2 Kings 23:33

33 And Pharaoh Necho bound him in prison in Riblah, that is in the land of Hamath, that he should not reign in Jerusalem; and Pharaoh set a pain, either a fine, to the land of Judah, in an hundred talents of silver, and in one talent of gold (and Pharaoh put a fine on the land of Judah, of a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold).

2 Kings 23:33 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 23:33

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 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 says Antioch was by Daphne of Syria; and in the Apocrypha:

``Which when Onias knew of a surety, he reproved him, and withdrew himself into a sanctuary at Daphne, that lieth by Antiochia.'' (2 Maccabees 4:33)

Daphne is said to be by Antioch; with which place Pompey was greatly delighted, because of the pleasantness of it, and the abundance of waters about it ^F5: hither, it is probable, Jehoahaz went with an army to avenge his father's death on the king of Egypt, or to assist the king of Babylon, or both; and here Pharaoh met with him, and took him, and bound him; he seems to be of a martial spirit, from ( Ezekiel 19:3 )

that he might not reign in Jerusalem;
whither afterwards the king of Egypt came, and took it; and so Herodotus ^F6 says that after he had conquered the Syrians at Migdol, he took Cadytis, a great city of Syria, which seems to be Jerusalem, the holy city;

and put the land to a tribute of one hundred talents of silver, and
a talent of gold;
the land of Judah; and one hundred talents, according to Bunting ^F7, amounted to 37,500 pounds of our money; and a talent of gold, according to Brerewood ^F8, was 4,500 pounds; but Bishop Cumberland ^F9 makes it 5,067 pounds, three shillings, and ten pence; a talent of gold could not be so large in Homer's time, since he speaks of seven of them given at once in a way of hospitality ^F11.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F3 Comment. in Ezekiel. xlvii. fol. 261. C.
F4 Antiqu. l. 17. c. 2. sect. 3.
F5 Rufi Fest. Breviar. Eutrop. Hist. Rom. l. 6.
F6 Ut supra. (Chronic. Secil. 18. p. 568.)
F7 Ut supra, (Travels) p. 288.
F8 De Ponder & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4.
F9 Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 4. p. 21.
F11 Odyss. 9. ver. 258. & Odyss. 24. ver. 321.

2 Kings 23:33 In-Context

31 Jehoahaz was of three and twenty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremy of Libnah.

32 And he did evil before the Lord, by all things which his fathers had done.

33 And Pharaoh Necho bound him in prison in Riblah, that is in the land of Hamath, that he should not reign in Jerusalem; and Pharaoh set a pain, either a fine, to the land of Judah, in an hundred talents of silver, and in one talent of gold (and Pharaoh put a fine on the land of Judah, of a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold).

34 And Pharaoh Necho made king Eliakim, the son of Josiah, for Josiah, his father; and he turned the name of him to Jehoiakim; forsooth Pharaoh took Jehoahaz, and led him into Egypt, (and he died there). (And Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim, Josiah's son, to be king in place of his father; and he changed his name to Jehoiakim; but Pharaoh took away Jehoahaz, and led him into Egypt, and he died there.)

35 Soothly Jehoiakim gave silver and gold to Pharaoh, when he had commanded to the land by all years, that it should be brought, by the commandment of Pharaoh; and Jehoiakim raised of each man by his mights, or after his power, both silver and gold, of the people of the land, that he should give to Pharaoh Necho. (And Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh, in all the years that he commanded over the land, that it should be brought in, by Pharaoh's commandment; and Jehoiakim raised both the silver, and the gold, from the people of the land, yea, out of each man's own wealth, so that he could pay it to Pharaoh Necho.)