Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 36:4
Then Neco king of Egypt made Eliakim brother of Jehoahaz king over Judah and Jerusalem, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records Pharaoh Neco’s political intervention in Judah immediately after deposing Jehoahaz and demanding tribute. The event occurs in Jerusalem as a direct administrative act following Egyptian military victory.
The words — וַיַּמְלֵךְ (va.yam.lekh) translates literally as “and he made king,” and מִצְרַיִם (Mitzrayim) means “Egypt.” These terms mark the formal transfer of royal authority and the destination of the captured prince.
The thread — This succession and exile run parallel to 2 Kings 23:34 and the royal genealogy in 1 Chronicles 3:15, while Jeremiah 22:10 later notes the exiled prince’s permanent absence.
Why it lands — The text establishes that foreign empires now dictate Judah’s monarchy, removing the deposed king and installing a name-changed vassal under Egyptian oversight.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 22:10 Do not weep for him who is dead; do not mourn his loss. Weep bitterly for him who is exiled, for he will never return to see his native land.
- 2 Kings 23:34 Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, where he died.
- 1 Chronicles 3:15 The sons of Josiah: Johanan was the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second, Zedekiah the third, and Shallum the fourth.
- Ezekiel 19:3 She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men.