2 Chronicles 36:9 kjv
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 36:9 nkjv
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 36:9 niv
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 36:9 esv
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 36:9 nlt
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. Jehoiachin did what was evil in the LORD's sight.
2 Chronicles 36 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 24:8 | Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned... | Parallel account, age difference. |
| 2 Ki 24:9 | He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. | Parallel account, reinforces wickedness. |
| Jer 22:24-26 | "As I live," declares the LORD, "even if Coniah... were a signet ring... I would pull you off... I will hurl you... to another land..." | Prophecy of Jehoiachin's exile (called Coniah). |
| Jer 24:1 | The LORD showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple... one basket had very good figs... the other basket had very bad figs... | Vision of the good exiles (with Jehoiachin) and the bad (left behind). |
| Jer 27:20 | ...which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried into exile Jeconiah... from Jerusalem to Babylon... | Confirmation of Jeconiah's (Jehoiachin's) exile. |
| Jer 29:2 | ...after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah... had departed from Jerusalem to Babylon. | Context of the first major wave of exile. |
| Eze 1:2 | ...in the fifth day of the month (which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile)... | Ezekiel dates his prophecy by Jehoiachin's captivity. |
| Esth 2:6 | ...who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah... | Mordecai's lineage traced back to this exile. |
| Dan 1:1 | In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem... | Context of Babylon's initial incursions preceding Jehoiachin's reign. |
| Lev 26:14-39 | But if you will not listen to me... then I will appoint terror over you... your land shall be a desolation... | Covenant curses for disobedience, fulfilled here. |
| Deut 28:15-68 | But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God... all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you... | Broader covenant curses foreshadowing exile. |
| Judg 2:11 | And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. | Common "evil in the sight of the LORD" phrase and consequence. |
| 2 Chr 36:12 | He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet... | Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's successor, also did evil. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. | God's sovereignty over the rise and fall of kings. |
| Dan 2:21 | He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings... | God's sovereign control over royal successions. |
| Isa 5:20 | Woe to those who call evil good and good evil... | Prophetic condemnation of moral perversion. |
| Prov 14:12 | There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. | Wisdom teaching on deceptive evil, applicable to kings. |
| Rom 1:18 | For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men... | New Testament principle of God's wrath against sin, even kings. |
| Matt 1:11-12 | ...and Jechoniah the father of Shealtiel... After the deportation to Babylon... | Jehoiachin (Jechoniah) is in the lineage of Jesus, preserving Davidic promise. |
| Jer 52:31-34 | And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. | Later, Jehoiachin receives favor in Babylon. |
2 Chronicles 36 verses
2 Chronicles 36 9 Meaning
2 Chronicles 36:9 recounts the brief and unrighteous reign of King Jehoiachin over Judah, highlighting his extreme youth at accession, the very short duration of his rule in Jerusalem, and, most crucially, the declaration that his actions were condemned by God. This verse serves as a concise summation of a reign that directly led to further stages of divine judgment and the Babylonian captivity. It signifies the end of the Davidic line's direct reign in Jerusalem under God's favor due to persistent national apostasy and wicked leadership.
2 Chronicles 36 9 Context
2 Chronicles 36:9 stands at a pivotal point in the history of Judah, narrating the beginning of the end for the Southern Kingdom. Following Jehoiakim’s reign (36:5-8), who also "did evil in the sight of the LORD," Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah or Coniah) briefly takes the throne. This verse encapsulates the accelerating decline of Judah and the imminent fulfillment of prophecies concerning the Babylonian exile. The Chronicler emphasizes the king's sinfulness as the direct cause of divine judgment, consistently linking the moral state of the leadership with the nation's fate. Jehoiachin's brief, wicked reign sets the stage for Nebuchadnezzar's decisive action against Jerusalem and the deportation of its inhabitants, including the king himself, signaling the first major phase of the Babylonian captivity.
2 Chronicles 36 9 Word analysis
- Jehoiachin (Hebrew: יְהוֹיָכִין, Yəhôyāḵîn): Means "YHWH will establish" or "Jehovah will uphold." The irony of his name is striking given his exceedingly brief and unestablished reign. He is also known as Jeconiah (Jer 24:1) and Coniah (Jer 22:24), a shortened and somewhat disparaging form. His inclusion in Jesus's genealogy (Matt 1:11) highlights God's faithfulness to the Davidic covenant despite the unfaithfulness of human kings.
