Speaking of Kings (21:1-23:8) 145fact, he was subject to the dishonorable treatment predicted here. Suspicions
are many that his death was not a natural one. Albright (1932: 90-91), assum-
ing that Jeremiah's prediction here and in 36:30 must have been approxi-
mately fulfilled, also that the compiler of Kings put Nebuchadnezzar's
invasion of Judah after the death of Jehoiakim (2 Kgs 24:10), imagined a pal-
ace revolt in which Jehoiakim was slain and Jehoiachin, his son, was placed on
the throne. The Annals of Ashurbanipal (Rassam Cylinder III 8-9) report the
death of Absheri, king of Mannai, who, after a popular rebellion in his coun-
try, was killed and suffered the further indignity of having his body thrown into
the streets, where it was ripped into pieces (Streck 1916 II: 24-25). Bright
( 1981: 3 27), too, thinks Jehoiakim was assassinated just after the Babylonians
began their westward march in December 598 B.C. The beginning of the
march and death of Jehoiakim is placed by Tadmor ( 1956: 230) in Kislev 597
B.C. (on names of months in the Jewish calendar, see Appendix IX). However,
this reconstruction is complicated by the report in 2 Chr 36:6 that Nebuchad-
nezzar came to Jerusalem and "bound [Jehoiakim) in chains to take him to
Babylon." Josephus (Ant x 96-98) and the Rabbis thus develop various scenar-
ios in which Jehoiakim is captured and then brought to a dishonorable end.
Both appear to harmonize data in 2 Chr 36:6 with what is stated in the present
verse (Begg 1996). The surrender of Jehoiakim (or his body) to Nebuchadnez-
zar is discussed in the Midrashim (Leviticus Rabbah 19:6; Genesis Rabbah
94:9), where a comparison to the rebellious Sheba and his fate is made (2 Sam
20:14-22). On the latter, see Daube 1965: 49-68. Reflecting this tradition,
KimJ:ii says that Jehoiakim died outside Jerusalem when being taken (a second
time) into exile and that the Chaldeans would not permit his burial. Cornill
imagines that Jehoiakim died a natural death and received an honorable
burial, like all other kings. He and others (Giesebrecht; Rudolph; Weiser;
Hyatt) think the body was later disinterred and dishonored-either by the
Babylonians or by his own people (cf. 8:1-2), as happened to Martin Bucer
and Oliver Cromwell in England. This explanation has not won much sup-
port, because disinterment cannot be inferred from the present passage or
from any other biblical passage. Some commentators (Volz; Jones) who think
Jehoiakim was buried say simply that Jeremiah's prophecy went unfulfilled.
We really do not know how Jehoiakim died or to what extent the present
prophecy was fulfilled. On the indignity of bodies lying unburied, about
which Jeremiah says a great deal, see Note for 7:33.
dragged away and cast off beyond the gates of Jerusalem. The infinitive abso-
lutes, saf:i6b wehaslek ("dragged away and cast off"), describe more particularly
the circumstances of the king's nonburial (GKC § l 13h). The same prediction,
stated differently, is made in 36:30. Dead bodies are commonly dragged off (and
torn) by wild dogs (15:3; 2 Kgs 9:35-37), but since Jehoiakim's corpse is to end
up outside the city, it may be that people will drag it there. Hebrew haslek, nor-
mally "thrown, cast off," can in this case mean "leave unburied" (Cogan 1968;
1971: 33). Joiion (1937) cites a modern example of the indignity described here
following a clan feud among Arabs at Palmyra (Syria). The chief of one clan,