Jehoahaz of Judah
Summary
The seventeenth king of Judah, who reigned three months before Pharaoh Neco deposed him and carried him to Egypt, where he died, the first king of Judah to die in exile.
- The record places Jehoahaz of Judah in Divided Kingdom.
- 4 moments stand in order on this page, each with its verse.
On this page
Start here
For this is what the LORD says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who succeeded his father Josiah but has gone forth from this place: “He will never return,
Jeremiah 22:11-12→- 4 key events in order
Jehoahaz of Judah
- Role
- 17th King of Judah
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
- Dates
- 609 BC
- Tribe
- Judah
- Father
- Josiah
The life in order
from the events the row records, with the first and last verse that names the person among the passages this page stands on
1What the record holds, in its own order
- Chosen by the people2 Kings 23:30From Megiddo his servants carried his body in a chariot, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in place of his father.
- Deposed by Pharaoh Neco2 Kings 23:33And Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he could not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
- Exiled to Egypt2 Kings 23:34Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, where he died.
- Jeremiah's lamentJeremiah 22:10-12Do not weep for the dead king; do not mourn his loss. Weep bitterly for the one who is exiled, for he will never return to see his native land.
Biography
Jehoahaz, also known as Shallum, was the son of Josiah and was chosen by the people of the land to succeed his father after the shocking death at Megiddo. His three-month reign was marked by evil in God's sight. Pharaoh Neco, returning from his northern campaign, deposed him, imposed a heavy tribute of 100 talents of silver and one talent of gold on Judah, and carried Jehoahaz off to Egypt.
He installed Jehoiakim, another of Josiah's sons, as a puppet king. Jehoahaz died in Egypt, never returning to Judah. Jeremiah mourned for him, writing "Weep not for the dead, nor bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see his native land." His brief reign marks the beginning of Judah's rapid spiral into vassalage and eventual destruction.
For this is what the LORD says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who succeeded his father Josiah but has gone forth from this place: “He will never return,
What they got right, and what they got wrong
Strengths
None recorded
Weaknesses
Evil in God's sight, vulnerability to foreign domination
Lessons
Human choices of leadership cannot override divine judgment. The people chose Jehoahaz, but his evil life made him vulnerable to imperial removal. When a nation's spiritual foundation collapses, even its kings become pawns of foreign powers.
Spiritual significance
Jehoahaz represents the tragic end of an era. Chosen by the people but quickly removed by imperial power, his brief reign signals that Judah's days of national sovereignty were nearly over. His exile to Egypt foreshadows the greater exile to Babylon that would come within a generation.
Keep studying
On this page
Doorway1
Keep this page