Jeremiah 52:31-34

C. The Release of Jehoiachin Jeremiah 52:31-34

TRANSLATION

(31) And it came to pass in the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, Evil-Merodach, king of Babylon, in his accession year showed favor to Jehoiachin, king of Judah, and released him from prison. (32) He spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon. (33) So he changed his prison garments and ate bread continually before him all the days of his life. (34) As for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him by the king of Babylon on a daily basis until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

COMMENTS

The account of the release of Jehoiachin occurs with only slight variations in 2 Kings 25:27-30. King Jehoiachin, along with members of his family and court, had been carried away to Babylon in 597 B.C. Until the end of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Judah was kept in prison. Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded on the throne by his son Amel-Marduk (man of Marduk) who was called by the Jews Evil-Merodach (stupid one of Marduk). He was able to hold the throne of Babylon for only two years (561-579 B.C.) before being assassinated. Within the first year of his reign Amel-Marduk lifted up the head of Jehoiachin i.e., restored him to royal favor and ordered him released from prison (Jeremiah 52:31). It may be that Daniel and the other highly esteemed Jews at the Babylonian court used their influence to secure the release of the imprisoned king. This might also account for the favor bestowed upon Jehoiachin when his throne was placed above the thrones of the other captive kings in Babylon (Jeremiah 52:32). The phrase above the thrones does not mean that Jehoiachin's throne surpassed the others in height, but rather that he was privileged to sit nearer to the king of Babylon at the royal table. Thus after thirty-seven years Jehoiachin was permitted to put off his prison garments and eat at the royal table (Jeremiah 52:33). As long as he lived Jehoiachin received a daily allowance of all that he needed for himself and his family besides the food which he enjoyed at the royal table (Jeremiah 52:34). Contemporary economic documents discovered in Nebuchadnezzar's palace contain lists of the daily rations of food given to the royal prisoners and hostages from various lands. Jehoiachin and his five sons are mentioned in these texts. Nebuchadnezzar provided for the king of Judah and his family ten measures of oil daily. In comparison to the quantity of rations given to other prisoners Jehoiachin and his sons faired very well indeed.

One footnote needs to be added to the discussion of Jehoiachin's release. When the date given here for the release of Jehoiachin is compared with the date given in the Book of Kings a difficulty arises. Both accounts have the king released in the thirty-seventh year of his captivity during the twelfth month but the two accounts differ as to the day of the release. Kings states that Jehoiachin gained his freedom on the twenty-seventh day of the month; Jeremiah 52, the twenty-fifth day. Not being in possession of all the details concerning the matter it is most difficult to reconcile these two statements. Perhaps the one account speaks of the day when the official decree was issued which laid the legal foundation for the release; the other account would then refer to the actual day that king Jehoiachin left the prison.