Who is King Jehoahaz of Judah?

Quick Facts

Father: King Josiah, 2Ch 36:1
Mother: Hamutal, 2Ki 23:31
Predecessor: King Josiah, 2Ki 23:30
Succession: 17th king
Length of reign: 3 months, 2Ch 36:2
Successor: King Jehoiakim
Age when crowned: 23 years, 2Ki 23:31
Kingdom: Kingdom of Judah
Reign: 609 BC
Morality: evil, 2Ki 23:32
Place of death: Egypt
Other name: Shallum, Jer 22:11, 1Ch 3:15
Biblical history: 2Ch 36:1-4, 2Ki 23:29-34

Disambiguation

Jehoahaz becomes king of Judah

The name Jehoahaz means Jehovah-seized. Jehoahaz’s path to the throne leads to the story of his father’s tragic end. The story has it that Pharaoh Necho of Egypt was on his way to join forces with the Assyrian king to wage war against the Babylonians in Carchemish (2Ki 23:29). Then King Josiah of Judah, who had no business with them, went out to attack and make war against Pharaoh Necho. Sadly, King Josiah was killed in a battle with the Egyptians at Megiddo and was brought dead in a chariot to Jerusalem for burial (2Ki 23:28-30).

Though Jehoahaz was the fourth son of his father King Josiah, the people of the kingdom preferred him to his brothers. Therefore, they anointed him and made him king in place of his father. Jehoahaz became a king at age 23 and reigned for 3 months in Jerusalem. His mother was called Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. Unlike his father, Jehoahaz was a bad king for he forsook the Lord and practiced idolatry; hence his fall.

Now the same Pharaoh Necho who defeated his father came to capture Jehoahaz in Jerusalem. He dethroned him and sent him as a captive, first, to Riblah and then to Egypt never to return. Necho imposed it on the Kingdom of Judah to pay a tribute of 100 talents of silver and a talent of gold to Egypt. Necho also made Eliakim, the elder brother of Jehoahaz, king in place of Jehoahaz. And he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim (2Ki 23:33-34).

A prophecy by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 22:11 categorically mentioned that Jehoahaz, who was also called Shallum, would never return from his captivity in Egypt. And 2 Kings 23:34 tells us that Jehoahaz died in exile in Egypt and was buried there. (2Ki 23:34; Jer 22:11)

Major events during the reign of King Jehoahaz

  • The Assyrians and the Egyptians allied for war against the Babylonians. (2Ch 35:21)
  • Pharaoh Necho came to Jerusalem to dethrone Jehoahaz. (2Ch 36:3)

King Jehoahaz’s relationship with his contemporaries

  • There was no king of Israel during Jehoahaz’s reign since the Kingdom of Israel was in exile.
  • Pharoah Necho of Egypt was the only king mentioned during Jehoahaz’s reign. Necho dethroned and captured Jehoahaz and vassalized his kingdom to Egypt. (2Ch 36:3)

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