2 Kings 23:34
in 2 Kings 23Then 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim: but he took Jehoahaz away; and he came to Egypt, and died there.
KJV
And Pharaoh–nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.
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This verse in 2 Kings 23
Commentary
9 notes on this verseJehoahaz, also called Shalom, reigned three months until the Egyptians came back from Mabboug. At that stage [Pharaoh] enchained him and brought him to Egypt. So [Jehoahaz] left his country and never came back, according to the prophecy that Jeremiah had spoken against him. Pharaoh …
This site's exposition
imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land
on 2 Kings 23:33-35
Pharaoh Neco imprisons Jehoahaz and imposes on Judah "a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold". He makes Eliakim king and "changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim", which Wesley reads as the conqueror's claim of dominion, the gesture given to conquered vassals.
This site's exposition
Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim
Eliakim means God will raise up, and Jehoiakim puts the name YHWH in place of El, as Adam Clarke and Albert Barnes explain. Barnes notes that Neco made him king in place of his father Josiah. In that reading, Egypt never counted Jehoahaz as king.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Jehoiakim - The giving of names was accounted an act of dominion; which therefore parents did to their children, and conquerors to their vassals or tributaries.
This Jehoahaz is that young lion whom Ezekiel speaks of in his lamentation for the princes of Israel, that learnt to catch the prey and devour men (that was the evil which he did in the sight of the Lord); but the nations heard of him, he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains into the land of Egypt, Ezek. xix.
3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the L ORD , to walk after the L ORD , and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:93%@v3
And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Turned his name to Jehoiakim - These names are precisely the same in signification: Eliakim is God shall arise; Jehoiakim, Jehovah shall arise; or, the resurrection of God; the resurrection of Jehovah. That is, God’s rising again to show his power, justice, etc. The change of the name was to show Nechoh’s supremacy, and that Jehoiakim was only his vassal or viceroy.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
In the room of Josiah his father - Not “in the room of Jehoahaz his brother;” the phrase is intended to mark the fact, that Neco did not acknowedge that Jehoahaz had ever been king. Turned his name to Jehoiakim - Compare 2Ki 23:30 and 2Ki 24:17. It seems likely, from their purely Jewish character, that the new names of the Jewish kings, though formally imposed by the suzerain, were selected by the individuals themselves. The change now made consisted merely in the substitution of יהוה yehovâh for אל 'êl (“God, Yahweh, will set up”). Both names alike refer to the promise which God made to David 2Sa 7:12 and imply a hope that, notwithstanding the threats of the prophets, the seed of David would still be allowed to remain upon the throne.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּמְלֵךְ֩ | vaiyamlekh | and he made king | H4427 → | 348 times |
| פַּרְעֹ֨ה | paroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| נְכֹ֜ה | nekhoh | Necho | H5224 → | 8 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶלְיָקִ֣ים | ʾelyakim | Eliakim | H471 → | 12 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יֹאשִׁיָּ֗הוּ | yoshiyahu | Josiah | H2977 → | 53 times |
| תַּ֚חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ | yoshiyahu | Josiah | H2977 → | 53 times |
| אָבִ֔יו | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וַיַּסֵּ֥ב | vaiyasev | and he changed | H5437 → | 161 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁמ֖וֹ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| יְהוֹיָקִ֑ים | yehoyakim | Jehoiakim | H3079 → | 37 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוֹאָחָ֣ז | yehoachaz | Jehoahaz | H3059 → | 20 times |
| לָקָ֔ח | lakach | he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֥א | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מִצְרַ֖יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וַיָּ֥מָת | vaiyamot | and he died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וַיַּמְלֵךְ֩and he made king
vaiyamlekhH4427 →348 times
פַּרְעֹ֨הPharaoh
parohH6547 →274 times
נְכֹ֜הNecho
nekhohH5224 →8 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֶלְיָקִ֣יםEliakim
ʾelyakimH471 →12 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
יֹאשִׁיָּ֗הוּJosiah
yoshiyahuH2977 →53 times
תַּ֚חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּJosiah
yoshiyahuH2977 →53 times
אָבִ֔יוfather his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
וַיַּסֵּ֥בand he changed
vaiyasevH5437 →161 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁמ֖וֹname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
יְהוֹיָקִ֑יםJehoiakim
yehoyakimH3079 →37 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
יְהוֹאָחָ֣זJehoahaz
yehoachazH3059 →20 times
לָקָ֔חhe took
lakachH3947 →966 times
וַיָּבֹ֥אand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
מִצְרַ֖יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וַיָּ֥מָתand he died
vaiyamotH4191 →839 times
שָֽׁם׃there
shamH8033 →834 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 1:7The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
it leads to
- Daniel 5:12
did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon…
- Daniel 4:8
But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:
- Daniel 2:49
And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.
- Daniel 1:3
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring in some Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—
- 2 Kings 24:17
Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
- Daniel 5:12
Through
2 Kings 24:17Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 37:1
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah son of Josiah the king of Judah, and he reigned in place of Coniah son of Jehoiakim.
- 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.
- 1 Chronicles 3:15–16
The sons of Josiah: Johanan was the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second, Zedekiah the third, and Shallum the fourth.
- Jeremiah 37:1
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Kings

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonLate monarchyJosiahThe boy-king who found the book of the law in the temple, tore his clothes, and led Judah's last great reformation and Passover be…
- PlaceThe NileEgyptThe land where Joseph rose, where Israel grew into a nation in bondage, where the Passover lamb was slain and the sea opened, and…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 2 KINGS 23:31; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
