Evil-Merodach

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Evil-merodach ( Ç'Vil-Me-Rô'Dak ), Merodach'S Fool. But perhaps some name of Persian or Assyrian origin underlies this. The son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar. He reigned two years, 561-559 b.c., and was murdered by Nergal-sharezer or Neriglissar, who had married his sister, and who seized his crown. He treated Jehoiachin with kindness: and possibly his mildness of rule may have given opportunity to the treason which cut him off.  2 Kings 25:27-30;  Jeremiah 52:31-34. But some authorities report him to have been luxurious and intemperate.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, B. C. 561. His friendly treatment of Jehoiachin the captive king of Judah, in releasing him from prison and variously distinguishing him above other captives, is mentioned to his praise,  2 Kings 25:27;  Jeremiah 52:31 -  34 . His reign and life were cut short by a conspiracy, headed by Neriglissar his sister's husband, who succeeded him.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Evil-Merodach , the Amel-Marduk of the Babylonians, son and successor of Nebuchadrezzar on the throne of Babylon (  2 Kings 25:27-30 ), promoted Jehoiachin in the 37th year of his captivity. He reigned b.c. 562 560. Berosus describes him as reigning lawlessly and without restraint, and he was put to death by his brother-in-law Neriglissar, who succeeded him.

C. H. W. Johns.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

E'vil-mero'dach. (The Fool Of Merodach).  2 Kings 25:27. The son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar. He reigned, but a short time, having ascended the throne on the death of Nebuchadnezzar in B.C. 561, and being himself succeeded by Neriglissar in B.C. 559. He was murdered by Neriglissar.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 2 Kings 25:27 Jeremiah 52:31,34 Jeremiah 39:3,13

Holman Bible Dictionary

 2 Kings 25:27Babylon

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Hebrews Evil' Merodak', מְרֹדִךְ אְֵויל ; Sept. Εὐιαλμαρωδέκ , Οὐλαιμαδάχαρ ), son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who, on his accession to the throne (B.C. 561), released the captive king of Judah, Jehoiachin, from prison, after 37 years of incarceration, treated him with kindness and distinction, and set his throne above the other conquered kings who were detained at Babylon ( 2 Kings 25:27;  Jeremiah 52:31-34). (See Chaldaean). A Jewish tradition (noticed by Jerome on  Isaiah 14:29) ascribes this kindness to a personal friendship which Evil- merodach had contracted with the Jewish king when he was himself consigned to prison by Nebuchadnezzar, who, on recovering from his seven years' monomania, took offense at some part of the conduct of his son, by whom the government had in the mean time been administered. This story was probably invented to account for the fact. His name is variously written by other ancient authors ( Εὐειλμαράδουκος by Berosus, in Josephus, Apion 1:20; Εὐιλμαλουροῦχος by Megasthenes and Abydenus, in Euseb. Chron. Armen. page 128; Ἀβιλμαρώδαχος by Josephus, Ant. 10:11, 2). Hales identifies him with the king of Babylon who formed a powerful confederacy against the Medes, which was broken up, and the king slain by Cyrus, then acting for his uncle Cyaxares. But this rests on the authority of Xenophon's Cyropaedia, the historical value of which he estimates far too highly. (See Cyrus). He is doubtless the same as the Ilvoradam of Ptolemy's "Canon," who reigned but a short time, having ascended the throne on the death of Nebuchadnezzar in B.C. 561, and being himself succeeded by Neriglissar in B.C. 559. (See Babylon).

He thus appears to have reigned but two years, which is the time assigns ed to him by Abydenus (Fr. 9) and Berosus (Fr. 14). At the end of this brief space Evil-merodach was murdered by Neriglissar (See Nergal- Sharezer), a Babylonian noble married to his sister, who then seized the crown. The other ancient authorities assign him different lengths of reign. According to Berosus, Evil-merodach provoked his fate by lawless government and intemperance. Perhaps the departure from the policy of his father, and the substitution of mild for severe measures, may have been viewed in this light.

The latter half of the name Evil-merodach is that of a Babylonian god MERODACH (See Merodach) (q.v.). Two modes of explaining the former part of it have been attempted. Since ev Il, as a Hebrew word, means "foolish," Sinconis proposes to consider it the derivative of אול , in the Arabic signification of "to be first," affording the sense of "prince of Merodach." This rests on the assumption that the Babylonian language was of Syro-Arabian origin. Gesemmius, on the other hand, who does not admit that origin, believes that some Indo-Germanic word, of similar sound, but reputable sense, is concealed under evil, and that the Hebrews made some slight perversion in its form to produce a word of contemptuous signification in Hebrew, just as is assumed in the case of Beelzebul.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ē - vil - me - rō´dak  ; - mer´ō̇ - dak אויל מרדך , 'ĕwı̄l merōdhakh  ; Septuagint Εὐειαλμαρωδέκ , Eueialmarōdék  ; so B in K, but B in Jeremiah, and A and Q in both places much corrupted): The name of the son and immediate successor of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon. The Babylonian form of the name is Amelu - Marduk , that is, "man of Marduk." About 30 contract tablets dated in this reign have been found. They show that Evil-merodach reigned for two years and about five months. He is said by Berosus to have conducted his government in an illegal and improper manner, and to have been slain by his sister's brother, Nergal - shar - uṣur , who then reigned in his stead. Evil-merodach is said in  2 Kings 25:27-30 and in the parallel passage in   Jeremiah 52:31-34 to have taken Jehoiachin, king of Judah, from his prison in Babylon, where he seems to have been confined for 37 years, to have clothed him with new garments, to have given him a seat above all the other kings, and to have allowed him to eat at the king's table all the days of his life. It is an undesigned coincidence, that may be worthy of mention, that the first dated tablet from this reign was written on the 26th of Elul, and   Jeremiah 52:31 says that Jehoiachin was freed from prison on the 25th of the same month.