| Jehoahaz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King of Israel (Northern Kingdom) | |
| Reign | 17 years c. 814 –c. 798 BC |
| Predecessor | Jehu |
| Successor | Jehoash |
| Father | Jehu |
Jehoahaz II of Israel (Hebrew:יְהוֹאָחָזYəhō’āḥāz, meaning "Yahweh has held";Latin:Joachaz) was the eleventh king ofIsrael and the son ofJehu (2 Kings 10:35; 13:1). He reigned for seventeen years.
William F. Albright dated his reign to 815–801 BC, whileE. R. Thiele offered the dates 814–798 BC.[1]
The account in 2 Kings states that he did evil in the sight ofYahweh, and his people followed the religious practices of the house ofJeroboam, which included the worship of a cultic pole ofAsherah inSamaria. The kings of theArameans,Hazael andBen-hadad, prevailed over him (2 Kings 13:1–3). Jehoahaz besought the Lord for a deliverer to relieve Israel from Aramean oppression, and He provided a savior for Israel, who is not named.[2] The Arameans were defeated, but this left Jehoahaz with an army reduced to 50 horsemen, 10 chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers.[3]
2 Kings 13:25 suggests that Jehoahaz's sonJoash, who recaptured a number of Israelite cities in three successful battles, could have been the deliverer referred to in2 Kings 13:5, and theGeneva Study Bible maintains this view,[4] but theJerusalem Bible[5] and theCambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges[6] argue thatJeroboam II, Joash's son, was the deliverer, citing2 Kings 14:27:
ThePulpit Commentary agrees that this was "probably" the case.[7]
Adad-nirari III, King of Assyria, (812–783 BC) also made campaigns into the west (804–797 BC), and on one of these incursions captured and sacked the city ofDamascus, thus removing the worst enemy of Israel's prosperity, and so he could also be considered the "deliverer".[2]
Jehoahaz of Israel | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Israel 814–798 BCE | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
