And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaohnechoh.
Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, but he had to tax his own land to get the money that Pharaoh demanded. He collected silver and gold from all the people of the land, each person paying according to what they were assessed, so he could give it to Pharaoh Necho.
This verse shows King Jehoiakim being forced to heavily tax his own people to pay tribute money to the Egyptian Pharaoh who controlled him.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred around 609 BC when Egypt controlled Judah after defeating King Josiah at the Battle of Megiddo. Pharaoh Necho had placed Jehoiakim on the throne as a puppet king, demanding heavy tribute payments. This taxation would have been a severe burden on the already struggling people of Judah.
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