2 Kings 23:33

33 Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents[a] of silver and a talent[b] of gold.

2 Kings 23:33 in Other Translations

KJV
33 And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
ESV
33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
NLT
33 Pharaoh Neco put Jehoahaz in prison at Riblah in the land of Hamath to prevent him from ruling in Jerusalem. He also demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute.
MSG
33 Pharaoh Neco captured Jehoahaz at Riblah in the country of Hamath and put him in chains, preventing him from ruling in Jerusalem. He demanded that Judah pay tribute of nearly four tons of silver and seventy-five pounds of gold.
CSB
33 Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath to keep him from reigning in Jerusalem, and he imposed on the land a fine of 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds 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 twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.
32 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his predecessors had done.
33 Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
34 Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died.
35 Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.

Cross References 2

  • 1. S Numbers 34:11; 2 Kings 25:6
  • 2. 1 Kings 8:65

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
  • [b]. That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
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