2 Kings 23 35

2 Kings 23:35 kjv

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 Pharaohnechoh.

2 Kings 23:35 nkjv

So Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give money according to the command of Pharaoh; he exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land, from every one according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necho.

2 Kings 23:35 niv

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.

2 Kings 23:35 esv

And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco.

2 Kings 23:35 nlt

In order to get the silver and gold demanded as tribute by Pharaoh Neco, Jehoiakim collected a tax from the people of Judah, requiring them to pay in proportion to their wealth.

2 Kings 23 verses

2 Kings 23 35 Meaning

This verse details King Jehoiakim's immediate act as a vassal ruler under Pharaoh Neco of Egypt. Having been installed on the throne by Neco, Jehoiakim's primary duty was to raise the tribute imposed by the Egyptian monarch. The verse explains that Jehoiakim did not use his own wealth or the royal treasury for this purpose; instead, he levied a heavy tax directly upon the people of the land, exacting the required silver and gold from every individual according to their assessed portion to satisfy Pharaoh's demand. This act underscores Judah's diminished sovereignty and the harsh economic reality facing its populace due to foreign subjugation.

2 Kings 23 35 Context

Chapter 23 of 2 Kings opens with King Josiah's widespread religious reforms, purging Judah and Israel of idolatry and reinstituting the covenant. His reign represented a peak of spiritual fidelity, yet it tragically ended at Megiddo where he was killed fighting against Pharaoh Neco (2 Kgs 23:29). Following Josiah's death, his son Jehoahaz reigned briefly but was deemed wicked by the Lord (2 Kgs 23:32) and quickly deposed by Pharaoh Neco, who took him captive to Egypt (2 Kgs 23:34). Pharaoh Neco then installed Eliakim, Josiah's other son, on the throne, changing his name to Jehoiakim. As a clear sign of Judah's new subjugated status, Pharaoh imposed a substantial tribute of silver and gold upon the kingdom (2 Kgs 23:33). Verse 35 details precisely how Jehoiakim collected this demanded payment, marking the complete economic and political subservience of Judah to Egypt. This period begins Judah's decline towards the Babylonian exile, a direct consequence of the nation's persistent sin despite Josiah's revival.

2 Kings 23 35 Word analysis

• And Jehoiakim (וַיִּתֵּן יְהוֹיָקִים, wayyitten Yehôyāqîm): "Jehoiakim" (יְהוֹיָקִים, Yehôyāqîm), meaning "YHWH raises up" or "YHWH establishes," was the name given to Eliakim by Pharaoh Neco. This name change, decided by a foreign ruler, was a powerful symbolic act of Neco's dominance and Jehoiakim's reduced status as a puppet king, completely dependent on Egyptian authority, in contrast to Josiah who asserted independence.
• gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh: This simple verb "gave" (נָתַן, natan) masks a deeper meaning of forced tribute and economic surrender. The "silver" (כֶּסֶף, kesef) and "gold" (זָהָב, zahav) represent the substantial wealth of the nation, indicating the magnitude of the economic burden placed on Judah. Pharaoh Neco represented the oppressive hand of a foreign power.
• but he taxed (מָס, mas) the land: The Hebrew term mas refers to forced labor, a levy, or tribute. This word emphasizes the compulsory nature of the payment and highlights that it was not a voluntary gift but an obligation. The burden was spread across "the land" (הָאָרֶץ, hā’āreṣ), referring to the entire territory of Judah, impacting all segments of society.
• to give the money: Reinforces the purpose of the taxation—to generate the exact funds demanded by the foreign power.
• according to the commandment (פִּי, pî, lit. "mouth of") of Pharaoh: This signifies that Jehoiakim was merely an enforcer of Pharaoh's decree. "Mouth of" indicates a direct, authoritative command, emphasizing Pharaoh Neco's absolute power over Judah and its king.
• he exacted (נָגַשׂ, nagas) the silver and the gold: The verb nagas (נָגַשׂ) carries a stronger connotation than merely "taxed." It means "to oppress," "to drive," "to collect by force," or "to harass." This word is often used in the context of Egyptian taskmasters oppressing the Israelites (Exo 3:7; 5:6). Its use here strongly implies the harsh and possibly cruel methods Jehoiakim employed in collecting the tribute, indicating that it caused significant distress among the people.
• of the people of the land (עַם הָאָרֶץ, ‘am hā’āreṣ): This phrase denotes the general populace, the common free citizens who owned land or formed the main economic base. They were the ones who directly bore the brunt of this heavy taxation, unlike previous instances where royal or temple treasuries were sometimes used first. It indicates widespread hardship across society.
• of every one according to his taxation (מַסּוֹ, masso, from mas): This specifies that the tax was individual and proportional, or based on an assessment of individual capacity or property. Even with a proportional assessment, the sheer volume of the tribute made it a crushing burden, falling upon each household and person according to their assessed worth, which they were now compelled to surrender.
• to give it unto Pharaoh Neco: A clear reiteration of the final destination and purpose of the collected wealth—to satiate the demands of Judah's Egyptian overlord. This phrase concludes the cycle of forced subjugation, illustrating Judah's lack of true self-governance.

