2 Chronicles 22:1-9

7. THE REIGN OF AHAZIAH (2 Chronicles 22:1-9)

TEXT

2 Chronicles 22:1. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead; for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. 2. Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 3. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly. 4. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counsellors after the death of his father, to his destruction. 5. He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram. 6. And he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

7. Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went unto Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Jehovah had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. 8. And it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them. 9. And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria), and they brought him to Jehu, and slew him; and they buried him, for they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Jehovah with all his heart. And the house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.

PARAPHRASE

2 Chronicles 22:1. Then the people of Jerusalem chose Ahaziah, his youngest son, as their new king (for the marauding bands of Arabs had killed his older sons), 2. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year, in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri. 3. He, too, walked in the evil ways of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. 4. Yes, he was as evil as Ahab, for Ahab's family became his advisors after his father's death, and they led him on to ruin. 5. Following their evil advice, Ahaziah made an alliance with King Jehoram of Israel (the son of Ahab), who was at war with King Hazael of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. Ahaziah led his army there to join the battle. King Jehoram of Israel was wounded. 6. and returned to Jezreel to recover. Ahaziah went to visit him,

7. but this turned out to be a fatal mistake; for God had decided to punish Ahaziah for his alliance with Jehoram. It was during this visit that Ahaziah went out with Jehoram to challenge Jehu (son of Nimshi), whom the Lord had appointed to end the dynasty of Ahab. 8. While Jehu was hunting down and killing the family and friends of Ahab, he met King Ahaziah's nephews, the princes of Judah and killed them. 9. As he and his men were searching for Ahaziah, they found him hiding in the city of Samaria, and brought him to Jehu, who killed him. Even so, Ahaziah was given a royal burial because he was the grandson of King Jehoshaphata man who enthusiastically served the Lord. None of his sons, however, except for Joash, lived to succeed him as king.

COMMENTARY

2 Chronicles 22:1 says that all of Jehoram's sons, except Jehoahaz, had been murdered by men who were associated with a band of Arabians. If the Davidic succession was to be followed, there was no alternative to setting Jehoahaz on the throne. Jehoahaz is called by the name of Ahaziah in chapter 22. He was Athaliah's son and she ruled Judah through him. Athaliah was Ahab's daughter and her grandfather was Omri. The chronicler emphasized the fact that the moral degeneracy of the northern kingdom had spilled over into Judah. Ahaziah's relationship to Athaliah brought him and Judah into alliance with Jehoram, son of Ahab.[65] The Syrians under Hazael's kingship had fought with Jehoram and Israel at Ramoth-gilead. In this conflict Jehoram was wounded. He retreated from the battle field and remained at Jezreel while he recovered from his wound. Jezreel was about twenty miles southwest of the southern tip of the Sea of Chinnereth. Ahaziah (here called Azariah) came up from Jerusalem to visit Jehoram. This visit was another indication of the implications of Judah with the idolatrous northern kingdom. Ahaziah's death was the result of Jehovah's judgment on his wicked life. Joram is a shortened form of Jehoram. Jehovah never approved Ahaziah's friendliness with this worshipper of Baal. The record in 2 Kings 9:21 ff describes Ahaziah's ultimate tragedy. When Elijah met Jehovah at Horeb (Mount Sinai) as recorded in 1 Kings 19:15 ff, the prophet was commissioned to anoint Jehu to be king of Israel. Jehu's assignment was to annihilate the houses of Omri and Ahab and to cleanse the northern kingdom of its Baalism. When Jehu had been anointed by one of the sons of the prophets at Ramoth-gilead, he hurried to Jezreel to execute judgment on Jehoram. At that time Ahaziah was visiting Jehoram. Both of the kings came out of the city to inquire about Jehu's mission and both of them were killed. Ahaziah had been able to avoid Jehu briefly while hiding in Samaria. Jehu hunted him and killed him. Even though he was the son of a righteous father, Jehoshaphat, his father's goodness could not save him. In connection with these events Jehu met brethren of Ahaziah who evidently were coming to Samaria to visit Jehoram and Jezebel (2 Kings 10:12-14). He fell upon them and slew them.

[65] Elmslie, W. A. L., The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. Ill, p. 502.