And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh of the month, [that] Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;
The books of Kings end with no coronation, but with a prisoner walking out of a cell in a foreign capital. Thirty-seven years into the captivity, a new Babylonian ruler frees the exiled Jehoiachin, and the book stops there — so why does this small mercy get the last word?
The whole record of Israel's and Judah's kings runs downhill into captivity. One writer sees the closing scene as deliberate.
Its history of the kingdoms carries on past the middle of the captivity. It ends with Jehoiachin set free, and his throne placed above the thrones of the other kings in Babylon. That is a beautiful, though perhaps faint, shadow of Israel's restoration and exaltation in the coming millennial day. This, as someone has said, is "in happy agreement with its design." It is like "the first ray of God's returning favour" — a small pledge that David's seed and kingdom would endure forever, as God said, despite past failure.
The verse says Evil-merodach "graciously freed" Jehoiachin; older translations read that he "lifted up the head" of Jehoiachin. Either way, the text never says why.
We are not told why he showed this favour to Jehoiachin, but this is a striking picture of grace shown to one who has long been in shame and disrepute. Is it not a foreshadowing of the eventual recovery of the nation Israel from their long history of disobedience to God? This was not because Jehoiachin was worthy of grace. The grace came solely from the kindness of the king of Babylon. In the same way, God will bring Israel back from misery and bondage by His own sovereign work of grace toward them.
One writer adds a human detail. The two men may have met behind the same prison walls.
Jehoiachin spent thirty-six years in prison until Nebuchadnezzar died, and Nebuchadnezzar's son Evil-merodach took the throne. This son had once been shut up in prison by his own father, where he probably got to know the royal Hebrew captive. He was not like the ungrateful cupbearer who, once out of prison, "forgot Joseph." He remembered his old prison companion.
God had promised David a lasting throne. With Jerusalem burned and the king in chains, that promise looked dead. One writer sees the release as proof that it was not.
The lamp that seemed put out began again to shed a feeble glimmer. It proved that the Lord always keeps in mind the promises made to David, His anointed. It proved that, despite everything, His grace is watching over this guilty race. In fact a day would come, and it was not far off. According to Isaiah, the Spirit would then announce liberty to the captives and proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.
The change came through a foreign ruler who owed Jehoiachin nothing. One writer draws a lesson from it about who governs events.
In Jehoiachin's case God was showing that He has the hearts of all men under His control. He can turn long years of suffering, at His will, into a peaceful end of life — though not a prosperous one, according to His word. But this does not stop His pity and tender mercy.
The favour also has a strict limit.
So he received both mercy and grace. Mercy is compassion shown to one in need. Grace freely gives abundant provision to satisfy every need and much more. The king gave him a regular allowance for each day as long as he lived. He was never restored to his place as king of Judah, and no descendant of Coniah will ever reign as king. But they will rejoice to recognise the Lord Jesus as the true King of all Israel.
Commentators differ on how bright this scene is. One writer looks at the same promotion — Jehoiachin is also called Coniah — and sees a man honoured by a corrupt court.
In the meantime, the last chapter of Jeremiah shows us one who was an object of contempt at Jerusalem — Coniah! He was raised to high place by Evil-merodach at Babylon. Like many who are unfaithful to God and His people, he is exalted among the corruptions of Babylon. That city was already beginning to sink, in the days of the self-indulgent Evil-merodach, who was himself murdered later. Of Daniel, at Babylon, we read that he would not defile himself with the king's food; and he represents the faithful remnant, who will be delivered in a future day out of Babylon.
- Ruin. Kings ends in failure. As one writer puts it, "not one of all the kings of Judah and of Israel enjoyed a really bright end to his reign" (Leslie M. Grant).
- Ray. Into that ruin comes one unexplained kindness — "the first ray of God's returning favour."
- Grace. Nothing in Jehoiachin earned it; the favour came wholly from the heart of the king who granted it.
- Reach. God moved a foreign king's heart. He holds all hearts, so decades of misery can change at His will.
