January 31, 2003
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. (MH)
Also in this chapter we are reminded of the terrible effects of having the wrong woman by your side. Solomon knew, and he warned us over and over in Proverbs.
V. 2, Athaliah – Whom God afflicts.
1. The daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and the wife of Jehoram, king of Judah #2Ki 8:18 who "walked in the ways of the house of Ahab" #2Ch 21:6 called "daughter" of Omri #2Ki 8:26 On the death of her husband and of her son Ahaziah, she resolved to seat herself on the vacant throne. She slew all Ahaziah's children except Joash, the youngest #2Ki 11:1,2 After a reign of six years she was put to death in an insurrection #2Ki 11:20 2Ch 21:6 #2Ch 22:10-12 23:15 stirred up among the people in connection with Josiah's being crowned as king. (Easton)
Why would a king of Judah want to marry a daughter of the king of Israel, especially King Ahab's daughter?
V. 3, Ahaziah was the name of a son of Ahab, who succeeded Ahab on the throne of Israel. His mother, Jezebel, was his primary counselor. Ahaziah, also called Jehoahaz, was likewise the name of a son of King Jehoram of Judah, who died of the dreadful disease in chapter 21.
2. The son of Joram, or Jehoram, and sixth king of Judah. Called Jehoahaz #2Ch 21:17 25:23 and Azariah #2Ch 22:6 Guided by his idolatrous mother Athaliah, his reign was disastrous #2Ki 8:24-29 9:29 He joined his uncle Jehoram, king of Israel, in an expedition against Hazael, king of Damascus; but was wounded at the pass of Gur when attempting to escape, and had strength only to reach Megiddo, where he died #2Ki 9:22-28 He reigned only one year. (Easton)
Judah's Ahaziah had his mother, the daughter of Jezebel, as his primary counselor. He was son-in-law to Ahab.
4 Wherefore 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.
(e) He shows that it follows that the rulers are as their counsellors are and that there cannot be a good king who allows wicked counsellors. (Geneva)
Evidently, at his mother's counsel, Ahaziah joined with Jehoram, the son of Ahab, to war against the king of Syria. Jehoram was wounded, and returned to Jezreel to be healed. Ahaziah then went down to see Jehoram, at Jezreel at the wrong time, for Jehu was now executing God's judgment against the house of Ahab. However, he had been sent there by God, v. 7, to have God's judgment exercised against him also. Jehu killed Ahaziah and his chief ministers. They gave him a decient bural because he was Jehoshaphat's son.
The king and his chief ministers being slain, Ahaziah's mother, Athaliah, Ahab and Jezebell's daughter, usurped the kingdom of Judah, killing all of her grandchildren who might be a threat to her rule. However, the youngest son, Joash, was "spirited" away by his nurse, and hidden in the house of God for six years.
I think it is interesting that though Athaliah probably searched high and low for the grandchild that escaped, she did not find him; he was in the house of God. She, no doubt, did not look there, not expecting one of her grandchildren to be in such a place.
V. 6, Jehoram had Ahab's daughter for his wife, making him
and Azariah cousins by marriage.