The son of Jehoiakim. This is the man whom the prophet had it in commission from the Lord to write childless. (Jeremiah 22:24-30) His name is also a compound, signifying from the root to prepare, that the Lord would prepare. But how seldom do we find, notwithstanding the striking names given by the Hebrews to their children, that they answered to them. In what sense Jehoiachiu was written childless, I cannot determine; somewhat different from natural things it must have been, for certain it is, that he had several sons. (See 1 Chronicles 3:17-18) But what the sentence referred to besides, I know not. I should have thought it had respect to the promised seed, and that the writing this man childless might have been in other words to say, the Messiah shall not be in his family. For this was the great desire of all the tribes of Israel; and for the accomplishment of which they all earnestly longed for a numerous progeny of children. But this was so far from being the case, that in the generations of the Lord Jesus Christ after the flesh, we find his son Salathiel enumerated. (See Matthew 1:12) Some have thought, that the expression childless meant in relation to his kingdom, that he should have no successor in his family to sit upon the throne. And if this be the meaning, it was literally fulfilled; for Salathiel was born in Babylon, and so was his son Zorobabel. (See Matthew 1:13) But here I leave the subject.