2 Kings 23:37

2Ki 23:37 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

Ver. 37. And he did that which was evil.] To all his former evils he added this, that he slew Urijah the prophet. {Jer 26:20; Jer 26:23}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 23:37. He did that which was evil, &c. — By idolatry, the oppression of his people, and the persecution of the prophets and other good men. For he killed the Prophet Urijah, and was at the charge to fetch him out of Egypt, whither he fled to save his life, Jer 26:20-21, &c. And if it had not been for Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, who had been a great man in his father Josiah’s courts, he would have served Jeremiah in the same manner, 2Ki 23:24. And from hence it is evident, that the reformation of the people, in general, was not sincere in the time of Josiah, but that they dissembled in obedience to the king’s command; otherwise it cannot be supposed that this young king would have immediately set at naught, and gone directly contrary to, all his father had done: but, Josiah being dead, it is likely the people threw off their mask, and showed how vehemently they were inclined to idolatry, and this young king was thereby soon induced to join with them in it.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23:37 did what was evil: The record in the book of Jeremiah characterizes Jehoiakim as a total apostate (see Jer 22:13-23; 25:1-14; 26:20-23; 36:1-32).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 37. He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord] He was a most unprincipled and oppressive tyrant. Jeremiah gives us his character at large, Jer 22:13-19, to which the reader will do well to refer. Jeremiah was at that time in the land, and was an eyewitness of the abominations of this cruel king.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Fathers, or ancestors, not his immediate father Josias, ver. 32. (Haydock) --- Joakim chose to imitate the wicked, and was not deterred by the chastisement of his brother. (Calmet) --- His character was marked with avarice and cruelty. He slew the prophet Urias, Jeremias xxii. 13., and xxvi 23. (Haydock) --- St. Matthew (i. 11.) calls him Jechonias, (Menochius) 1 Paralipomenon iii. 15.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

By idolatry, the oppression of his people, and the persecution of the prophets, and other good men, Jer 26:21; Eze 19:5-7.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. Jeremiah says of Jehoiakim,

unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbor"s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; that saith, I will build me a large house and wide chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is coiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the Lord. But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it". (Jer_22:13-17) Josephus calls him "an unjust man and an evildoer, neither pious in his relations towards God nor equitable in his dealings with his fellow men" ("Ant. Jud:," 10:5. His execution of Urijah, the son of Shemalah, for prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem, (Jer_26:20-23) was an act at once of cruelty and impiety. It is suspected (Ewald, "History of Israel," vol. 4. p. 252) that, besides reintroducing into Judah all the foreign rites extirpated by his father, he added Egyptian rites to their number. The tyranny which he practiced was likewise of an Egyptian cast, including, as it did, the exaction of forced labor from his subjects, (Jer_22:13) an old custom of thePharaohs, and it is quite possible that his "passion for building splendid and costly houses" (Ewald) was awakened by his knowledge of the magnificence which characterized the monarchs of the Saitic dynasty, who revived in Egypt the architectural glories of the Ramessides (see Herod., 2:153, 175, 176).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.