2 Kings 24:18

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Kings 24:18 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “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 the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

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.
2 Kings 24:18 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Kings 24

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
18Zedekiah 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.

What do historical commentaries say?

Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“24:18-20 Zedekiah’s reign of eleven years in Jerusalem (597–586 BC) mirrored Jehoiakim’s evil reign (23:36-37). The Lord was judging Jerusalem and Judah for their sins (see 17:19; 20:16-17; 21:12-15; 22:15-20; 23:26-27). • Zedekiah rebelled: Zedekiah’s rebellion may coincide with an anti-Babylonian alliance spearheaded by Pharaoh Apries of Egypt. When Apries became king of Egypt in about 589 BC, he cherished hopes of recovering Egypt’s past glory. Zedekiah appears to have placed his confidence in him (cp. Ezek 17:15-18). Nevertheless, like earlier kings (2 Kgs 17:4; 24:1-3), Zedekiah learned that Egypt would be of little help (cp. 18:20-21; Jer 37:3-10; Ezek 29:6-7).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“am 3405-3416, bc 599-588 Zedekiah: Ch2 36:11; Jer 37:1, Jer 52:1-11 Hamutal: Kg2 23:31 4 Kings (2 Kings) 24:19”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“(Note: To this section the historical appendix to the book of Jeremiah (Jer 52) furnishes a parallel, which agrees with it for the most part word for word, omitting only the short account of the murder of Gedaliah and of the flight of the people to Egypt ( Kg2 25:22-26), and adding instead a computation of the number of the people who were led away to Babel by Nebuchadnezzar ( Jer 52:28-30). Apart from the less important variations, which have arisen in part simply from copyists' errors, we have in Jer 52:18, and especially in Jer 52:21 and Jer 52:22, by no means unimportant notices concerning the vessels of the temple, especially concerning the ornaments of the brazen pillars, which do not…”
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Sources and verification