What is the meaning of 2 Kings 23:32? And he did evil - The “he” is King Jehoahaz, Josiah’s son who reigned only three months (2 Kings 23:31). - Scripture states plainly, “He did evil”, placing responsibility squarely on the king’s personal choices. - Evil here points to disobedience to God’s covenant—likely a return to idolatry and injustice that Josiah had rooted out (see 2 Chronicles 36:2; compare with the earlier Jehoahaz of Israel in 2 Kings 13:2). - God had spelled out a king’s duty centuries earlier: write, read, and obey the Law daily (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Jehoahaz ignored that charge. In the sight of the LORD - The phrase underscores that God witnesses every action: “The eyes of the LORD are in every place” (Proverbs 15:3). - Public opinion or political savvy could not mask sin from divine scrutiny (Psalm 139:1-2; 2 Chronicles 16:9). - By framing Jehoahaz’s reign “in the sight of the LORD,” the text reminds us that true evaluation of leadership—and of our own lives—comes from God, not human applause (Galatians 1:10 for broader principle). Just as his fathers had done - Despite having a godly father (Josiah), Jehoahaz aligned himself with the long-running pattern of unfaithful ancestors such as Manasseh and Amon (2 Kings 21:20-22). - This illustrates how quickly a righteous legacy can be squandered when the next generation rejects truth (Judges 2:10-12 shows a similar shift). - The statement also signals corporate consequences: “He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children” (Exodus 34:7), a principle Judah was experiencing as exile approached. - Yet personal responsibility still stands—Ezekiel 18:19-20 holds each person accountable, urging every generation to choose obedience. summary 2 Kings 23:32 records that King Jehoahaz knowingly abandoned God’s standards, lived under the unblinking gaze of the LORD, and repeated the sinful pattern of prior kings. The verse warns that no heritage, however godly, can substitute for personal fidelity, and that God sees and judges every act of disobedience. |
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