Jehoiakim was king of Judah from 609 to 598 BC. Before this siege, he served Egypt as a vassal (a ruler who had to obey a stronger nation). His rule in Judah was very wicked (2 Kings 23:36–24:6; 2 Chronicles 36:5–8; Jeremiah 25). The exile and captivity of Daniel and his friends in 605 BC foreshadowed the exile of the rest of the nation in 597 and 586 BC (see 2 Kings 24:1–25:21). The Lord used King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon as an unknowing servant to achieve his purposes (compare Jeremiah 25:9; 27:6).