Question: I wonder whether Jehoiachin might have repented to the Lord while he was in prison....I ...

Question: [The questioner is a 10-year-old boy.] From reading 2 Kings:24:8-17 [8] Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. [9] And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. [10] At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. [11] And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. [12] And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. [13] And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. [14] And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. [15] And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. [16] And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. [17] And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
See All... and 25:27-30, I wonder whether Jehoiachin might have repented to the Lord while he was in prison. Although chapter 24 tells that he "did evil in the sight of the Lord," 25:27-30 says that when King Evil-merodach began to reign over Babylon he took Jehoiachin from prison, gave him a throne above the other kings in Babylon, and a daily allowance for his needs until his death. I don't think that God would have given him this throne if he had not repented—would He?

Response: I commend you for studying the Bible so diligently. However, advancement in and recognition by the world is not always a sign of God's blessing, though it could be. Wasn't God's blessing upon Daniel demonstrated by the authority given to him in Babylon? Yes, but God blessed Daniel because of his godly life and also to put him in position for a specific purpose in God's plan, as well as to give us the Book of Daniel.

Nothing of that nature is related about Jehoiachin: neither a godly life nor usefulness to God in Babylon. I think we would be told if that were the case. Everything we read about this man indicates that, like most of the kings of Israel and Judah, he would not repent no matter what judgment from God came upon him. The world rewards those who please it in rebellion against God. This was probably the case with Jehoiachin, though we can't be sure.

Certainly there is no hint that Evil-merodach (Amel-Marduk in Babylonian) was a servant of God, as we are told concerning Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar. Without more information, we dare not speculate about Jehoiachin's or anyone else's repentance.