Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land in order to meet Pharaoh's tribute. He exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, according to their assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco — Jehoiakim, as Egyptian vassal, levies heavy taxation on the populace to meet foreign tribute demands. This pattern—king as tax-collector for foreign powers—characterizes the final period before exile.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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