36:11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. 3 36:12 He did evil in the sight of 4 the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, the Lord’s spokesman. 36:13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him vow allegiance 5 in the name of God. He was stubborn and obstinate, and refused to return 6 to the Lord God of Israel.
1 tn Heb “sent and brought him.”
2 tn Heb “and he made Zedekiah his brother king.” According to the parallel text in 2 Kgs 24:17, Zedekiah was Jehoiachin’s uncle, not his brother. Therefore many interpreters understand אח here in its less specific sense of “relative” (NEB “made his father’s brother Zedekiah king”; NASB “made his kinsman Zedekiah king”; NIV “made Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, king”; NRSV “made his brother Zedekiah king”).
3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
4 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
5 tn Or “made him swear an oath.”
6 tn Heb “and he stiffened his neck and strengthened his heart from returning.”