References (8)
In his [Josiah's] days, Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, went up against the king of Assyria to the Euphrates River. Then King Josiah went out against him [Necho], but was killed by him at Megiddo as soon as he saw him. [In 2 Chron. 35:20-27, it is recounted how Josiah disguised himself in battle and was struck by an arrow from an archer in the Pass of Megiddo.]
And Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath, so that he could not reign in Jerusalem, and imposed a fine (penalty) on the land of 100 talents [3.4 tons] of silver and 1 talent [34 kg] of gold.
And Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim, the son of Josiah, king in place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim (Hebr. Jehojaqim). And he took Jehoahaz away and brought him to Egypt, where he died.
[Eljakim means "God (El) rises up" and Jehoiakim means "The Lord (Yahweh) rises up". There is no significant difference in the meaning of the names. It was not unusual for the power that conquered another country to also give people new names, see ; ; ; ; . Apparently, Necho does the same thing here.]
And Jehoiakim (Hebr. Jehojaqim) gave silver and gold to Pharaoh. But he taxed the land to give silver according to Pharaoh's command. He demanded the silver and gold from the people of the land, from every man according to his ability to pay, to give it to Pharaoh Necho.
[The story now moves from the reform of 622 to the death of Josiah in 609 BC. After all this, when Josiah had put the temple in order, the king of Egypt, Necho, went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates. Josiah went out against him.]
But instead of turning back and leaving him alone, Josiah disguised himself and went out to fight him, ignoring Necho's words, which came from the mouth of God. They clashed in the Pass of Megiddo.
And the king of Egypt made his brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim (Hebr. Jehojaqim). But Necho took his brother Jehoahaz with him and brought him to Egypt.
To Egypt. Concerning Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, whose army is by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah (Hebr. Joshijahos), king of Judah.
