Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Kings 23:35-37

"And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaoh-necoh. Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother`s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done." — 2 Kings 23:35-37 (ASV)

THE REIGN OF JEHOIAKIM (2 Kings 23:24–35:7).

And Jehoiakim gave. — And the silver and the gold did Jehoiakim give ... He had to pay for his elevation. The raising of the fine from 2 Kings 23:33 is described in this verse.

But he taxed ... — The king kept his pledge to Pharaoh, but not out of his own means. He exacted the money from “the people of the land,” that is, the people of all classes, levying a fixed contribution even upon the poorest of his subjects. As in 2 Kings 11:14, 2 Kings 14:21, and 2 Kings 21:24, Thenius insists that “the people of the land” are the national militia, and he renders it: “he exacted the silver and the gold, along with (that is, by the help of) the people of the land.” But this is, to say the least, very questionable. (See Note on 2 Kings 11:14.)

He reigned eleven years. — Not eleven full years. (Compare Jeremiah 25:1 with 2 Kings 24:12; and Jeremiah 3:0 with 2 Kings 25:8.)

His mother’s name was Zebudah. — So the Hebrew margin and Targum. The Hebrew text, Syriac, Vulgate, and Arabic have Zebidah. Zebadiah may have been the real name. The mother of Jehoahaz was Hamutal (2 Kings 23:31). Thus Josiah had at least two wives, and probably more. (Compare 2 Kings 24:15.) He could not have been over fourteen when he fathered Jehoiakim.

Rumah. — Perhaps Arumah, near Shechem (Judges 9:41), as Josephus has Abumah. This is interesting as a slight indication that Josiah’s power extended over the territory of the former kingdom of Samaria.

He did that which was evil ... — Jeremiah represents him as luxurious, covetous, and violent (Jeremiah 22:13 and following). He murdered Urijah a prophet (Jeremiah 26:20 and following). Ewald thinks that he introduced Egyptian animal-worship (Ezekiel 8:7 and following), which is rendered highly probable by his relation of dependence on Necho. (Compare the introduction of Assyrian star-worship under Ahaz.)