מלכים ב, פרק כ״ד, פסוק א׳

The reign of Jehoiakim was defined by deep geopolitical shifts as the rising Babylonian empire began to establish its dominance over the region. During this period, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, launched a military campaign against Judah. Faced with this overwhelming threat, Jehoiakim surrendered and lived under Babylonian rule for three years, but he eventually changed his policy and rebelled [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Commentators note that these events create a chronological difficulty when compared to the historical accounts in the books of Jeremiah and Daniel. To resolve the timeline, they offer different perspectives on how the events unfolded and the exact nature of Jehoiakim's revolt. The primary approach suggests that his rebellion simply marked a turning point in time; after three years of submission, Jehoiakim changed his mind and revolted against Babylonian authority [מצודת דוד].

Other commentators, however, suggest that physical movement and exile were involved. In this view, Nebuchadnezzar arrived in Jerusalem early in Jehoiakim's reign, captured him, bound him in chains, and exiled him to Babylon. Later, Jehoiakim was returned to Jerusalem, where he served the Babylonian king faithfully for three years before rebelling [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. A variation of this idea proposes that the three years of servitude actually took place while Jehoiakim was exiled in Babylon. As soon as he was allowed to return to Jerusalem on the condition of paying tribute, he immediately broke the agreement and launched his rebellion [אברבנאל]. Conversely, another perspective argues that Jehoiakim was never actually exiled. Nebuchadnezzar captured him with the intent of sending him to Babylon, but after Jehoiakim agreed to submit and pay taxes, he was left alone in Jerusalem. He served Babylon locally for three years and then rebelled [אברבנאל בשם הרלב״ג].

This rebellion, which lasted for several years, ultimately sealed Jehoiakim's tragic fate. Nebuchadnezzar returned and conquered Jerusalem a second time. Following this defeat, a harsh prophecy delivered by Jeremiah was fulfilled, warning that Jehoiakim would receive the burial of a donkey, with his body dragged and thrown out in disgrace beyond the gates of Jerusalem [מלבי״ם, רד״ק].

This brutal end seems to conflict with another biblical description that characterizes Jehoiakim as resting with his ancestors, a phrase typically reserved for a peaceful, natural death. The resolution lies in the specific manner of his passing. The Babylonians did not execute him directly with a sword. Instead, they dragged him away in deep humiliation, and he ultimately died from the sheer grief, pain, and disgrace of this cruel treatment. Because he succumbed to this intense suffering rather than being formally executed, his death is described in terms similar to a natural passing [חומת אנך].