Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 36:5
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Chronicler records this summary during Judah’s final collapse, immediately after Egypt’s Neco installs Jehoiakim and removes Jehoahaz, and just before Babylon’s Nebuchadnezzar subdues him.
The words — The Hebrew עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה ('esrim ve-hamesh shanah) literally reads "son of twenty and five years," while בֶּן־מָלְכוֹ (ben-malko) denotes "when he became king."
The thread — This reign summary and moral verdict appear identically in 2 Kings 23:36, while Jeremiah 26:1 anchors the beginning of his rule and Jeremiah 22:13 pronounces judgment against his unjust building projects.
Why it lands — The text states Jehoiakim reigned eleven years and did evil before God, requiring the reader to recognize that political installation by foreign powers does not override divine judgment over a ruler’s conduct.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 23:36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah.
- Jeremiah 22:13 “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,
- Jeremiah 26:1 At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:
- Jeremiah 26:21 King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and officials heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah found out about it, he fled in fear and went to Egypt.
- Jeremiah 35:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
- Jeremiah 36:1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
- Jeremiah 36:27 After the king had burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: