2 Kings 24:18

18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he started out as king. He was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah. Her hometown was Libnah.

2 Kings 24:18 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 18-20. Zedekiah was twenty years old when he began to reign,
&c.] So that he was but between nine and ten years of age when his father Josiah died; for Jehoahaz reigned three months, Jehoiakim eleven years, and his son three months and ten days:

and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was
Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah;
by which it appears that he was the brother of Jehoahaz by father and mother's side, ( 2 Kings 23:31 ) . This and the two following verses are expressed in the same words as in ( Jeremiah 52:1-3 ) , (See Gill on Jeremiah 52:1), (See Gill on Jeremiah 52:2), (See Gill on Jeremiah 52:3), in ( 2 Chronicles 36:10 2 Chronicles 36:13 ) , besides what is here said, is written, that he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet of the Lord, that spoke in his name, but opposed him; and rebelling against the king of Babylon, broke his oath, and hardened his neck and heart against the Lord, and was obstinate, stubborn, and self-willed.

2 Kings 24:18 In-Context

16 anyone who was anybody - in round numbers, seven thousand soldiers plus another thousand or so craftsmen and artisans, all herded off into exile in Babylon.
17 Then the king of Babylon made Jehoiachin's uncle, Mattaniah, his puppet king, but changed his name to Zedekiah.
18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he started out as king. He was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah. Her hometown was Libnah.
19 As far as God was concerned Zedekiah was just one more evil king, a carbon copy of Jehoiakim.
20 The source of all this doom to Jerusalem and Judah was God's anger - God turned his back on them as an act of judgment. And then Zedekiah revolted against the king of Babylon.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.