Lexical Summary Yoachaz: Jehoahaz Original Word: יוֹאָחָז Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jehoahaz, Joahaz A form of Yhow'achaz; Joachaz, the name of two Israelites -- Jehoahaz, Joahaz. see HEBREW Yhow'achaz NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina form of Yehoachaz, q.v. NASB Translation Joahaz (4). Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 3099 designates several men whose lives intersect key moments in Israel’s and Judah’s history. Though their accounts differ widely in spiritual quality and outcome, each appearance of the name underlines the sovereignty of God in raising up and removing leaders, and His faithfulness to preserve a remnant even through national decline. Jehoahaz, King of Israel, Son of Jehu (Referenced by the form in 2 Kings 14:1; fuller narrative in 2 Kings 13.) Jehoahaz succeeded his father Jehu over the northern kingdom around 814 B.C. Politically he inherited a realm chastened by Hazael of Aram; spiritually he perpetuated the sins of Jeroboam. Judgment fell swiftly: “The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Aram” (2 Kings 13:3). Yet when Jehoahaz humbled himself, the LORD “heard him” and provided deliverance through later victories under his son Joash (2 Kings 13:4-5, 25). His career illustrates the longsuffering mercy of God toward a rebellious nation and the conditional nature of covenant blessing. Though he appears but once under the shorter spelling (2 Kings 14:1), the Chronicler’s silence about him and the prophetic critique in Hosea and Amos confirm his mixed legacy: temporary relief without genuine reform. Joahaz the Recorder during Josiah’s Reforms During Josiah’s eighteenth year, a trusted official named Joahaz served as “the recorder,” an executive secretary charged with preserving royal decrees and covenant documentation. His inclusion with Shaphan the scribe and Maaseiah the governor in the work of temple restoration highlights the broad administrative team God employed to revive true worship. While Scripture offers no further biographical data, his participation in financing repairs and collecting offerings places him among the unnamed faithful whose diligence advanced one of Judah’s greatest spiritual renewals. His presence underlines that reformation is not accomplished by kings alone but by an array of steadfast servants who ensure transparency and accountability in the stewardship of God’s house. Jehoahaz (Shallum), King of Judah, Son of Josiah (2 Chronicles 36:2, 4; parallel account in 2 Kings 23:30-34) After Josiah’s death at Megiddo (609 B.C.), the people placed his fourth son on the throne. Though only twenty-three years old, he bore the hopes of a nation freshly wounded by the loss of a godly monarch. Those hopes quickly died. “He did evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 36:2) and reigned a mere three months before Pharaoh Neco deposed him, renamed him Jehoahaz (or Shallum), and led him in chains to Egypt. Jeremiah laments him: “Do not weep for the dead king… but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he will never return” (Jeremiah 22:10-11). His downfall signals the irreversible slide of Judah toward exile and fulfills earlier covenant warnings that disobedience would subject the nation to foreign yokes (Deuteronomy 28:36). Yet even this judgment serves redemptive purposes, preserving the messianic line through his brother Eliakim (Jehoiakim) and, ultimately, through Zerubbabel after the exile. Theological Reflections 1. Divine Forbearance and Discipline: Whether granting victory to an undeserving northern king (Jehoahaz son of Jehu) or swiftly toppling an ungodly southern monarch (Jehoahaz son of Josiah), the LORD remains the active governor of Israel’s history. His responses correspond exactly to covenant faithfulness or rebellion. Together the four references to יוֹאָחָז underscore that the Lord both “grasped” (implicit in the name) and released these men according to His righteous purposes, reminding every generation that leadership is ultimately a stewardship held at His pleasure. Forms and Transliterations יֽוֹאָחָז֙ יוֹאָחָ֖ז יוֹאָחָ֣ז יוֹאָחָ֤ז יואחז yō·w·’ā·ḥāz yoaChaz yōw’āḥāzLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 14:1 HEB: לְיוֹאָ֥שׁ בֶּן־ יוֹאָחָ֖ז מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל NAS: of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, KJV: son of Jehoahaz king INT: of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel 2 Chronicles 34:8 2 Chronicles 36:2 2 Chronicles 36:4 4 Occurrences |
    |