Jehoahaz was twenty three years old when he began to reign ,.... Who seems to be the same with Shallum, Jeremiah 22:11 . and he reigned three months in Jerusalem ; a short reign, being deposed by the king of Egypt, as after related: and his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah ; a city in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 10:29 . read more
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord ,.... Committed idolatry: according to all that his fathers had done ; his grand father and great grandfather, Amon and Manasseh; so soon after Josiah's death was the revolt to idolatry. read more
And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath ,.... Places in Syria; Hamath was formerly a kingdom in Syria, and Riblah is said by Jerom F3 Comment. in Ezekiel. xlvii. fol. 261. C. to be Antioch of Syria, near to which was the fountain of Daphne; and in the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem on Numbers 34:11 . Daphne is put for Riblah; and Josephus F4 Antiqu. l. 17. c. 2. sect. 3. says Antioch was by Daphne of Syria; and in the Apocrypha:"Which when Onias... read more
And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father ,.... Not in the room of Jehoahaz; for he did not allow him to be a king, and to have any lawful right to the throne; but, deposing him, set up his elder brother: and turned his name to Jehoiakim ; to show his subjection to him, and that he held his government by him: and took Jehoahaz away : with him, from Jerusalem, when he departed thence: and he came to Egypt, and died there : and never... read more
And Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh ,.... The one hundred talents of silver and the talent of gold, which he imposed as a tribute upon the land: but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh ; he did not take it out of his own treasures nor the treasures of the house of the Lord, which perhaps might be exhausted, but levied it of the people of the land: he exacted the silver and gold of the people of the land , required them to pay it... read more
Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old - This was not the eldest son of Josiah, which is evident from this, that he was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; that he reigned but three months; that, being dethroned, his brother Eliakim was put in his place, who was then twenty-five years of age. Eliakim, therefore, was the eldest brother; but Jehoahaz was probably raised to the throne by the people, as being of a more active and martial spirit. read more
Nechoh put him in bands - But what was the cause of his putting him in bands? It is conjectured, and not without reason, that Jehoahaz, otherwise called Shallum, raised an army, met Nechoh in his return from Carchemish, fought, was beaten, taken prisoner, put in chains; and taken into Egypt, where he died; 2 Kings 23:34 , and Jeremiah 22:11 , Jeremiah 22:12 . Riblah or Diblath, the place of this battle, was probably a town in Syria, in the land or district of Hamath. read more
Turned his name to Jehoiakim - These names are precisely the same in signification: Eliakim is God shall arise; Jehoiakim, Jehovah shall arise; or, the resurrection of God; the resurrection of Jehovah. That is, God's rising again to show his power, justice, etc. The change of the name was to show Nechoh's supremacy, and that Jehoiakim was only his vassal or viceroy. Proofs of this mode of changing the name, when a person of greater power put another in office under himself, may be... read more
Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold - Nechoh had placed him there as viceroy, simply to raise and collect his taxes. Every one according to his taxation - That is, each was assessed in proportion to his property: that was the principle avowed: but there is reason to fear that this bad king was not governed by it. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 23:31-37
Jerusalem saw not a good day after Josiah was laid in his grave, but one trouble came after another, till within twenty-two years it was quite destroyed. Of the reign of two of his sons here is a short account; the former we find here a prisoner and the latter a tributary to the king of Egypt, and both so in the very beginning of their reign. This king of Egypt having slain Josiah, though he had not had any design upon Judah, yet, being provoked by the opposition which Josiah gave him, now, it... read more