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The Histories · Old Testament

2 Chronicles 22

2 Chronicles 22: Ahaziah's death and Athaliah's seizure of the throne

General context

The inhabitants of Jerusalem make Ahaziah, the youngest son, king, because the raiders who came with the Arabians had killed all the elder sons. He is forty-two at accession and reigns one year; his mother is Athaliah the daughter of Omri. He walks in the ways of Ahab's house because his mother counsels him to do wickedly, and the house of Ahab are his counsellors after his father's death, to his destruction. He goes with Jehoram the son of Ahab to fight Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead; the Syrians wound Joram, who returns to Jezreel to be healed, and Ahaziah goes down to visit him there. The narrator says Ahaziah's destruction was of God by this visit, because he goes out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. Jehu, executing judgment, finds the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers and kills them. He seeks Ahaziah, who is hiding in Samaria; he is caught, brought to Jehu and killed, and buried because he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart. The house of Ahaziah has no power to hold the kingdom. Athaliah sees that her son is dead and destroys all the royal seed of the house of Judah. Jehoshabeath, the king's daughter, sister of Ahaziah and wife of Jehoiada the priest, steals Joash the son of Ahaziah from among the king's sons being killed and hides him and his nurse in a bedchamber. He stays hidden in the house of God six years while Athaliah reigns.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 22:1, 2 Chronicles 22:2, 2 Chronicles 22:3, 2 Chronicles 22:4, 2 Chronicles 22:5, 2 Chronicles 22:6, 2 Chronicles 22:7, 2 Chronicles 22:8, 2 Chronicles 22:9, 2 Chronicles 22:10, 2 Chronicles 22:11, 2 Chronicles 22:12

2 Chronicles 22 (KJV)

1And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah 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.

2Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.

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

4Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction.

5He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians smote Joram.

6And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick.

7And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

8And it came to pass, that, when 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.

9And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.

10But 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.

11But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took 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 bedchamber. 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 slew him not.

12And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

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Historical context

Names shift within the chapter. Ahaziah is called Azariah in the verse about his visit to Jezreel, and Jehoram the son of Ahab is called Joram in nearby verses about his wounds and the visit. Two men named Jehoram appear: Ahaziah's father, the king of Judah, and Ahab's son, the king of Israel. The chapter gives Ahaziah's age at accession as forty-two, while the previous chapter gives his father's age as thirty-two with an eight-year reign; the text does not reconcile the figures. Athaliah is called the daughter of Omri here, while the previous chapter says Jehoram had the daughter of Ahab as wife. Jehu the son of Nimshi is said to have been anointed by the Lord to cut off Ahab's house, but Chronicles does not narrate that anointing; he is not the seer Jehu the son of Hanani who rebuked Jehoshaphat. Those who bury Ahaziah are unnamed and give Jehoshaphat's devotion as their reason, calling him the son of Jehoshaphat, though by the book's own sequence he is Jehoshaphat's grandson through Jehoram; the burial place is not stated. Jehoshabeath is identified by three relationships: daughter of king Jehoram, wife of Jehoiada the priest, sister of Ahaziah. Athaliah's rule is stated in one clause with no regnal formula, age or verdict, and the six years are counted from the hiding of the child.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 22:6, 2 Chronicles 22:5, 2 Chronicles 22:1, 2 Chronicles 22:2, 2 Chronicles 21:20, 2 Chronicles 21:6, 2 Chronicles 22:7, 2 Chronicles 19:2, 2 Chronicles 22:9, 2 Chronicles 22:11, 2 Chronicles 22:12

Literary context

The reign is told as a matter of counsel: the mother is his counsellor, the house of Ahab are his counsellors, and he walks after their counsel into a war that is not his. The narrator states the verdict outright, that his destruction was of God through the visit to Joram, before describing the visit's outcome. The chapter is built from killings: the elder sons before it opens, the princes and nephews, Ahaziah himself, and then the whole royal seed at Athaliah's hand. Against these stands one rescue, told with the child's name, his nurse, the room and the woman's three relationships. Ahaziah receives burial for his grandfather's sake, not his own, so the memory of Jehoshaphat seeking the Lord with all his heart reaches his grandson. Two women close the chapter in contrast, the mother who destroys and the sister who hides, and the final clause leaves the usurper reigning while the hidden child waits, which the next chapter resolves in its seventh year.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 22:3, 2 Chronicles 22:4, 2 Chronicles 22:5, 2 Chronicles 22:7, 2 Chronicles 22:1, 2 Chronicles 22:8, 2 Chronicles 22:10, 2 Chronicles 22:11, 2 Chronicles 22:9, 2 Chronicles 22:12, 2 Chronicles 23:1

Key moments

  1. The youngest son made king (2 Chronicles 22:1). Jerusalem crowns Ahaziah because raiders have killed all his elder brothers.
  2. His mother as counsellor (2 Chronicles 22:3). Athaliah counsels her son to do wickedly in the ways of Ahab's house.
  3. Destruction by a visit (2 Chronicles 22:7). The narrator says Ahaziah's downfall came through going to see the wounded Joram.
  4. Caught in Samaria and killed (2 Chronicles 22:9). Jehu's men find Ahaziah hiding, kill him and bury him for Jehoshaphat's sake.
  5. Athaliah destroys the royal seed (2 Chronicles 22:10). Seeing her son dead, Athaliah kills the royal line of Judah.
  6. Joash stolen from the slaughter (2 Chronicles 22:11). Jehoshabeath hides the infant Joash and his nurse from Athaliah.

For reflection

Ahaziah is given a burial because of his grandfather Jehoshaphat, not because of anything he did. How much of what happens to a person in these chapters is carried by someone who came before, and does the text treat that as fair?

People in this chapter

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