Jehoahaz in the Bible often goes by another name: Ahaziah. Not that this will make him any easier to identify.
There are in fact three people in the Bible who go by the name Jehoahaz. Each spent time as a king of a different kingdom—two over Judah and one over Israel.
If the name doesn’t ring any bells, don’t fret. There are so many kings over Israel, and neither one of these kings appeared to do anything that would solidify them in our memories. That said, we can still learn something from every person in the Bible—notable or not. Let’s explore the three men named Jehoahaz (one of them also known as Ahaziah) today.
Who Was Jehoahaz, Son of Jehoram?
This is perhaps the most notable of the Jehoahazes (this one also went by the name Ahazaiah, and sometimes Azariah, depending on your translation).
He gets elected king because, well, all his brothers had been brutally murdered by raiders (2 Chronicles 22). Unfortunately, he didn’t have a great role model as a father. Scripture tells us that Jehoram followed in the ways of Israel’s kings. And if you don’t already know this, that’s not a compliment.
The northern kingdom of Israel didn’t have a single good king. Not one good egg. So when Jehoram follows in their footsteps, he meets an untimely end.
Ahaziah (Jehoahaz) takes the throne at 22, and unfortunately, he doesn’t do better than his father. He has an evil mother named Athaliah (the daughter of Ahab) who sways him to go wayward.
You probably have heard the name Ahab. Jehoahaz was his grandson.
He allies with his uncle, Joram, to fight Hazael, the king of Aram at the time.
Jehoahaz goes to meet with Joram, Ahab’s son. It seems he has bad timing because the meeting occurs when God is executing judgment on Ahab’s house. Jehoahaz gets caught in the crossfire and ends up being executed.
This Jehoahaz seems to serve as a cautionary tale about the friends we keep. Had he not allied with Ahab’s family in this way, he wouldn’t have been caught in the judgments, executed by a man named Jehu.
Who Was Jehoahaz, son of Jehu?
Funnily enough, this king of Israel appeared to have some crossover in the life of the other Jehoahaz (sometimes known as Azariah). He ruled a different kingdom—Azariah in the south and Jehoahaz in the north.
Unfortunately, this Jehoahaz wasn’t any better than the other.
He followed in the ways of the kings of Israel—well, being a king of Israel himself. He does seem to rule a little longer than the other Jehoahaz—seventeen years.
Still, because this Jehoahaz followed in his father’s sinful footsteps, God allowed Hazael to rule over Israel for part of this king’s reign.
Interestingly, although this king was evil, we see him turning to the Lord. It’s reminiscent of the time of the Judges. Israel would end up under an enemy, and then they’d cry out to the Lord. The same thing appears to happen here.
God hears Jehoahaz’s cries and sends a “deliverer” (2 Kings 13).
Sadly, even after they escape their enemy’s grasp, the Israelites don’t turn from their ways. They continue to worship foreign gods, including hosting an Asherah pole.
This Jehoahaz doesn’t appear to do anything else notable during his reign.
This king serves as a reminder that he often hears us when we cry out to God—even in the midst of sin. Sin ensnares, much like the enemies of Israel. Despite our actions, God hears us and has provided a deliverer.
Who Was Jehoahaz, Son of Josiah?
You’ve probably heard of Josiah. Why? Because he was one of the good kings of Judah—one of the few and far between.
Unlike the previous two, this Jehoahaz seemed to have a good father figure in his life.
Jehoahaz steps onto the throne at the age of 23. And unfortunately, despite all his father’s efforts, he does evil. He attempts to undo all the work that King Josiah did.
So, like Jehoahaz number two, God decides to let a foreign power take over. A Pharaoh by the name of Necho takes this Jehoahaz captive. Pharaoh Necho also places a king he wants on the throne—a man named Jehoiakim.
That name probably doesn’t ring any bells, but what you should know about Jehoiakim is that he brings about the southern kingdom’s fall to the Babylonians. The Israelites will go into captivity for 70 years while Jerusalem falls into ruin.
And to think that all of this could have been prevented had this Jehoiakim followed in his father’s footsteps.
This king can show us that even good parents can have wayward kids. I imagine Josiah was rolling in his grave at the thought of all his son attempted to undo when he’d brought reform into his kingdom decades before.
What Can We Learn from Jehoahaz in the Bible?
It’s quite sad that everyone named Jehoahaz in the Bible ends up being rotten. You’d think we’d get at least one good apple out of three. With that said, we can glean a lot from the lives of these three men. Let’s break it down, man by man.
What Can We Learn from Jehoahaz, Son of Jehoram?
Azariah teaches us about the value of the company we keep—yes, even family. He’d visited his uncle, and that was the last trip he ever took.
Azariah comes from Ahab’s family, and his mother, Ataliah, was quite a piece of work. So we can imagine that nurture and nature both contributed to the troubled personality he developed.
With that said, it doesn’t give him an excuse for his actions to keep the kingdom of Judah in sin.
This Jehoahaz forces us to reevaluate the alliances we keep. Are they with people who can get us into trouble simply by association with them? Prayerful discernment is needed for these relationships so we don’t end up ensnared.
What Can We Learn from Jehoahaz, Son of Jehu?
This Jehoahaz was evil, no doubt about it. Even after Israel is rescued from Hazael in his reign, they return to their sin.
I think this Jehoahaz shows us the endless bounds of God’s mercy. Had I been in God’s position, I may not have been so merciful—knowing that Israel would return to its ways, like a dog returning to its vomit.
Israel didn’t have one good king, yet God had mercy amid their cries.
If we’re honest with ourselves, we act like this king more than we’d care to admit. We ask God to rescue us from the consequences of our sin, only to return to it. May we have more grace on people who act like this when we honestly evaluate our hearts.
What Can We Learn from Jehoahaz, Son of Josiah?
We would all love to believe that if we raise our children in the way they should go, they will not depart from it. We do have to keep in mind that Proverbs like those are true in many cases, but not all.
Sin wreaks havoc on the way things should be. And sometimes, we do all we can, and our children still go astray.
This happened in the life of this Jehoahaz. He had the guidance of arguably one of the best kings of Judah, and still decided to return his kingdom to evil practices. Thus, he doomed Judah to captivity for 70 years.
All three men named Jehoahaz have something to teach us. May we heed the warnings of their stories and be grateful to our merciful and gracious God.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Gearstd
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
How Did the Apostle Paul Die?
Who are the Nicolaitans in Revelation?
Who Was Deborah in the Bible?
Who Was Moses in the Bible?
King Solomon's Story in the Bible
Who Was Lot's Wife in the Bible?
Who Was Jezebel in the Bible?
Who Was the Prodigal Son?
