2 Chronicles22
World English Bible · Public Domain
1The inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place, because the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the oldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.
2Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.
3He also walked in the ways of Ahab’s house, because his mother was his counselor in acting wickedly.
4He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, as did Ahab’s house, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
5He also followed 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.
6He returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
7Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, in that he went to Joram; for when he had come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off Ahab’s house.
8When Jehu was executing judgment on Ahab’s house, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah serving Ahaziah, and killed them.
9He sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria), and they brought him to Jehu and killed him; and they buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart.” The house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom.
10Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah.
11But Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stealthily rescued him from among the king’s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she didn’t kill him.
12He was with them hidden in God’s house six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 2 Chronicles 22.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The reign of Ahaziah, Athaliah destroys the royal family. (1-12).
vv1-12
The counsel of the ungodly ruins many young persons when they are setting out in the world. Ahaziah gave himself up to be led by evil men. Those who advise us to do wickedly, counsel us to our destruction; while they pretend to be friends, they are our worst enemies. See and dread the mischief of bad company. If not the infection, yet let the destruction be feared, Re 18:4. We have here, a wicked woman endeavouring to destroy the house of David, and a good woman preserving it. No word of God shall fall to the ground. The whole truth of the prophecies that the Messiah was to come from David, and thereby the salvation of the world, appeared to be now hung upon the brittle thread of the life of a single infant, to destroy whom was the interest of the reigning power. But God had purposed, and vain were the efforts of earth and hell.
Key Words
יָשַׁב: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם: Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
מָלַךְ: to reign; inceptively, to ascend the throne; causatively, to induct into royalty; hence (by implication) to take counsel
אֲחַזְיָה: Achazjah, the name of a Jewish and an Israelite king
קָטָן: abbreviated, i.e. diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or figuratively (in age or importance)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
תַּחַת: the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
גְּדוּד: a crowd (especially of soldiers)
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
Cross References
2 Chronicles 22Parallels Ahaziah's accession age, crucial for resolving the chronological difficulty of forty-two vs. twenty-two years.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel account of Jehosheba (Jehoshabeath) rescuing infant Joash from Athaliah's royal massacre.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Explains how Ahaziah (Jehoahaz) was the youngest son left after the Arabians slew his older brothers.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel account of Athaliah destroying the royal seed of Judah after learning of her son's death.
Supported by JFB
Parallel description of Ahaziah walking in the way of the wicked house of Ahab.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Provides the parallel historical narrative of Jehu pursuing and mortally wounding Ahaziah.
Supported by JFB
Highlights God's covenant loyalty to David's line, preventing Athaliah from completely extinguishing the royal seed.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel account of Ahaziah partnering with Jehoram of Israel against Hazael of Syria.
Supported by JFB
Details Joram returning to Jezreel to heal, setting the stage for Ahaziah's fateful visit.
Supported by JFB
Parallel account of Jehu's encounter with the brethren of Ahaziah during his bloody purge.
Supported by JFB
Parallel detail of Joash being hidden in the house of the Lord during Athaliah's reign.
Supported by JFB
Identifies the Philistines and Arabians who invaded Judah and took the royal family captive.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Records Jehu's anointing by God to execute judgment and cut off Ahab's house.
Supported by JFB
Mentions Jehoshaphat, whose pious memory earned Ahaziah an honorable burial from Jehu.
Supported by JFB
Proverbs parallel warning that companioning with the wicked leads directly to destruction.
Supported by Matthew Henry