And Josias begat Jechonias
This Jechonias is the same with Jehoiakim, the son of Josias, called so by Pharaohnecho, when he made him king, whose name before was Eliakim, ( 2 Kings 23:34 ) begat of Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah, ( 2 Kings 23:36 ) .
and his brethren.
These were Johanan, Zedekiah, and Shallum. Two of them were kings, one reigned before him, viz. Shallum, who is called Jehoahaz, ( 2 Kings 23:30 ) compared with ( Jeremiah 22:11 Jeremiah 22:12 ) , the other, viz. Zedekiah, called before Mattaniah, reigned after his son Jehoiakim: these being both kings, is the reason why his brethren are mentioned; as well as to distinguish him from Jechonias in the next verse; who does not appear to have had any brethren: these were
about the time they were carried away to Babylon,
which is not to be connected with the word "begat": for Josiah did not beget Jeconiah and his brethren at that time, for he had been dead some years before; nor with Jechonias, for he never was carried away into Babylon, but died in Judea, and slept with his fathers, ( 2 Kings 24:6 ) but with the phrase "his brethren": and may be rendered thus, supposing (touv) understood, "which were at", or "about the carrying away to Babylon", or the Babylonish captivity.