- eighteen years old (Hebrew: שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, sh'moneh 'esreh shana): This refers to his age upon ascending the throne. A common point of discussion is the discrepancy with 2 Kings 24:8, which states he was "eight years old." While some theories suggest scribal error or different dating methods (e.g., eight when coregent, eighteen when sole ruler), many scholars view "eight years old" in 2 Kings as the likely scribal error, considering a boy of eight would not typically rule alone in that capacity. The Chronicler's emphasis remains on his youth, indicating his reign was short from its very start.
- reigned three months and ten days (Hebrew: שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים וַעֲשֶׂרֶת יָמִים, shəlošah ḥoḏāšîm wa'ăśereṯ yāmîm): This extremely brief duration underscores the instability and rapid progression of divine judgment. His short reign effectively served as an interlude between his father's demise and the first major deportation of Judah to Babylon, demonstrating God's swift judgment.
- in Jerusalem: The capital city, central to God's covenant promises and temple worship. His short, evil reign in this holy city highlights the deep corruption that pervaded even the most sacred space of the kingdom, making divine judgment on Jerusalem inevitable.
- and he did what was evil (Hebrew: הָרַע, hara' from the root רעע, ra'a', to be broken, wicked): This is a formulaic theological assessment frequently used in Kings and Chronicles to judge a monarch's reign against the standard of the Mosaic Law and the covenant with God. It indicates a consistent pattern of idolatry, injustice, or rebellion against YHWH's commands. It signifies not merely human wickedness, but a direct offense against God's standards and will.
- in the sight of the LORD (Hebrew: בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה, bə‘êney Yahweh): This phrase emphasizes that God himself is the ultimate judge, and human actions are evaluated by His divine standards, not by human perception or political expediency. It asserts God's moral authority over all kings and events.
- Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign: Signifies a king beginning his rule at a young age, often a time when wisdom and experience might be lacking, contributing to instability and poor decisions.
- and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: This phrase explicitly details the exceptionally short length of his reign, a sign of its divinely appointed brevity and the rapidly approaching end of Judah's independence. It underscores the fleeting nature of human power when separated from God's favor.
- and he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD: This indictment is the ultimate pronouncement, revealing the reason for his short and tragic reign. It links his moral and spiritual standing directly to the consequence of losing the throne and suffering exile, emphasizing the Chronicler's theological message of immediate retribution for sin.
2 Chronicles 36 9 Bonus section
The discrepancy regarding Jehoiachin's age (18 in 2 Chronicles, 8 in 2 Kings) is a well-known textual variant. While some interpret it as a coregency where he started at 8 as a minor king under his father Jehoiakim and then reigned alone at 18, the prevailing scholarly view attributes it to a simple scribal error, favoring the "eighteen" given the typical age for ascension and taking on an independent reign. The focus, regardless, is on his swift removal due to his evil deeds. This event signifies not just another bad king, but the first stage of a large-scale deportation where significant figures (Ezekiel, Daniel) and temple treasures were taken to Babylon, marking a definitive shift in Judah's national destiny.
2 Chronicles 36 9 Commentary
2 Chronicles 36:9 is a potent verse within the Chronicler's historical narrative, summarizing Jehoiachin's brief and deeply flawed rule. The Chronicler uses the brevity of his reign, specified as just "three months and ten days," to vividly illustrate the accelerating speed of God's judgment upon Judah. The repeated condemnation, "he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD," emphasizes the theological principle woven throughout Kings and Chronicles: kings who rejected God's commands inevitably brought ruin upon themselves and the nation. Jehoiachin’s youthful accession followed by his immediate removal by Nebuchadnezzar (as detailed in subsequent verses) served as a direct and swift consequence of this spiritual apostasy. This verse acts as a final warning, depicting God's unwillingness to tolerate continued rebellion, even from a young king in the line of David. Despite his wickedness and subsequent exile, God’s broader plan of salvation would paradoxically use this very captivity to refine His people and preserve the royal lineage, ultimately leading to Christ (Matt 1:11).