Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 2 King 23:31 - 23:37

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - 2 King 23:31 - 23:37


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The Reign of Jehoahaz and of Jehoiakim

v. 31. Jehoahaz,
whom the people of the country had anointed king in preference to his brother Eliakim, was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. Before his accession to the throne he had borne the name Shallum, Jer_22:11.

v. 32. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord,
a wicked son of a God-fearing father, according to all that his fathers had done, especially Ahaz, Manasseh, and Amon.

v. 33. And Pharaoh-nechoh,
who had at that time gained the ascendancy over Judah, put him in bands, took him captive, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, as he apparently continued his campaign against the eastern king, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, for Pharaoh was not satisfied with the people's choice of king, being glad to get Jehoahaz into his power; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold (a total of some $22,000), this payment being exacted in order to emphasize his supremacy.

v. 34. And Pharaoh-nechoh made Ehiakim, the son of Josiah,
the heir apparent, king in the room of Josiah, his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away. And he came to Egypt and died there, nothing more being known about his age or the length of his captivity.

v. 35. And Jehoiakim,
completely dependent upon Pharaoh, gave the silver and the gold, which had been demanded as tribute, to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh; he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, agreeing with his assessment, to give it unto Pharaoh-nechoh.

v. 36. Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah,
a town in the neighborhood of Shechem.

v. 37. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
Jeremiah speaks of him as a conscienceless, grasping prince, eager to gain riches and power at the expense of his unlucky subjects, Jer_22:13-19. The way was being prepared for God's judgment of anger upon the people which had rejected Him. Even so the coming of the great Day of Judgment is being heralded by the signs which the Lord Jesus bade us observe, Matthew 24.