John Gill Commentary 2 Kings 23:33

"And Pharaoh-necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold." — 2 Kings 23:33 (ASV)

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 Jerome ^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 lies by Antiochia.'' 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 ;
where 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.