2 Chronicles 22

Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

1 ¹Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with ²the Arabs to the camp had slain all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

2 Ahaziah was twenty-two * years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri.

3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.

4 He did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to ³his destruction.

Ahaziah Allies with Jehoram of Israel

5 He also walked according to their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the ⁴Arameans wounded Joram.

6 So he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they 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 Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

7 Now ⁵the destruction of Ahaziah was from God, in that he went to Joram. For when he came, ⁶he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, ⁷whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

Jehu Murders Princes of Judah

8 ⁸It came about when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them.

9 ⁹He also sought Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put him to death ¹⁰and buried him. For they said, "He is the son of Jehoshaphat, ¹¹who sought the LORD with all his heart." So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah to retain the power of the kingdom.

10 ¹²Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah.

11 But Jehoshabeath the king's daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and placed 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 would not put him to death.

12 He was hidden with them in the house of God six years while Athaliah reigned over 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 8:24-29
• 2. 2 Chronicles 21:16
• 3. Proverbs 13:20
• 4. 2 Kings 8:28
• 5. 2 Chronicles 10:15
• 6. 2 Kings 9:21
• 7. 2 Kings 9:6, 7
• 8. 2 Kings 10:11-14
• 9. 2 Kings 9:27
• 10. 2 Kings 9:28
• 11. 2 Chronicles 17:4
• 12. 2 Kings 11:1-3

Footnotes

• [a]. In 2 Chr 21:17, "Jehoahaz"
• [b]. So some versions and 2 Kin 8:26; Heb "42 years"
• [c]. Lit "daughter"
• [d]. Heb "archers"
• [e]. Lit "smote"
• [f]. I.e. Jehoram
• [g]. Lit "with which...smitten"
• [h]. So with 2 Kin 8:29; Heb "Azariah"
• [i]. Lit "to go"
• [j]. Lit "seed"

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.