The Second Book of the Chronicles
2 Chronicles 22
Chapter XXII · Vol. II, pp. 869–870
1 Ahaziah succeeding, reigneth wickedly. 5 In his confederacy with Joram the son of Ahab, he is slain by Jehu. 10 Athaliah, destroying all the seed royal, save Joash, whom Jehoshabeath his aunt hid, usurpeth the kingdom.
1 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziaha his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.
2 Fortyb and two years old9 was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: his mother's name also was Athaliah, the daughter cof Omri.
b 2 Ki.8.26. It was the twenty-second of his age, but forty-second of the kingdom of his mother's family.
9 The very magnitude of the difference between this and the parallel account (2 Ki. 8. 26) leads to the conclusion that the two calculations must commence at different periods. See note on 2 Ki.8.26.—C.
c Grandchild, ch.21.6. 2 Ki.8.18,26,27.
3 He also walked din the ways of the house of Ahab:1 for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly.
d ch.21.6. 1 Ki.16.25,30-33. Mi.6.16.
1 His relation to Ahab's family was the occasion of his wickedness and of his fall. When men choose wives for themselves, let them remember they are choosing mothers for their children. Perhaps Omri adopted and educated Athaliah, who was his grand-daughter, and the daughter of Ahab.—J.
4 Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab: for they ewere his counsellors, after the death of his father, to his destruction.
5 He walked also after their counsel, and fwent with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians smote Joram.
f 2 Ki.8.28.
6 And ghe returned to be healed in Jezreel, because of the wounds which were given 2him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah hthe son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick.
g 2 Ki.8.29.
2 Heb. wherewith they wounded him.
h Otherwise called Ahaziah, ver. 1, and Jehoahaz, ch. 21. 17. [This is evidently a mistake for 'Ahaziah' or 'Jehoahaz,' as appears from the following context: and thus the Sept. Vulg. Syr. and twelve MSS.—J.]
7 And the destruction3 of Ahaziah was iof God,4 by coming to Joram: for, when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, kwhom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
3 Heb. treading down.
i 1 Ki.12.15. Ps.9.16. Pr.9.6; 13.20.
4 A visible judgment of God upon his obstinacy, as he had probably been warned by some of the prophets to avoid undertaking the journey, or had been made aware of the sentence against Ahab and his house, which Jehu was commissioned to execute.—C.
8 And it came to pass, that, lwhen Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.
l 2 Ki.10.13,14. ch.21.14.
9 Andm he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid5 in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu:6 and when they had slain him, they buried him;7 Because (said they) he is the son of Jehoshaphat, nwho sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.
m 2 Ki.9.27.
5 He had fled to both Megiddo and Samaria, and was buried at Jerusalem.
6 See note on 2 Ki. 9. 27. The phrase 'brought him to Jehu,' may be rendered 'they caused him to be seen by Jehu,' i.e. as he attempted to escape in his chariot from Samaria, he was pointed out to the ruthless general, who, on seeing him, gave orders to shoot him in his chariot, as he had himself shot Joram at Jezreel.—P.
A.M. 3120. B.C. 884.
7 That is, his own subjects buried him. He had been first hid in Samaria (2 Ch. 22. 9); thence he had fled, and was, by Jehu's orders, mortally wounded at Gur; thence he fled to Megiddo, died there, and was buried in Jerusalem. 2 Ki. 27. 28.—C.
n ch.17.4,6; 19.3.
10 Buto when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed-royal of the house of Judah.
11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king,8 tookp Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a qbed-chamber.9 So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of rJehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.
8 The daughter of king Jehoram and aunt of Joash.—C.
p ch.21.7. 1 Ki.11.36. 2 Sa.7.12,13. Ps.132.11,12; 89.28,29. Je.33.20-26.
9 The priests had private apartments within the precincts of the temple. In one of these the infant son of Ahaziah was hidden, and there he remained secure for six years.—P.
r 2 Ki.11.4. ch.23.1.
Notes
Reflections.—Certain is their ruin who wilfully commit sin, and dreadful the consequences of unhallowed marriages with the ungodly. Behold how the woman, for whose sake Jehoshaphat had cultivated friendship with Ahab, reduces his glorious kingdom and numerous family, nay, his blessed reformation, to the brink of ruin! She had doubtless advised her husband to murder his brethren and princes, and to hurry himself through scenes of misery into endless woe. Now she counsels her son to do wickedly. Advised by her, he cultivates intimacy with Jehoram her brother, and involves himself and relations in his ruin. Behold the infuriated monster murdering princes, and imbruing her hands in the blood of her innocent, her orphan babes! And to the reproach of Judah, the savage murderer, the vile idolater, is permitted to fill the sacred throne without so much as a shadow of title! But, meanwhile, behold how God, for his promise' sake, preserves in his house a young and helpless descendant of David to wear the crown, and even usher in the Messiah in his time! Vain is every attempt of earth and hell to defeat the word of truth; not one jot or tittle of it shall ever fail.