2 Chronicles 36:1-2
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It's easy to overlook that the people, not some divine appointment, took Jehoahaz and made him king. This highlights how quickly things shifted after Josiah's death, with the populace acting decisively to install their own choice, setting the stage for their own downfall.
The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Josiah, a righteous king, has just died after a battle, leaving a void in Judah. The people, instead of seeking God's will or waiting for proper succession, quickly install Josiah's younger son, Jehoahaz, as king. This hasty decision by the populace sets the stage for immediate political instability and a turn away from the godly path Josiah had established.
Ever wonder how kings were chosen? It wasn't always straightforward, and this verse highlights a moment where the people took matters into their own hands.
The People's Power Play
In many ancient societies, the succession of a ruler was determined by lineage – the king's son would naturally inherit the throne. However, 2 Chronicles 36:1 shows a different scenario. The people of the land didn't wait for divine appointment or dynastic right; they actively chose Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, to be king.
This act demonstrates a significant, though often short-lived, moment of popular sovereignty. It wasn't the established council or a divinely appointed prophet who made the decision, but the general populace. This was a deviation from the norm and would have immediate consequences.
Josiah was a great king, known for his reforms. But his successor, chosen by the people, was a different story. What happens when human choice overrides God's will?
The Peril of Human Preference
While the people's choice in selecting Jehoahaz might seem democratic, it led to disaster. Jehoahaz was not the king God intended, nor was he spiritually aligned with his father Josiah's faithful reign. The surrounding verses reveal that Jehoahaz's rule was brief and marked by wickedness.
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This illustrates a crucial biblical principle: God's appointed king, or the lineage He establishes, is paramount. When human preference or power dictates leadership apart from God's plan, the results are often ruinous for the nation.
Understand the original words
am ha-arets · Hebrew Noun phrase
A term used to describe the general population of a territory, often implying a collective political or social action within the context of monarchical transitions.
melek · Hebrew Noun
A divinely or humanly appointed ruler who exercises sovereign authority over a kingdom or territory. In biblical history, kings were to serve under the ultimate authority of God.
c. 609 BC
Josiah Dies in Battle
King Josiah, a righteous ruler who had led significant religious reforms, was killed in battle against Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt.
c. 609 BC— this verse
Jehoahaz Becomes King
The people of Judah chose Josiah's younger son, Jehoahaz, as king over his older brother, Eliakim. This marked a shift in leadership immediately following Josiah's death.
c. 609 BC
Pharaoh Necho II Deposes Jehoahaz
After a brief reign of only three months, Pharaoh Necho II captured Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt, placing Jehoahaz's brother, Eliakim (renamed Jehoiakim), on the throne.
c. 609-598 BC
Reign of Jehoiakim
Jehoiakim ruled as a vassal of Egypt, often acting in ways contrary to God's will, unlike his father Josiah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated the Egyptians and established his dominance over Judah. He deported some of the Judean nobility, including Daniel, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After Jehoiakim rebelled, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and deported King Jehoiachin and many skilled workers and leaders to Babylon.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, bringing the kingdom of Judah to an end and exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon.
This passage in Kings directly parallels the events in 2 Chronicles, describing how Pharaoh Neco appointed Jehoahaz king after Josiah's death, showing the people's immediate, albeit brief, endorsement of his rule.
2 Kings 23:31-34This text reveals Jehoahaz's short and troubled reign, quickly deposed and exiled by Pharaoh Neco, highlighting how the people's choice in 2 Chronicles 36:1 was ultimately overridden by foreign powers and divine judgment.
Jeremiah 22:10-12Jeremiah prophesies against Shallum (the same person as Jehoahaz), stating he would not return from exile, which foreshadows the swift end of his kingship mentioned implicitly by his short reign and the subsequent events.
Ezekiel 19:1-4This prophetic imagery describes a 'young lion' taken captive, which scholars often interpret as referring to Jehoahaz, reinforcing the theme of a king chosen by the people but quickly falling into ruin and exile.
It's easy to overlook that the people, not some divine appointment, took Jehoahaz and made him king. This highlights how quickly things shifted after Josiah's death, with the populace acting decisively to install their own choice, setting the stage for their own downfall.
Josiah, a righteous king, has just died after a battle, leaving a void in Judah. The people, instead of seeking God's will or waiting for proper succession, quickly install Josiah's younger son, Jehoahaz, as king. This hasty decision by the populace sets the stage for immediate political instability and a turn away from the godly path Josiah had established.
Josiah, a righteous king, has just died after a battle, leaving a void in Judah. The people, instead of seeking God's will or waiting for proper succession, quickly install Josiah's younger son, Jehoahaz, as king. This hasty decision by the populace sets the stage for immediate political instability and a turn away from the godly path Josiah had established.
"The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem." — It's easy to overlook that the people, not some divine appointment, took Jehoahaz and made him king. This highlights how quickly things shifted after Josiah's death, with the populace acting deci…
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Last reviewed October 2026
