2 Kings 24:17

ZEDEKIAH'S EVIL REIGN. (Kg2 24:17-20)

the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, his father's brother, king in his stead--Adhering to his former policy of maintaining a show of monarchy, Nebuchadnezzar appointed the third and youngest son of Josiah (Ch1 3:15), full brother of Jehoahaz, and uncle of the captive Jehoiachin. But, according to the custom of conquerors, who changed the names of the great men they took captives in war, in token of their supremacy, he gave him the new name of

Zedekiah--that is, "The righteous of God." This being a purely Hebrew name, it seems that he allowed the puppet king to choose his own name, which was confirmed. His heart towards God was the same as that of Jehoiakim, impenitent and heedless of God's word.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

2Ki 24:17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

Ver. 17. And the king of Babylon had made Mattaniah.] His name signifieth God’s gift, the same as Nathanael, Theodore, Diodate. Good Josiah gave all his children good names but they proved all stark naught.

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 24:17. And changed his name to Zedekiah — That he might admonish him of (what his name signifies) the justice of God, which had so severely punished Jehoiakim for his rebellion; and would no less certainly overtake him, if he should be guilty of the same perfidiousness.

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

24:17 Like the three kings before him, Mattaniah received a throne name, Zedekiah. • Jehoiachin’s uncle: See 1 Chr 3:15-16.

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

Verse 17. Made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead] He was the son of Josiah, and brother to Jehoiakim.

Changed his name to Zedekiah.] 2Kg 23:34.

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

(17) Mattaniah his father’s brother.—He was the third son of Josiah (comp. Jer_1:3; Jer_37:1), and full brother of Jehoahaz-Shallum (2Ki_23:31). Jehoiachin was childless at the time (comp. 2Ki_24:12; 2Ki_24:15 with 2Ki_25:7 and Jer_22:30). In the exile he had offspring (1Ch_3:17-18). (The LXX. reads, his son, υἱὸν, a corruption of θεῖον, uncle).

And changed his name to Zedekiah.—His former name meant “gift of Jah;” his new one, “Jah is righteousness” (or “myrighteousness”). The prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer_23:1-9), denouncing “the shepherds that destroy and scatter the flock” and promising a future king, whose name shall be “Jehovah is our righteousness” (lahweh çidgçnu), evidently refers to the delusive expectations connected with Zedekiah’s elevation. Nebuchadnezzar’s act of clemency in putting another native prince on the throne may have been the execution of a promise made at the surrender of the city.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. Mattaniah] He was the brother of Jehoiakim, and as we gather from 1Ch_3:15, he was Josiah’s third son. He is wrongly called ‘the brother’ of Jehoiachin, 2Ch_36:10, unless we accept the word translated ‘brother’ for some general term of relationship and render it ‘kinsman’. Thus Lot is called Abraham’s brother, Gen_14:16 and Bethuel also in Gen_24:48. So also in 2Ki_10:13 ‘the brethren of Ahaziah were not all that king’s brothers’. On the changing of names of persons taken captive or placed in some position of subjection see note on 2Ki_23:34.

Zedekiah] Both this name and Mattaniah have Jah = Jehovah for their termination. We may therefore suppose that the choice of his new name was left to the Jewish king. Mattan-jah = gift of Jehovah; Zedek-jah, righteousness of Jehovah.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mattaniah, son of Josiah and brother of Jehoahaz, but thirteen years his junior, adopted a name significant of the blessings promised by Jeremiah to the reign of a king whose name should be “Yahweh, our righteousness” Jer 23:5-8.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Uncle, the third son of Josias, who was placed on the throne. (Haydock) --- The eldest, (Menochius) called Johanan, seems to have died in his youth. (Calmet) --- Sedecias means, "the justice of God," (Tirinus) as Nabuchodonosor had adjured him, or made him swear by God; (2 Paralipomenon xxxvi. 15.; Haydock) and thus insinuated, that, if he proved faithless, he should feel the effects of God’s justice, as it happened. (Tirinus)

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).

That he might admonish him of (what this name signifies)

the justice of God, which had so severely punished Jehoiakim for his rebellion; and would no less certainly overtake him, if he should be guilty of the same rebellion and perfidiousness of which his predecessor was guilty.

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

17. His father’s brother — He was half-brother to Jehoiakim, but own brother to Jehoahaz. Compare 2Ki_24:18 with 2Ki_23:31; 2Ki_23:36.

