2 Chronicles 22

1 The inhabitants of Jerusalem made his youngest son Ahaziah succeed him as king because the raiding party that had invaded the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah, Jehoram's son, became king of Judah.

Ahaziah rules Israel

2 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king, and he ruled for one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was the granddaughter of Omri.

3 Ahaziah walked in the ways of Ahab's dynasty, encouraged in this wickedness by his mother.

4 He did what was evil in the LORD's eyes, just as Ahab's dynasty had done, because after his father's death they gave him advice that led to his downfall.

5 Ahaziah was following their advice when he went with Israel's King Joram, Ahab's son, to fight against Aram's King Hazael at Ramoth-gilead, where the Arameans wounded Joram.

6 Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he suffered at Ramah in his battle with Aram's King Hazael. Then Judah's King Ahaziah, Jehoram's son, went down to visit Joram, Ahab's son, at Jezreel because he had been wounded.

7 But God used this visit to Joram to bring about Ahaziah's downfall. After his arrival, Ahaziah went with Joram to meet Jehu, Nimshi's son, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy Ahab's dynasty.

8 While Jehu was executing judgment on Ahab's dynasty, he discovered the princes of Judah, Ahaziah's nephews, serving Ahaziah, and Jehu killed them.

9 Jehu went looking for Ahaziah, who was captured while hiding in Samaria. He was then brought to Jehu and executed. He was given a decent burial, however, because people said, "He was the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." There were now no members of Ahaziah's dynasty strong enough to rule the kingdom.

Queen Athaliah rules Judah

10 When Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, learned of her son's death, she immediately destroyed the entire royal family of Judah's dynasty.

11 But Jehoshabeath the king's daughter secretly took Ahaziah's son Jehoash from the rest of the royal children who were about to be murdered, and hid him in a bedroom, along with his nurse. In this way Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of the priest Jehoiada and the sister of Ahaziah, hid Jehoash from Athaliah so she couldn't murder him.

12 He remained hidden with them in God's temple for six years while Athaliah ruled the country.

2 Chronicles 22 Commentary

Chapter 22

The reign of Ahaziah, Athaliah destroys the royal family.

- 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, ( Revelation 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX, Syr, 2 Kgs 8:26; MT 42
• [b]. Or Jehoram (also in 22:6-7); the king's name is variously spelled in either long Jehoram or short Joram form.
• [c]. LXX, Syr, Vulg; MT Azariah
• [d]. Or Joash; the king's name is variously spelled in either long Jehoash or short Joash form in 2 Kgs.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 22

In this chapter we have an account of the wicked reign of Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, 2Ch 22:1-4 of his death, the occasion and manner of it, 2Ch 22:5-9 and of his mother Athaliah destroying all the royal seed, excepting one, who was hid by the king's sister, and assuming the government to herself, 2Ch 22:10-12.