2 Kings 8:25-29

B. THE REIGN OF AHAZIAH OF JUDAH 8:25-29

TRANSLATION

(25) In the twelfth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. (26) Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem; and the name of his mother was Athaliah the daughter of Omri the king of Israel. (27) And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the eyes of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was related by marriage to the house of Ahab. (28) And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war with Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead; and the Arameans smote Joram. (29) And Joram the king returned to convalesce in Jezreel from the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram; and Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

Sixth King of Judah
AHAZIAH (or JEHOAHAZ, or AZARIAH)
841 B.C.
(Sustained by Yabweh)

2 Kings 8:24; 2 Kings 9:29; 2 Chronicles 22:1-9

Synchronism
Ahaziah 1 = Joram 12

Mother: Arhaliah

Appraisal: Bad

For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. Psalms 48:4

COMMENTS

In the closing paragraph of chapter 8, the author continues the history of Judah through one more brief reign, that of Ahaziah. According to 2 Kings 8:25, Ahaziah began to reign in the twelfth year of Joram of Israel; but according to 2 Kings 9:29 it was the eleventh year. Such one year discrepancies result from the two systems of counting the regnal years of kings, one of which did not count the months of the accession year. A discrepancy between the text of Kings and Chronicles exists with regard to the age of Ahaziah when he assumed the throne, the former giving his age as twenty-two, and the latter as forty-two (2 Chronicles 22:2). The Chronicles figure is manifestly incorrect, for Ahaziah's father was only forty years old when he died.[556]

[556] The scribal copying of Chronicles must be at fault here.

Ahaziah was married to the Jezebel of Judah, Athaliah the daughter of Ahab and granddaughter of Omri (2 Kings 8:26). Because of the marriage relationship with the Northern dynasty, Ahaziah followed the religious policy of the house of Ahab (2 Kings 8:27) during his one year reign, i.e., he continued to sanction the Baal worship which had been introduced into Judah by his father Jehoram (cf. 2 Kings 8:18).

From the brief reign of Ahaziah only two incidents are recorded. Following the example of his grandfather Jehoshaphat, Ahaziah joined in a military alliance with Joram of Israel to go to the relief of Ramoth-gilead (or Ramah) which was being attacked by Hazael, the new king of Damascus. It would appear that sometime after the death of Ahab at this same city, the Israelites had successfully wrested Ramoth-gilead from the hands of the Arameans. During the course of the defense of the city, Joram was severely, but not fatally, wounded (2 Kings 8:28). Thereafter Joram and his cousin from Judah returned to their respective capitals leaving a strong garrison under general Jehu to defend the city. King Joram stopped off at Jezreel in the plains to recuperate in the royal retreat there rather than make the more arduous ascent back to Samaria. After some time passed, Ahaziah of Judah decided to make a royal trip to Jezreel to visit his convalescing relative (2 Kings 8:29). As things turned out, Ahaziah never returned from that fateful visit.