מלכים ב, פרק כ״ד, פסוק ח׳

Jehoiachin assumed the throne during a period of intense political turmoil, and his time in power was abruptly cut short. Accounts of his life present a conflicting picture regarding his age at the start of his reign, noting him as eighteen years old in one place and merely eight in the Book of Chronicles. The primary approach among commentators resolves this by suggesting he was actually crowned twice, first at the age of eight, and later beginning his independent rule at eighteen. The circumstances surrounding his early coronation are debated. Some suggest his father, Jehoiakim, feared that foreign empires would remove him from power just as they had done to his brother. To secure the royal succession, he crowned his young son while he was still alive [רד״ק]. Conversely, others argue that the Pharaoh of Egypt was the one who placed the eight-year-old child on the throne in place of his father. This move was intended to block the sons of the previously deposed king, Jehoahaz, from claiming their right to rule [מלבי״ם].

A completely different perspective suggests that these numbers do not refer to Jehoiachin's age at all. Instead, they mark the passage of time since significant external events, such as the eighteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar's rule, or eight years since the decree for the impending exile was sealed [רד ק בשם סדר עולם]. Another attempt to solve the timeline discrepancy argues that the additional ten days mentioned in the Book of Chronicles actually represent ten years, which should be added to his age of eight. However, this interpretation is generally dismissed as highly unlikely and forced [מלבי ם בשם אברבנאל].

Jehoiachin's actual reign over Jerusalem lasted for only three months. While the Book of Chronicles notes an additional ten days, the account here simply rounds the number down [רד״ק]. The sudden end to his rule was brought about by the Babylonian siege of the city. When King Nebuchadnezzar arrived, Jehoiachin chose to surrender, coming out to the Babylonian ruler alongside his mother and top officials. His strategy was to flatter Nebuchadnezzar and willingly accept his authority, hoping the foreign king would show mercy and allow him to remain on the throne. Nebuchadnezzar, however, entirely rejected this surrender. He assumed that just as Jehoiachin's father had rebelled against him, the son would inevitably do the same, following the principle that a bad dog does not produce a good pup. Consequently, he imprisoned the young king, stripped him of his power, and placed Jehoiachin's uncle, Zedekiah, on the throne in his place [אברבנאל].