2 Kings 24 · Verse 17

2 Kings 24:17

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

2 Kings 24:17 in other translations

BSBThen the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
WEBThe king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s father’s brother, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
ASVAnd the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s father’s brother, king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
YLTAnd the king of Babylon causeth Mattaniah his father's brother to reign in his stead, and turneth his name to Zedekiah.
DARBYAnd the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his uncle king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
BBEAnd the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, his father's brother, king in place of Jehoiachin, changing his name to Zedekiah.
WebsterAnd the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

What does 2 Kings 24:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 24:17-19
17-19. 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 (1Ch 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
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 - See the note on 2Kgs 23:34.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 24:8-20

Jehoiachin reigned but three months, yet long enough to show that he justly smarted for his fathers' sins, for he trod in their steps. His uncle was intrusted with the government. This Zedekiah was the last of the kings of Judah. Though the judgments of God upon the three kings before him might have warned him, he did that which was evil, like them. When those intrusted with the counsels of a nation act unwisely…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 24:8-20 →

2 Kings 24:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּמְלֵ֧ךְvai.yam.Lekhand he made kingH4427
מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428
בָּבֶ֛לba.VelBabylonH894
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מַתַּנְיָ֥הma.tan.YahMattaniahH4983
דֹד֖וֹdo.Douncle hisH1730
תַּחְתָּ֑יוtach.Tavin place of himH8478
וַיַּסֵּ֥בvai.ya.Sevand he changedH5437
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שְׁמ֖וֹshe.Moname hisH8034
צִדְקִיָּֽהוּ\׃\ \פtzid.ki.Ya.huZedekiahH6667

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 24:17

  • Jeremiah 37:1

    And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

  • 2 Kings 23:34

    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.

  • 2 Chronicles 36:4

    And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

  • Jeremiah 52:1

    Zedekiah was one and twenty 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.

  • 2 Chronicles 36:10-13

    And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel.

  • 1 Chronicles 3:15-16

    And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the king.
2Ch 36:10,11; Jer 37:1; 52:1
his father's brother.He was son of Josiah, brother to Jehoiakim, and uncle of Jehoiachin.
1Ch 3:15,16; 2Ch 36:10
changed.The change of name was to shew Nebuchadnezzar's supremacy, and that Zedekiah was only his vassal or viceroy. The custom of changing names, we are assured by travellers, still exists in the East.
23:34; 2Ch 36:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 24:16

    And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

  • 2 Kings 24:17

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

  • 2 Kings 24:18

    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.

Read all of 2 Kings 24

2 Kings 24:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el rey de Babilonia puso por rey en lugar de Joachîn á Mathanías su tío, y mudóle el nombre en el de Sedecías.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le roi de Babylone établit roi, à la place de Jehoïakin, Matthania, son oncle, et lui changea son nom en celui de Sédécias.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der König von Babel machte Mattanja, Jojakins Oheim, zum König an seiner Statt und verwandelte seinen Namen in Zedekia.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et constituit Matthaniam patruum ejus pro eo: imposuitque nomen ei Sedeciam.