Evil Merodach
“Man of Marduk (Akkadian Amel-Marduk)”
Summary
King of Babylon who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar and showed kindness to the captive king Jehoiachin of Judah, releasing him from prison after 37 years.
☩Kindness to Jehoiachin
Evil-merodach succeeded his father Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon in 561 BC. In the first year of his reign, he released Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) king of Judah from prison after 37 years of captivity. He changed Jehoiachin's prison garments, gave him a seat above the other captive kings at Babylon, and provided him a regular allowance for the rest of his life. Jewish tradition suggests the two men had become friends when Evil-merodach himself was imprisoned by Nebuchadnezzar.
☩Reign and Death
Evil-merodach reigned only about two years (561-559 BC) before being murdered by Neriglissar, a Babylonian nobleman who had married his sister and then seized the throne. According to Berosus, he was accused of lawless government, possibly due to showing greater leniency than his father had. His name (Akkadian Amel-Marduk) means 'man of Marduk,' though the Hebrew rendering 'Evil-merodach' led to interpretations meaning 'fool of Merodach.'
See Also
References
- 1.George Morrish, "Evilmerodach," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Evil Merodach," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).