Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
1 Kings 22:51-53
The Reign Of Ahaziah King of Israel c. 853-852 BC (1 Kings 22:51 - 2 Kings 1:18).
Ahaziah, Ahab's son and king of Israel, only had a short reign of a few months (two part years) but he amply succeeded during that short time in displeasing YHWH and bringing his wrath on him. He did this by walking in Ahab's ways, and especially by consulting Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, instead of YHWH, after he had had an accident. His attitude resulted in two of Elijah's fiercest miracles. This is the reason why his short reign is given so much space in the account.
Analysis.
a Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel, and he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, by which he made Israel to sin (1 Kings 22:51).
b And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger YHWH, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done, and Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab (1 Kings 22:53 -2 Kings 1:1).
c And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and was ill. And he sent messengers, and said to them, “Go, enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover of this illness” (2 Kings 1:2).
d But the angel of YHWH said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, “Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” (2 Kings 1:3).
e “Now therefore thus says YHWH, ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but will surely die' ” (2 Kings 1:4 a).
f And Elijah departed. And the messengers returned to him (Ahaziah), and he said to them, “Why is it that you have returned?” (2 Kings 1:4).
e And they said to him, “There came up a man to meet us, and said to us, Go, turn again to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says YHWH, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you send to enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but will surely die” '(2 Kings 1:6).
d And he said to them, “What manner of man was he who came up to meet you, and told you these words?” And they answered him, “He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite” (2 Kings 1:7).
c Three military units in succession were then sent to arrest Elijah and haul him before the king. But the first two were engulfed with fire at Elijah's word. To the third, which humbled itself before him, he responded more compassionately, going with them to meet the king (2 Kings 1:9).
b And he said to him, “Thus says YHWH, Forasmuch as you have sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? Therefore you will not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but will surely die” (2 Kings 1:16).
a So he died according to the word of YHWH which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, because he had no son. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? (2 Kings 1:17).
Note that in ‘a' Ahaziah began his reign, and did evil in the sight of YHWH, and in the parallel he died according to the word of YHWH. In ‘b' he served Baal and worshipped him, provoking the wrath of YHWH and in the parallel he is criticised for consulting Baal-ekron instead of YHWH. In ‘c' the king sent his messengers to consult Baal-ekron, and in the parallel he received a threefold reply from Elijah. In ‘d' YHWH sent a message through Elijah the Tishbite, and in the parallel the king recognises that his message has come from Elijah the Tishbite. In ‘e' he was told that he would surely die, and in the parallel he was told the same. Centrally in ‘f' Elijah stalked away from the messengers, while they returned and reported back to the king.
A Summary Of Ahaziah's Life (1 Kings 22:51 - 2 Kings 1:1).
‘ Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.'
Ahaziah began reigning over Israel in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, and he reigned for ‘two years', that is, for part of his accession year, and the part year in which he ceased to reign.
‘ And he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, by which he made Israel to sin.'
Like all his predecessors he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH. He walked in the way of both Ahab and Jezebel, (note that the latter is stressed in that the mother is not usually mentioned in statements such as this), with all their evil ways. He also continued to follow the false religious practises instituted by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, leading the people astray with him.
‘ And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger YHWH, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.'
And like Ahab had done he worshipped Baal and served him in all his evil and distorted sexual practises, provoking YHWH to anger (antipathy against sin).