- Result. The release is real but partial: freedom without a throne. Kings ends by pointing past Jehoiachin to the Lord Jesus, the true King of all Israel.
and he spoke kindly to him, and set his seat above the seat of the kings that were with him in Babylon.
Kings has traced one failed king of Judah after another, and it closes with one of them alive in Babylon — out of prison and seated at a foreign king's table. Why does a story of collapse end in kindness?
A new king on Babylon's throne changed everything for Jehoiachin. The man who opened his cell may have known that prison from the inside.
The Babylonian captivity dates from Jehoiachin's reign. He never returned from his captivity. There he spent thirty-six years in prison, until the death of Nebuchadnezzar. His son Evil-merodach succeeded him on the throne. His own father had once shut this son up in prison. There he probably got to know the royal captive from Judah. He was not like the ungrateful cupbearer who forgot Joseph once he was out of prison. He remembered his old prison companion.
Scripture does not explain the favour. That silence is part of the point.
We are not told why he showed this favour to Jehoiachin, but this is a striking picture of grace shown to someone who has long been in shame and disgrace. Is it not a foreshadowing of the eventual recovery of the nation Israel from their long history of disobedience to God? This did not happen because Jehoiachin deserved grace. The grace came only from the kindness of the king of Babylon. In the same way, God will bring Israel back from misery and bondage by His own sovereign work of grace towards them.
Evil-merodach seats him above the other captive kings, but does not send him home. Jehoiachin's other name is Coniah.
He received both mercy and grace. Mercy is compassion shown to someone in need. Grace freely gives abundant provision to satisfy every need and much more... He was not restored to his place as king of Judah. No descendant of Coniah will ever reign as king. But they will rejoice to recognise the Lord Jesus as the true King of all Israel, and they will be greatly blessed all the days of their life.
A Babylonian king made the decision. But the prophets had already spoken about this man's future.
Evil-merodach did not only bring the captive king of Judah out of prison with kind words. He also set his throne above the other kings who were subject to Babylon. The prophets had given solemn warnings, and one king of Judah was now proving them true in his own misery. Yet in Jehoiachin's case God was showing that He has the hearts of all men under His control. At His will, long years of suffering may turn into a peaceful end of life — though not a prosperous one, according to His word (Jer. 22:30). But this does not stop His pity and tender mercy.
The kindness looks small — one seat at one table. Set beside God's promise to David, it is not small at all.
The lamp that seemed to have gone out began to shed a faint glimmer again. This is proof that the Lord always remembers the promises made to David, His anointed. Despite everything, His grace is watching over this guilty race.
Kings could have ended in judgment. Instead it ends with a man lifted up.
Writers have rightly noted that the book of Kings gives the history of man in responsibility. The book of Chronicles gives the history of God's purpose. Man's history had been sad. Yet 2 Kings ends in a striking way: through the mercy of God, man will be lifted to a seat of honour. Without God's sovereign mercy, that history would have ended in judgment no one could undo. God stepped in for His own glory and for man's blessing.
Commentators differ on how bright this ending is. One writer sets Jehoiachin's rise beside Daniel, an exile in the same city who refused the king's food.
In the last chapter of Jeremiah we find a man who was despised at Jerusalem — Coniah! Evil-merodach raised him to honour at Babylon. Like many who are unfaithful to God and His people, he rises high among the corruptions of Babylon... Of Daniel, at Babylon, we read, "he would not defile himself with the king's food" (Dan. 1:8); and he represents the faithful remnant, who will be delivered in a future day out of Babylon.
- Prison. Jehoiachin spent thirty-six years in a Babylonian cell and never went home. The man who freed him had once been a prisoner there too.
- Kindness. Scripture gives no reason for the favour — that is the whole force of it. The grace came from the giver, not from anything in the man who received it.
- Seat. He sits above the other captive kings, but he never gets Judah's throne back. Mercy meets his need; grace goes far beyond it.
- Lamp. A faint light flickers again in David's line, proof that God had not forgotten His promise to His anointed.
- King. Kings records man's responsibility and ends with God's mercy lifting man up. The throne itself waits for the true King, the Lord Jesus.