• Jehoiakim gave... to Pharaoh: Highlights the immediate subservience and the act of financial transfer.
• taxed the land to give the money: Emphasizes the method of acquiring the funds—through national levy, revealing Judah's economic vulnerability and the king's oppressive policy.
• according to the commandment of Pharaoh: Shows the chain of command, with Pharaoh Neco dictating terms to his puppet king, underscoring Judah's loss of political autonomy.
• exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation: This phrase reveals the precise recipients of the burden – the common people. The use of "exacted" alongside "taxation" denotes the severe, forced, and perhaps burdensome nature of the collection, highlighting the economic distress and social injustice during Jehoiakim's rule, a stark contrast to Josiah's righteous governance.

2 Kings 23 35 Bonus section

• The tribute demanded by Pharaoh Neco was 100 talents of silver and 1 talent of gold (2 Kgs 23:33). A talent was approximately 75 pounds (about 34 kg), making it a massive sum for the agrarian economy of Judah. This quantity represents several tons of precious metals, an extraordinary financial strain.
• The contrast between Jehoiakim collecting the tribute by taxing the common "people of the land" and Hezekiah drawing from the Temple and royal treasuries (2 Kgs 18:14-16) suggests Jehoiakim's greater self-interest, lack of access to significant royal funds after Josiah's death, or increased desperation under a stricter Egyptian rule. The burden falls squarely and heavily on the ordinary citizens.
• This act of tribute fulfills the curses outlined in Deuteronomy, where God warned that if Israel did not obey Him, a foreign nation would "eat the fruit of your livestock and the produce of your ground until you are destroyed" (Deut 28:33), and they would "serve your enemies" in hunger and nakedness (Deut 28:48). The payment of tribute here is a clear manifestation of this covenant curse.
• Jehoiakim's actions directly contradict the righteous leadership exemplified by Josiah, revealing a quick spiritual and political deterioration within Judah, just a short time after profound revival. This rapid backsliding illustrates the deep-seated idolatry and disobedience prevalent in the nation despite the best efforts of a godly king.

2 Kings 23 35 Commentary

2 Kings 23:35 provides a stark image of Judah's swift decline and subjugation after Josiah's reign. It depicts Jehoiakim, now renamed and appointed by a foreign king, actively participating in the economic exploitation of his own people to appease his Egyptian overlord. This act of "taxing" and "exacting" highlights Jehoiakim's oppressive rule, focusing on how he compelled the common people to pay a substantial tribute. This economic drain was not an internal choice but an externally imposed consequence of Judah's shifting political landscape and, ultimately, God's judgment upon a consistently rebellious nation. The verse implicitly underscores the moral failure of Jehoiakim, who prioritized his subservience to Pharaoh over the welfare of his own populace, foreshadowing the social and spiritual decay that characterized his reign, contrasting sharply with the just governance of his father, Josiah. The severe burden laid upon the 'people of the land' points to a wider societal suffering caused by ungodly leadership and divine discipline.