2 Chronicles 22

Ahaziah Reigns in Judah

1 Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, the youngest son of Jehoram, king in his place, since the raiders who had come into the camp with the Arabs ^[a] had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. ¹

2 Ahaziah was twenty-two ^[b] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri.

3 Ahaziah also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wickedness.

4 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for to his destruction they were his counselors after the death of his father.

5 Ahaziah also followed their counsel and went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans ^[c] wounded Joram. ^[d]

6 So he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramah ^[e] when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah ^[f] son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.

7 Ahaziah’s downfall came from God when he went to visit Joram. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son ^[g] of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.

Jehu Kills the Princes of Judah

8 So while Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the rulers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them. ²

9 Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu’s soldiers captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. So Ahaziah was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.”

Athaliah and Joash

10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. ³

11 But Jehoshabeath ^[h] daughter of King Jehoram took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she could not kill him.

12 And Joash remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

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.

Cross References

• 1. (2 Kings 8:25–29)
• 2. (2 Kings 9:14–29)
• 3. (2 Kings 11:1–3)

Footnotes

• [a]. Or since the marauding bands of Arabs
• [b]. Some LXX manuscripts and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:26); Hebrew forty-two
• [c]. Some LXX manuscripts the archers
• [d]. Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verses 6 and 7
• [e]. Ramah is a variant of Ramoth; see verse 5.
• [f]. Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:29); most Hebrew manuscripts Azariah
• [g]. Or grandson; see 2 Kings 9:14.
• [h]. Jehoshabeath is a variant of Jehosheba; twice in this verse; see 2 Kings 11:2.

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.