2 Kings 23:33
And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath,.... Places in Syria; Hamath was formerly a kingdom in Syria, and Riblah is said by Jerom {c} to be Antioch of Syria, near to which was the fountain of Daphne; and in the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem on Numbers 34:11. Daphne is put for Riblah; and Josephus {d} says Antioch was by Daphne of Syria; and in the Apocrypha:
"Which when Onias knew of a surety, he reproved him, and withdrew himself into a sanctuary at Daphne, that lieth by Antiochia.'' (2 Maccabees 4:33)
Daphne is said to be by Antioch; with which place Pompey was greatly delighted, because of the pleasantness of it, and the abundance of waters about it {e}: hither, it is probable, Jehoahaz went with an army to avenge his father's death on the king of Egypt, or to assist the king of Babylon, or both; and here Pharaoh met with him, and took him, and bound him; he seems to be of a martial spirit, from Ezekiel 19:3
that he might not reign in Jerusalem; whither afterwards the king of Egypt came, and took it; and so Herodotus {f} says that after he had conquered the Syrians at Migdol, he took Cadytis, a great city of Syria, which seems to be Jerusalem, the holy city;
and put the land to a tribute of one hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold; the land of Judah; and one hundred talents, according to Bunting {g}, amounted to 37,500 pounds of our money; and a talent of gold, according to Brerewood {h}, was 4,500 pounds; but Bishop Cumberland {i} makes it 5,067 pounds, three shillings, and ten pence; a talent of gold could not be so large in Homer's time, since he speaks of seven of them given at once in a way of hospitality {k}.
{c} Comment. in Ezekiel. xlvii. fol. 261. C.
{d} Antiqu. l. 17. c. 2. sect. 3.
{e} Rufi Fest. Breviar. Eutrop. Hist. Rom. l. 6.
{f} Ut supra. (Chronic. Secil. 18. p. 568.)
{g} Ut supra, (Travels, &c.) p. 288.
{h} De Ponder & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4.
{i} Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 4. p. 21.
{k} Odyss. 9. ver. 258. & Odyss. 24. ver. 321.