In brief
Evil-Merodach is a king of Babylon mentioned at the very end of the second book of Kings and of the book of Jeremiah. In the first year of his reign, the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, he brought Jehoiachin out of prison, spoke kindly to him and let him eat at his table for the rest of his life. He is remembered for an unexpected act of favor that reminded the exiles that the line of David had not been forgotten.
What does the name Evil-Merodach mean?
Evil-Merodach is the Hebrew form of a Babylonian name, generally linked to Amel-Marduk, meaning man of Marduk, after the chief god of Babylon. Historians usually identify him as the son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar. The Bible does not comment on his name and simply presents him as king of Babylon (2 Kings 25:27).
The story of Evil-Merodach
Jehoiachin taken to Babylon
2 Kings 24:8-15Jehoiachin becomes king of Judah at eighteen and reigns three months in Jerusalem. He does what is evil in the sight of the Lord. When Nebuchadnezzar besieges the city, Jehoiachin surrenders to the king of Babylon with his mother, his servants and his officials. He is taken prisoner and carried off to Babylon with thousands of exiles. A very long captivity begins.
The fall of Jerusalem
2 Kings 25:1-21A few years later, under the reign of Zedekiah, Jerusalem is taken. The temple, the king's house and the great houses are burned, the walls are torn down, and a large part of the people is carried into captivity. The story seems to close on complete disaster: Judah is carried away from its land, and Jehoiachin remains in prison in Babylon.
A new king in Babylon
2 Kings 25:27In the thirty-seventh year of Jehoiachin's captivity, in the twelfth month, Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifts up the head of Jehoiachin and brings him out of prison. The text gives no reason for this gesture. It only stresses that it comes after thirty-seven years of waiting, when all hope seemed lost.
A place at the king's table
2 Kings 25:28-30Evil-Merodach speaks kindly to Jehoiachin and sets his throne above the thrones of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. He has him change out of his prison clothes. Jehoiachin eats at the king's table for the rest of his life, and the king provides for his daily needs without fail. A fallen king regains dignity and honor.
The same account in Jeremiah
Jeremiah 52:31-34The book of Jeremiah ends with the same account, almost word for word. After so many announcements of judgment on Jerusalem, the last word is not destruction: a son of David walks out of prison and receives a regular allowance from the king of Babylon until the day of his death. Jeremiah dates the event on the twenty-fifth day of the month, the book of Kings on the twenty-seventh.
What Evil-Merodach teaches us
- God can use a pagan king to do good to his people, even in exile.
- God's judgment on Judah did not erase his faithfulness to the house of David.
- A long wait is not forgetfulness: Jehoiachin waited thirty-seven years before being lifted up.
- An act of kindness can restore dignity to someone everyone considered finished.
Key verses
The main passage on Evil-Merodach. The book of Kings ends on this act of grace: Jehoiachin leaves prison, changes his clothes and eats at the king's table for the rest of his life.
The same account closes the book of Jeremiah. After so many announcements of judgment, the prophet leaves a glimmer of hope for the exiles of Judah and for the descendants of David.
In the genealogy of Jesus, Jechoniah, another name for Jehoiachin, fathers Shealtiel after the deportation to Babylon. The line that the king of Babylon lifted out of prison leads all the way to Christ.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Evil-Merodach in the Bible?
Evil-Merodach was a king of Babylon, generally identified by historians as the successor of Nebuchadnezzar. The Bible remembers only one act of his: in the first year of his reign he freed Jehoiachin king of Judah, a captive for thirty-seven years, and gave him a place of honor at his table (2 Kings 25:27-30; Jeremiah 52:31-34).
Why did Evil-Merodach free Jehoiachin?
The Bible does not give his reasons. It only reports the facts: in the first year of his reign he lifted up Jehoiachin's head, spoke kindly to him and set his throne above those of the other kings in Babylon. Readers see in it the hand of God, keeping the line of David alive in the midst of exile.
Where is the story of Evil-Merodach in the Bible?
Evil-Merodach appears in two nearly identical passages: 2 Kings 25:27-30, which ends the books of Kings, and Jeremiah 52:31-34, which ends the book of Jeremiah. For the background, read 2 Kings 24:8-17 on the deportation of Jehoiachin, then Jeremiah 22:24-30, the prophet's word about Coniah.