2 Kings 23:33
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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.
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.