Changed his name — See note on 2Ki_23:34.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 17-20. EARLIER PORTION OF ZEDEKIAH"S REIGN. Nebuchadnezzar found a son of Josiah, named Mattaniah, still surviving at Jerusalem. At his father"s death he must have been a boy of ten, but he was now, eleven years later, of the age of twenty-one. This youth, only three years older than his nephew Jehoiachin, he appointed king, at the same time requiring him to change his name, which he did from "Mattaniah" to "Zedekiah" (ver. 17). Zedekiah pursued nearly the same course of action as the other recent kings. He showed no religious zeal, instituted no reform, but allowed the idolatrous practices, to which the people were so addicted, to continue (ver. 19). Though less irreligious and less inclined to persecute than Jehoiakim, he could not bring himself to turn to God. He was weak and vacillating, inclined to follow the counsels of Jeremiah, but afraid of the "princes," and ultimately took their advice, which was to ally himself with Egypt, and openly rebel against Nebuchadnezzar. This course of conduct brought about the destruction of the nation (ver. 29). And the King of Babylon made Mattaniah his father"s brother king in his stead. Josiah had four sons (1Ch_3:15) Johanan, the eldest, who probably died before his father; Jehoiakim, or Eliakim, the second, who was twenty-five years old at his father"s death; (2Ki_23:36) Jehoahaz, the third, otherwise called Shallum (1 Chronicles, l.s.c. ; (Jer_22:11) who, when his father died, was aged twenty-three; (2Ki 32) and Mattaniah, the youngest, who must have been then aged ten or nine. It was this fourth son, now grown to manhood, whom Nebuchadnezzar appointed king in Jehoiachin"s room. And changed his name to Zedekiah. (On the practice of changing a king"s name on his accession, see the comment upon 2Ki_23:31, 2Ki_23:34) Mat-lab means "Gift of Jehovah;" Zedekiah, "Righteousness of Jehovah." Josiah had called his son the first of these names in humble acknowledgment of God"s mercy in granting him a fourth son. So other pious Jews called their sons "Nathaniel," and Greeks "Theodotus" or "Theodorus," and Romans "Deodatua." Mattaniah, in taking the second of the names, may have had in his mind the prophecy of Jer_23:5-8, where blessings are promised to the reign of a king whose name should be Jehovah-Tsidkenu," i.e. "The Lord our Righteousness." Or he may simply have intended to declare that "the righteousness of Jehovah" was what he aimed at establishing. In this case it can only be said that it would have been happy for his country, had his professions been corroborated by his acts.

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

Zedekiah - That he might admonish him of (what this name signifies) the justice of God, which had so severely punished Jehoiakim for his rebellion; and would no less certainly overtake him, if he should be guilty of the same perfidiousness.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Over the lower classes of the people who had been left behind Nebuchadnezzar placed the paternal uncle of the king, who had been led away, viz., Mattaniah, and made him king under the name of Zedekiah. He was the youngest son of Josiah (Jer 1:3; Jer 37:1); was only ten years old when his father died, and twenty-one years old when he ascended the throne; and as the uncle of Jehoiachin, who being only a youth of eighteen could not have a son capable of reigning, had the first claim to the throne. Instead of דּדו, his uncle, we have in Ch2 36:10 אהיו, his brother, i.e., his nearest relation. On the change in the name see at Kg2 23:34. The name צדקיּהוּ, i.e., he who has Jehovah's righteousness, was probably chosen by Mattaniah in the hope that through him or in his reign the Lord would create the righteousness promised to His people.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Zedekiah Begins his Rule

v. 17. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, his father’s brother, a third son of Josiah, king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah ("the righteousness of Jehovah," he by whom Jehovah executes justice).

v. 18. Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. Cf 2Ki 23:31.

v. 19. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done, thus fulfilling Judah’s measure of iniquity.

v. 20. For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until He had cast them out from His presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. The final execution of the Lord’s judgment took place in his reign, the rebellion which took place in the seventh or eighth year of Zedekiah’s reign being merely the occasion which brought on the catastrophe. If all efforts to gain the hearts by admonition and reproof prove futile, the Lord at last delivers men into the judgment which their sin deserves.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And changed his name to Tzidkiyohu. May God justify the judgment upon you if you rebel against me.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.