Why does the Lord say that he would cast Coniah off even if he were the signet ring on the Lord’s right hand?

In this next passage (Jeremiah 22:24–30) the Lord turns his attention to Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Coniah was also named Jehoiachin and he became king after his father Jehoiakim. It is not clear how Coniah became king, but he was only eighteen when he did. He was immediately confronted with the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem and after being on the throne for just three months, King Nebuchadnezzar took the city in 597 BC. The young king, along with his mother and wife, was taken into exile in Babylon, where he lived for many years and was released from exile when Evil-Merodach became king in Egypt in 562 BC (2 Kings 24:8–17; Jeremiah 25:27–30; 2 Chronicles 36:9–10).¹

There appears to be a change in perspective half-way through this passage. The first three verses (Jeremiah 22:24–27) seem to have been spoken more directly to the young king just before he was sent into exile, while the next two verses (Jeremiah 22:28–30) seem to address the nation after Jehoiachin is in exile (Thompson, p 483). There is also change in emphasis. In Jeremiah 22:24–27 the Lord is making it clear that Jehoiachin and his family will never return from exile. However, in Jeremiah 22:28–30, the Lord is making it clear to the nation that no descendant of Jehoiachin will ever be seated on the throne of David.² The personal failure of the king has lasting and devastating consequences for the nation.

The Lord’s words regarding Coniah are spoken as an oath, As I live. There must be no doubt that Coniah’s fate is already determined. Though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. A signet ring was very valuable to its owner because it was engraved with the person’s crest and was used to mark official documents with the owner’s signature. The Lord considers the king of Judah as his signet ring because the king was his representative in the land. It was supposed to be a very special and close relationship in which the king ruled in faithfulness to the Lord. Even though he only ruled for just three months, Jehoiachin did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 24:9). He may have occupied the privileged position of being the Lord’s signet ring in Judah but he utterly failed to live up to this special relationship. The Lord is therefore going to tear the ring off and cast it away. The Lord is going to hand the king, his mother and wife, over to the Babylonians.