Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

22 (A)Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made [a]Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with (B)the Arabs to the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. Ahaziah was [b]twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the [c]granddaughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to act wickedly. So 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 (C)his own destruction.

Ahaziah Allies with Jehoram of Israel

He also walked by 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 (D)Arameans [d]wounded [e]Joram. So he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds [f]which they had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And [g]Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

Now (E)the destruction of Ahaziah was from God, in that [h]he went to Joram. For when he arrived, (F)he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, (G)whom the Lord had anointed to eliminate the house of Ahab.

Jehu Murders Princes of Judah

(H)And it came about, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers attending to Ahaziah, and killed them. (I)He also searched for Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put him to death, (J)and buried him. For they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, (K)who 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 (L)Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and eliminated all the royal [i]children 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 kept himself hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 22:1 In 2 Chr 21:17, Jehoahaz
  2. 2 Chronicles 22:2 As in some ancient versions and 2 Kin 8:26; MT 42 years
  3. 2 Chronicles 22:2 Lit daughter
  4. 2 Chronicles 22:5 Lit struck
  5. 2 Chronicles 22:5 I.e., Jehoram
  6. 2 Chronicles 22:6 Lit with which...struck
  7. 2 Chronicles 22:6 As in 2 Kin 8:29; MT Azariah
  8. 2 Chronicles 22:7 Lit to go
  9. 2 Chronicles 22:10 Lit seed

Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram(A)

22 The residents of Jerusalem made Jehoram’s[a] son Ahaziah[b] king in his place after the raiding party that had invaded the city with the Arabs had killed all of the older sons. That’s how Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became king of Judah. Ahaziah was 22[c] years old when he became king, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, Omri’s granddaughter.

He followed the example[d] of Ahab’s dynasty because his mother gave him evil counsel. So he practiced what the Lord considered to be evil, just like Ahab’s dynasty had done, because after his father died, he was given advice that resulted in his destruction. He followed their counsel and accompanied Ahab’s son Joram, king of Israel, to wage war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans wounded Joram, so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that he had received at Ramah in the battle against King Hazael of Aram. King Ahaziah of Judah, Jehoram’s son, went to visit Ahab’s son Joram, because he was wounded.

Ahaziah is Executed(B)

God used Ahaziah’s visit to Joram to destroy Ahaziah. As soon as he arrived, Ahaziah[e] went out with Joram to attack Nimshi’s son Jehu, whom the Lord had appointed to eliminate Ahab’s dynasty. And that’s exactly what happened. While Jehu was punishing[f] Ahab’s dynasty, he located the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were ministering to Ahaziah, and he put them to death. Jehu[g] also searched for Ahaziah, had him apprehended while Ahaziah[h] was hiding out in Samaria, and had Ahaziah[i] brought to him. Jehu[j] had Ahaziah[k] executed and buried. It was said of Jehu,[l] “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all of his heart.” As a result, there was no one left in the household of Ahaziah strong enough to reign in the kingdom.

Athaliah’s Revolt(C)

10 As soon as Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah learned that her son had died, she set out to destroy the entire royal family of Judah. 11 However, the king’s daughter Jehoshabeath took Ahaziah’s son Joash away from the king’s children who were about to be assassinated and hid him and his nurse in a bedroom. That’s how King Jehoram’s daughter Jehoshabeath, who was also the priest Jehoiada’s wife and Ahaziah’s sister, hid him from Athaliah. As a result, she was not able to kill him. 12 Joash[m] remained with them for six years, hidden in God’s Temple while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 22:1 Lit. his
  2. 2 Chronicles 22:1 This individual is also identified as Jehoahaz in 2Chr 21:17
  3. 2 Chronicles 22:2 Cf. 2 King 8:26, Syr, and LXX. MT reads 42.
  4. 2 Chronicles 22:3 Lit. footsteps
  5. 2 Chronicles 22:7 Lit. he
  6. 2 Chronicles 22:8 Lit. was executing judgment
  7. 2 Chronicles 22:9 Lit. He
  8. 2 Chronicles 22:9 Lit. he
  9. 2 Chronicles 22:9 Lit. him
  10. 2 Chronicles 22:9 Lit. He
  11. 2 Chronicles 22:9 Lit. him
  12. 2 Chronicles 22:9 Lit. him
  13. 2 Chronicles 22:12 Lit. He