2 Kings 24 6

2 Kings 24:6 kjv

So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

2 Kings 24:6 nkjv

So Jehoiakim rested with his fathers. Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

2 Kings 24:6 niv

Jehoiakim rested with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 24:6 esv

So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

2 Kings 24:6 nlt

When Jehoiakim died, his son Jehoiachin became the next king.

2 Kings 24 verses

2 Kings 24 6 Meaning

This verse succinctly reports the end of King Jehoiakim's reign through his death and the commencement of his son Jehoiachin's rule in Judah. It marks a critical and turbulent transition in the final years of the kingdom, leading swiftly towards its ultimate demise under Babylonian power and divine judgment. The brief statement belies the profound theological and historical implications of these successive reigns, which were central to Judah's collapse and the initiation of the Babylonian exile.

2 Kings 24 6 Context

2 Kings chapter 24 details the accelerating demise of the Kingdom of Judah following the death of King Josiah. Jehoiakim's reign is marked by the shifting geopolitics after the fall of Assyria and the rise of Babylon. Initially subservient to Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, Jehoiakim eventually becomes a vassal of Nebuchadnezzar. His rebellion against Babylon, described in 2 Kings 24:1, prompts Nebuchadnezzar to send raiding parties, marking the initial phases of God's promised judgment against Judah for its persistent idolatry and wickedness, particularly highlighted by the sins of Manasseh (2 Kgs 24:3-4). Verse 6 specifically reports Jehoiakim's death, though prophetically a gruesome end was declared for him, and notes the accession of his son Jehoiachin. This immediate succession is crucial, as Jehoiachin's incredibly brief reign (only three months) ends in Jerusalem's siege, his surrender, and the first major wave of exile to Babylon, which included significant figures like Ezekiel. Thus, 2 Kings 24:6 marks a transitional point from one unrighteous king to another, setting the stage for intensified divine judgment through foreign conquest and the end of sovereign rule for Judah's kings in Jerusalem.

2 Kings 24 6 Word analysis

• So: This word connects the death of Jehoiakim to the preceding narrative of Judah's worsening rebellion and the commencement of God's judgment through Babylonian incursions. It implies that Jehoiakim's end is part of the unfolding consequence for his unfaithfulness (as noted in 2 Kgs 24:1-4).

• Jehoiakim (יְהוֹיָקִים, Yehoyakim): King of Judah. His name means "Yahweh raises up." Ironically, his reign was characterized by spiritual decline, injustice (Jer 22:13-17), and political misjudgment. Though divinely "raised up" to rule, he defied the Lord, ultimately suffering a condemned fate (Jer 22:18-19; 36:30), signaling God's wrath against Judah's leadership.

• slept with his fathers (שָׁכַב עִם אֲבֹתָיו, shakháv im avotáiv): This is a standard biblical idiom used in the Books of Kings for the death of a king, especially a legitimate successor. It implies that the king has passed away and likely been buried with his royal predecessors. However, in Jehoiakim's case, prophetic declarations from Jeremiah 22:18-19 specifically contradict the typical implication of an honorable burial, prophesying he would be "dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem," "buried with the burial of a donkey." This discrepancy between the formulaic record in Kings and the prophetic detail in Jeremiah indicates the Kings author's primary focus on the historical succession and the fulfillment of a theological pattern, rather than specific ignominious details of death and burial, which the prophets emphasized to highlight divine judgment.

• and Jehoiachin (יְהוֹיָכִין, Yehoyachin): Son of Jehoiakim, also referred to as Coniah (כֹּנְיָהוּ, Konyahu) or Jeconiah (יְכָנְיָהוּ, Yekonyahu) in Jeremiah and Matthew. His name means "Yahweh establishes." This name, too, becomes ironic, as his reign was incredibly brief (3 months and 10 days, 2 Kgs 24:8) and marked by a catastrophic surrender to Babylon and exile, thus paradoxically un-establishing the kingdom. Yet, the divine promise to David's line persevered through him (Matt 1:11-12), as God would ultimately establish His kingdom through Christ.

• his son: This phrase emphasizes the continuation of the legitimate Davidic line, which was crucial for God's covenantal promises regarding the everlasting nature of David's throne (2 Sam 7:12-16). Despite Judah's profound sin and impending destruction, the divine promise of a future Messiah from this lineage remained unbroken.

• reigned in his place: This is the common formula for describing a successor taking the throne. It denotes the legitimate transfer of kingship and maintains the historical narrative of Judah's last kings before the Babylonian exile, even amidst profound political instability and the shadow of foreign domination.

• So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: This phrase closes the chapter on Jehoiakim's ill-fated reign, underscoring its formal conclusion and preparing for the immediate continuation of the Davidic dynasty. The use of the standard death formula, even in light of Jeremiah's prophecies, maintains the historical book's narrative flow focused on kingly succession.

• and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place: This phrase quickly initiates the new reign. The swift transition signifies the rapid, turbulent changes occurring in Judah as God's judgment accelerates towards the ultimate destruction of the kingdom and the major Babylonian deportations. It also foregrounds the continuity of the Davidic royal line, even in crisis, foreshadowing its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

2 Kings 24 6 Bonus section

The seemingly simple recording of a king's death and succession in 2 Kings 24:6, especially Jehoiakim's, underscores the different theological purposes of various biblical books. While the Books of Kings adhere to a consistent formula for regnal accounts—demonstrating God's overall control of Judah's destiny based on covenant faithfulness or disobedience—the prophetic books like Jeremiah provide a more direct, often brutal, account of God's specific, personal judgments against unrighteous kings. This distinction allows the broader narrative of covenant history to progress (in Kings) while individual sins and divine warnings are detailed (in the Prophets). The rapid succession of weak, short-reigning kings (Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah) itself is a profound indicator of Judah's instability and God's escalating judgment against its stubborn refusal to repent. Despite these dark days, the verse quietly points to God's enduring faithfulness in maintaining the Davidic lineage, which remained unbroken and vital to the ultimate fulfillment of His promises in Jesus Christ, the true Son of David who would finally reign.

2 Kings 24 6 Commentary

2 Kings 24:6 offers a succinct but loaded summary of a critical moment in Judah's final years: the formal end of Jehoiakim's reign and the beginning of Jehoiachin's. While the Deuteronomistic historian employs the conventional euphemism "slept with his fathers" to denote Jehoiakim's death and succession, the prophet Jeremiah presents a grim counter-narrative of a humiliating death and an unburied body, emphasizing the depth of divine judgment upon a king who stubbornly resisted God's will (Jeremiah 22:18-19). This highlights that the "slept with his fathers" formula primarily communicates the dynastic transition rather than the exact manner or spiritual state of the king's demise. The accession of Jehoiachin, a new king whose very name "Yahweh establishes" stands in ironic contrast to his extraordinarily short and tragic reign that immediately precedes the significant second Babylonian deportation, further illustrates God's active hand in judgment against the rebellious kingdom. Yet, even as Judah's human monarchy faced collapse, this continuity of succession, however precarious, was a crucial link in the unbroken chain of the Davidic covenant that would ultimately lead to the Messiah. This verse thus embodies the converging themes of divine judgment, the failure of human kingship, and the unwavering faithfulness of God to His promises to David's lineage amidst severe consequences.