2 Kings 25:27-30 ESV

27 And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28 And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table, 30 and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.

27 At nangyari, nang ikadalawampu't pitong araw, nang ikalabindalawang buwan ng ikatatlumpu't pitong taon ng pagkabihag ni Jehoiakin na hari ng Juda, si Evil-merodac na hari ng Babilonia, nang taong siya'y magsimulang maghari, ay pinalaya sa bilangguan si Jehoiakin na hari ng Juda. 28 Siya'y nagsalita na may kabaitan sa kanya, at binigyan siya ng upuan sa itaas ng mga upuan ng mga haring kasama niya sa Babilonia. 29 Kaya't hinubad ni Jehoiakin ang kanyang damit-bilangguan. At sa bawat araw ng kanyang buhay ay palagi siyang kumakain sa hapag ng hari; 30 at para sa pantustos sa kanya, may palagiang panustos na ibinibigay sa kanya ang hari, bawat araw ay isang bahagi, habang siya ay nabubuhay.

THE FAVOR

It was Nebuchadnezzar who took Jehoiachin as prisoner along with his mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men in Judah (2 Kings 24:16). Nebuchadnezzar also took ten thousand others into exile, leaving only the poorest behind, and he raided the temple (2 Kings 24:13–14; 2 Chron 36:10).

While he was imprisoned in Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar installed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, on the throne. He was rebellious against God and against King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chron 36:12–13). After eleven years of Zedekiah’s rule, Jerusalem fully fell to Nebuchadnezzar. More exiles were carried off, and the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem’s walls and burned the temple and the palaces (2 Kings 25:9–10; 2 Chronicles 36:19; Jer 52:13–14). Jerusalem was destroyed.

Thirty-seven years after Jehoiachin’s deportation, he was given some freedom in Babylon. Evil-Merodach had become king of Babylon (2 Kings 25:27; Jer 52:31), and he “spoke kindly” to Jehoiachin and gave him a seat of honor at his table and a daily allowance (2 Kings 25:28–30; Jer 52:32–34). “So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table” (v.29).

The granting of grace isn’t always explanable, is it? It is an act done that transcends reason. This is a strange narrative—son of a puppet king of Egypt, imprisoned by the king of Babylon to make room for another puppet king, taken in the second wave of exiles, yet released from prison and given a gracious end to his life. We do not know what happened during his years in prison or why Evil-Merodach was so kind to him. What is evident in the story of Jehoiachin is God’s righteous judgment as well as His merciful grace.

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