JEHOIACHIN (Heb. " Yah[weh] establisheth ")  , in the Bible, son of Jehoiakim and king of Judah (2 Kings xxiv . 8 sqq.; 2 Chron, xxxvi . 9 seq.) . He came to the throne at the age of eighteen in the midst of the Chaldean invasion of Judah, and is said to have reigned three months . He was compelled to surrender to Nebuchadrezzar and was carried off to Babylon (597 B.C.) . This was the First Captivity, and from it Ezekiel (one of the exiles) dates his prophecies . Eight thousand people of the better class (including artisans, &c.) were removed, the Temple was partially despoiled (see Jer. xxvii . 18-20; xxiii.v . 3 seq.),' and Jehoiachin's uncle Mattaniah (son of Josiah) was appointed king . Jehoiachin's fate is outlined in Jer. xxii . 20-30 (cf. xxvii . 20) .

Nearly

forty years later, Nebuchadrezzar II. died (562 B.C.) and Evil-Merodach (Amil-Marduk) his successor released the unfortunate captive and gave him precedence over the other subjugated kings who were kept prisoners in Babylon . With this gleam of hope for the unhappy Judaeans both the book of Kings and the prophecies of Jeremiah conclude (2 Kings xxv . 27–30; Jer. lii .