2 Kings 24:17

Zedekiah Made King

17 ¹Then the king of Babylon made his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

2 Kings 24:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 24:17

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother
king in his stead
The third son of Josiah, ( 1 Chronicles 3:15 )

and changed his name to Zedekiah;
for the same reason the king of Egypt changed the name of Eliakim, ( 2 Kings 23:34 ) to signify his subjection to him; though some think it was to put him in mind of the justice of God, as the name signifies, that would overtake him, should he be treacherous to him, and rebel against him; so the Jewish Midrash.

2 Kings 24:17 In-Context

15 So he led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also the king's mother and the king's wives and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

16 All the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war, and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon.

17 Then the king of Babylon made his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

19 He did evil in the sight of the LORD , according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Chronicles 36:10-13; Jeremiah 37:1

Footnotes

• [a]. I.e. Jehoiachin's uncle