Meaning of the Name Jehoiakim
Jehoiakim comes from the Hebrew form Yehoyaqim. It is usually explained as "Yahweh raises up," "Yahweh lifts up," or "Yahweh establishes," with variation depending on how the qum root is understood. The core etymology is secure, though the best English nuance remains interpretive.
Origin
The name Jehoiakim is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Jehoiakim in the Bible?
Jehoiakim was king of Judah, a son of Josiah, and ruled during the pressured era between Egypt and Babylon. His relationship with the prophet Jeremiah is especially tense, and the burning of Jeremiah's scroll is tied to his reign. He is prominently discussed in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Jeremiah.
The story of Jehoiakim in the Bible
Jehoiakim was one of Judah's last kings, a son of the reformer king Josiah. According to 2 Kings 23:34, Pharaoh Neco of Egypt removed the brother who had succeeded Josiah, installed Eliakim as king in his place, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. 2 Chronicles 36:5 records that he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem and did evil in the sight of God. His rule fell in the years when Judah was squeezed between Egypt and Babylon, weighed down by tribute and shifting loyalties; after serving Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon for a time, he rebelled. Jehoiakim is remembered above all for his clash with the prophet Jeremiah. When the scroll containing Jeremiah's words was read to him, the king cut it up piece by piece and threw it into the fire of his brazier. In response, Jeremiah 36:30 pronounces a heavy judgment: none of his line would sit on David's throne. Scripture thus presents Jehoiakim as a warning example of a king who tried to destroy God's word rather than heed it.
Is Jehoiakim mentioned in the Quran?
The name Jehoiakim does not appear in the Quran; in the Old Testament, in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Jeremiah, he is the king of Judah who burned the prophet Jeremiah's scroll.
Verses where Jehoiakim appears
- 2 Kings 23:34 —
Pharaoh Necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim: but he took Jehoahaz away; and he came to Egypt, and died there.
- 2 Chronicles 36:5 —
Jehoiakim was twenty-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 Yahweh his God.
- Jeremiah 36:30 —
Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David; and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.