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
In the biblical narrative, Jehoiakim was installed as king of Judah by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt after the death of his father, Josiah, who had been defeated in battle. This occurred during a period of political instability when Judah was under Egyptian influence, forcing tribute payments to maintain peace. To fulfill Pharaoh's demands, Jehoiakim imposed taxes on his people, highlighting the burdens of foreign domination on the nation.
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