2 Kings 23 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

In this chapter, the author concludes the story of Josiah, and he then continues to tell what the kings were like who ruled the kingdom of Judah. 1. King Josiah of Judah (22:1–23:30) 2. King Jehoahaz of Judah (23:31–35) 3. King Jehoiakim of Judah (23:36–24:7)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Why did Neco not want Jehoahaz to be king?

Pharaoh Neco removed Jehoahaz from being the king of Judah because, for one thing, he wanted to show that he was the one who was in control of that kingdom. By picking the next king himself and changing his name, Neco was telling the Judeans, “You must not make your own king without my permission.” Neco also may have believed that Jehoahaz would have been a stronger and more independent ruler, so he made his brother Eliakim the king instead. This was Neco’s way of making sure Judah stayed weak and under his rule.

How did Jehoahaz get to Riblah?

The Bible does not say exactly how Jehoahaz got to Riblah, where Pharaoh Neco put him in prison. Some interpreters suggest that Neco summoned Jehoahaz and so Jehoahaz went to Riblah by himself, hoping to show respect or obedience to Pharaoh. Others suggest that Pharaoh Neco’s soldiers captured Jehoahaz and brought him to Riblah as a prisoner because Neco had ordered them to do that. Either way, Jehoahaz appeared before Neco at Riblah, in the region of Hamath, where Neco deposed him as king and made him his prisoner.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

The Mount of Destruction

In 23:13, when the author refers to the “Mount of Destruction,” he is making a word play on the name of that mountain. Because olive trees grew there, and because olive oil was used for anointing, it was known as the Mount of Anointing. The author changes one vowel and an “h” to a “th” in the word for “anointing” to get a word that means “destruction.” He is calling the mountain by that name in order to emphasize that the corrupt worship represented by the pagan shrines that Solomon built there led to the destruction of the kingdom. If you have decided to use the same names that the author does in each place in the book, you may want to say “the Mount of Destruction” in your translation. However, since it is difficult to translate a play on words in one language into another language, you may want to call this mountain by its familiar name, the Mount of Olives, so that your readers will know that the author is referring to that mountain near Jerusalem. You could explain in a footnote what name the biblical author uses in Hebrew.