Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 24
Jehoiachin was the son of the previous king, Jehoiakim, and a grandson of King Josiah. When his father, Jehoiakim, chose to oppose Babylon’s king, Babylon did not immediately send a large army to attack Jerusalem. Instead, they sent small groups of soldiers to rob the people in Judah (24:2). It seems likely that one of those groups managed to take Jehoiakim as their prisoner (2 Chronicles 36:6). They took away the king, but they had not yet gained control over Jerusalem.
So, the people in Judah and Jerusalem needed a new king to lead them in the fight against Babylon’s army. They appointed Jehoiachin because, as the oldest son of the previous king, he had the best right to become king.
However, Jehoiachin was only 18 years old. He did not have the experience to defend Jerusalem in a desperate war against Babylon’s powerful army. It seems that he was depending very much upon the advice of his mother, Nehushta. The Bible frequently refers to her in connection with his rule. It seems likely that she was more powerful than anyone else in Judah at this time.
When Jehoiachin became king, Babylon’s king sent his army to surround Jerusalem. They would not allow anyone to enter or to leave Jerusalem. Their plan was to attack when Jerusalem’s inhabitants became too weak to defend themselves.
Jerusalem had strong defences. Just 9 years later, Zedekiah was able to defend the city for 2 years before Babylon’s army overcame it (25:1-5). However, Jehoiachin only stood against Babylon’s army for 3 months. Probably, he was too afraid to continue the fight. He did not want to starve to death; he did not want Babylon’s army to destroy the city.
Next part: Jehoiachin accepts defeat (2 Kings 24:11-17)
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