מלכים ב, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ל״א

Following the death of the righteous King Josiah, a dramatic succession crisis gripped the kingdom of Judah. The people of the land chose to crown Jehoahaz, who was twenty-three years old at the time, but his rule lasted a mere three months in Jerusalem [שטיינזלץ]. His rise to power was marked by a public anointing with oil. Typically, anointing is unnecessary when a son peacefully inherits his father's throne. It is only required when there is a dispute over the succession. In this case, the conflict arose because Jehoahaz was not the firstborn son; his brother Jehoiakim was two years older [אברבנאל].

The decision to bypass the older brother and place the younger sibling on the throne is understood through two opposing perspectives [אברבנאל]. One approach suggests that Jehoahaz was chosen for his positive traits, as his character and mindset aligned with those of his righteous ancestors, in contrast to his brother Jehoiakim. Conversely, another view argues that the people acted wrongly and forced the younger brother into power with corrupt motives. They hoped he would cooperate with their wicked plans, fearing that the older brother would follow in Josiah's footsteps and lead the nation in the fear of God. This irregular path to power is reflected in his very name. In the Book of Chronicles, the name Jehoahaz is absent from the list of Josiah's sons, replaced by the name Shallum, who was prophesied to be exiled to Egypt and never return. Commentators explain that Shallum and Jehoahaz are the same person. He earned the title Jehoahaz because he forcefully took hold of a royal scepter that did not naturally belong to him through the normal rules of inheritance [אברבנאל].

The blatant interference of the people in the natural order of succession ultimately led to severe consequences. Pharaoh Necho, the king of Egypt, observed that the people had acted improperly by pushing aside the rightful firstborn heir in favor of the younger sibling. Reacting to this invalid crowning, the Egyptian ruler intervened swiftly. He deposed Jehoahaz after only three months in power, imposed a financial penalty on the land as punishment, and exiled Jehoahaz to Egypt. Taking full control of the situation, Pharaoh Necho then placed the older brother, Jehoiakim, on the throne [אברבנאל].