and Jehoahaz's brief reign (2 Chr 36:4). His rule represents a critical turning point as Judah fell from Egyptian suzerainty to Babylonian dominance under Nebuchadnezzar, culminating in the first wave of exile, where Daniel and others were taken (Dan 1:1-2). The Chronicler emphasizes the kings' repeated disobedience, linking their moral failures directly to God's increasing judgment through foreign powers, particularly Babylon, illustrating the covenant principle of curses for apostasy.

2 Chronicles 36 5 Word analysis

• Jehoiakim (יְהוֹיָקִים, Yehoyaqim): Meaning "Yahweh raises up" or "Yahweh establishes." His original name was Eliakim (אֶלְיָקִים, 'Elyaqim), meaning "God raises up." Pharaoh Neco changed his name to Jehoiakim upon making him king (2 Kgs 23:34, 2 Chr 36:4). This name change, though given by a foreign king, prophetically hints at Yahweh's sovereign role in appointing even wicked rulers, yet Jehoiakim's actions clearly defied the "Yahweh" in his name. He was Josiah's son, illustrating how righteousness is not automatically inherited.
• twenty and five years old: A relatively young age for assuming the throne, common in the Davidic dynasty. Young rulers sometimes lacked the experience or wisdom for difficult political and spiritual challenges, often swayed by bad counsel or personal ambition.
• began to reign: Marks the official start of his 11-year period as monarch. This phrase signifies a new epoch, here one of accelerating decline after Josiah's revival.
• eleven years reigned: The duration of his rule. A period characterized by oppression, injustice, persecution of prophets (Jeremiah, Uriah), and a vacillating foreign policy that angered both Egypt and Babylon.
• in Jerusalem: The capital city, site of the Temple, and symbolic center of the Davidic covenant and God's presence among His people. The wickedness of the king in such a sacred place magnified the offense against God.
• he did that which was evil (וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע, vayya'as hara): This is a standard formulaic assessment in the Books of Kings and Chronicles used to describe the reign of a king who failed to walk in the ways of the LORD, particularly regarding adherence to the Mosaic Law and the worship of Yahweh alone. "Evil" here implies disobedience to God's commandments, injustice, idolatry, and oppression, rather than simply secular immorality. It indicates a failure to embody the Deuteronomic ideal of a righteous king who fears God and keeps His law.
• in the sight of the LORD his God: Emphasizes divine observation and ultimate accountability. The king's actions were not merely evaluated by human standards but against the holy, righteous, and sovereign God to whom Judah, through the covenant, was bound. This phrase underscores that true kingship in Judah was a sacred trust, a stewardship under Yahweh, not absolute rule.
• twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: This grouping of details quickly provides Jehoiakim's identity, age at ascent, the length of his rule, and the seat of his authority. The brevity itself foreshadows an unremarkable, unrighteous, and ultimately truncated reign, particularly in contrast to longer, more stable periods of righteous kings.
• he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God: This powerful phrase is the spiritual verdict on Jehoiakim's entire reign. It dismisses any perceived human accomplishments and immediately highlights his fundamental failure in the most critical arena: his relationship and obedience to God. It encapsulates his personal unrighteousness, his leading the nation into further apostasy, and his disregard for prophetic warnings, sealing Judah's fate.

2 Chronicles 36 5 Bonus section

The repetitive use of the formula "he was X years old when he began to reign, and he reigned Y years... and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD" by the Chronicler serves multiple purposes. It emphasizes the direct link between a king's spiritual disposition and the welfare of the nation, aligning with Deuteronomic theology of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. It also creates a grim, accelerating rhythm of decline leading up to the exile, underscoring the severity and consistency of the nation's spiritual failure under successive kings. For the Chronicler's post-exilic audience, this detailed recounting of the past failures, especially the "evil" done by their kings, was not merely history but a cautionary tale and a call to repentance and renewed faithfulness. It highlights that God holds His covenant people, especially their leaders, to a high standard of accountability. The lack of burial in the royal tombs, implied in Jehoiakim's eventual fate (Jer 22:18-19, not covered by 2 Chr 36:8), further signifies his disgrace.

2 Chronicles 36 5 Commentary

2 Chronicles 36:5 offers a succinct but damning evaluation of King Jehoiakim's rule, a pattern observed across many of Judah's later kings. His relatively young age at ascent (twenty-five) and short eleven-year reign were periods marked by increasing moral decay and political instability. The crucial assessment "he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God" encapsulates the Chronicler's primary theological concern: the spiritual integrity of Judah's kings determined the nation's destiny. Unlike his father Josiah, Jehoiakim had no genuine heart for God. He permitted and perhaps even promoted idolatry, ignored the Mosaic covenant, and oppressed his people, epitomized by Jeremiah's direct rebukes against his unrighteous building projects and shedding of innocent blood (Jer 22). His profound contempt for God's word, manifested in burning Jeremiah's scroll, was a final rejection of divine counsel. This consistent wickedness, viewed directly by the ever-present God, accumulated divine judgment, ensuring the eventual Babylonian exile as the inescapable consequence of covenant disloyalty. His reign demonstrates how human choices, particularly those of leadership, can rapidly accelerate a nation's path to destruction when those choices actively rebel against divine truth and righteousness.