Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king …: Made … king is literally “caused to rule.” Eliakim/Jehoiakim was “appointed … king” (New American Bible, Contemporary English Version) by King Neco of Egypt to whom he would be responsible. Since Joahaz ruled for only three months, the writer felt it permissible to say that Jehoiakim ruled in the place of Josiah his father although he actually succeeded his brother Joahaz. In order to show that Jehoiakim’s predecessor was also a son of Josiah, some modern versions translate the son of Josiah as “another son of Josiah” (New Living Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Notice, however, that the mother of Joahaz was Hamutal (verse 31), but the mother of Jehoiakim was Zebidah (verse 36).

Changed his name to Jehoiakim: The significance of the name change from Eliakim to Jehoiakim is unclear since the meanings of the two names in Hebrew are almost the same. Eliakim means “whom God sets firm” while Jehoiakim means “whom Yahweh sets firm.” Perhaps Neco gave a new name to Eliakim to show his power over his new vassal ruler. Translators should make it clear that it was Neco who changed the name and not Eliakim himself.

But he took Jehoahaz away; and he came to Egypt, and died there: See Jeremiah’s message concerning this in Jer 22.11-12. When the text says that he came to Egypt, it is almost certainly talking about Joahaz and not Neco, although they both undoubtedly arrived in Egypt at more or less the same time. Joahaz was taken away to Egypt as a prisoner, and it was there that he died. The Septuagint says that “he took him to Egypt,” in which case the subject of the verb “took” is Neco. New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, La Bible Pléiade, and Osty-Trinquet follow the Septuagint here, but since the Masoretic Text makes sense, there is no need to follow the Greek. The meaning is not much different, however, whether one follows the Masoretic Text or the Septuagint since Joahaz did not go voluntarily to Egypt.

In the Hebrew text the writer states in verse 33 that Joahaz was taken as a prisoner to the city of Riblah, and then in verse 34 the writer adds that Joahaz was taken to Egypt. The first edition of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch combines verses 33-34 in order to reorder this information as follows:

• Pharaoh Neco took him captive to Riblah in the province of Hamath and brought his reign to an end. He then took him with him to Egypt, where he later died. In his place he put Eliakim, another son of Josiah, as successor to his father as king and changed his name to Jehoiakim.
The land had to pay as tribute to Pharaoh 3,500 kilograms of silver and 35 kilograms of gold.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .