2 Kings 23:31-35·~1 min

Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah

Jehoahaz becomes king at twenty-three and reigns three months in Jerusalem, but he does evil in the LORD’s sight like his fathers.

J³¹ehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ³²And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his fathers had done.

Verse 31Jehoahaz is twenty-three when he becomes king, reigns three months in Jerusalem, and his mother is Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.

It gives the formal notice of Jehoahaz’s accession.

Verse 32He does evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his fathers had done.

It places his brief reign within Judah’s continuing pattern of disobedience.

Pharaoh Neco imprisons Jehoahaz, taxes Judah heavily, sets Eliakim on the throne as Jehoiakim, and the new king exacts the required silver and gold from the people.

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. 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. ³⁵So Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh Neco, but to meet Pharaoh’s demand he taxed the land and exacted the silver and the gold from the people, each according to his wealth.

Verse 33Pharaoh Neco imprisons Jehoahaz at Riblah so he cannot reign in Jerusalem and imposes a heavy levy of silver and gold on Judah.

It shows foreign power overruling Judah’s kingship.

Verse 34Pharaoh Neco makes Eliakim son of Josiah king, renames him Jehoiakim, and takes Jehoahaz to Egypt, where he dies.

It transfers the throne at Egypt’s command.

Verse 35Jehoiakim pays Pharaoh’s demanded tribute by taxing the land and taking silver and gold from the people according to their wealth.

It shows the cost of subjection falling on Judah itself.

Passage shape

A quiet block diagram: each row is one authored paragraph movement, with verse numbers kept visible for scanning and deeper work.

vv. 31-32
Jehoahaz becomes king at twenty-three and reigns three months in Jerusalem, but he does evil in the LORD’s sight like his fathers.
It introduces the new king and immediately judges his reign.
31 32
vv. 33-35
Pharaoh Neco imprisons Jehoahaz, taxes Judah heavily, sets Eliakim on the throne as Jehoiakim, and the new king exacts the required silver and gold from the people.
It places Judah under Egyptian control and shows the cost borne by the nation.
33 34 35

Section summaryJehoahaz reigns only briefly and follows the same evil pattern as earlier kings. Pharaoh Neco removes him, imposes tribute on Judah, installs Eliakim under the new name Jehoiakim, and the burden of foreign rule falls directly on the land.

Role in the chapterThis section shows how quickly Judah falls from Josiah’s renewal into weakness and dependence. The kingdom is now shaped not by covenant reform but by outside power and familiar disobedience.