Bible Commentaries

And 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.

The inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah ... king - or Jehoahaz (2 Chronicles 21:17). All his older brothers having been slaughtered by the Arab marauders, the throne of Judah rightfully belonged to him, as the only legitimate heir of Joram.

Forty 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.

Forty and two years old - (cf. 2 Kings 8:26.) According to that passage, the commencement of his reign is dated in the 22nd year of his age; and according to this, in the 42nd year of the kingdom of his mothers family. 'If Ahaziah ascended the throne in the 22nd year of his life, he must have been born in his father's nineteenth year. Hence, it may seem strange that he had older brothers; but in the East they marry early, and royal princes had, besides the wife of the first rank, usually concubines, as Jehoram had (2 Chronicles 21:17); he might, therefore, in the 19th year of his age, very well have several sons' (Keil) (cf. 2 Chronicles 21:20; 2 Kings 8:17).

Athaliah the daughter of Omri - more properly, grand-daughter. The expression is used loosely, as the statement was made simply for the purpose of intimating that she belonged to that idolatrous race.

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

His mother was his counselor.

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.

They were his counselors. The facile king surrendered himself wholly to the influence of his mother and her relatives. Athaliah and her son introduced a universal corruption of morals, and made idolatry the religion of the court and the nation. By them he was induced not only to conform to the religion of the northern kingdom, but to join a new expedition against Ramoth-gilead (see the note at 2 Kings 9:10).

He 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.

Went ... to war against Hazael king of Syria. It may be mentioned as a very minute and therefore important confirmation of this part of the sacred history, that the names of Jehu and Hazael his contemporary have both been found on Assyrian sculptures; and there is also a notice of Ithbaal, king of Sidon, who was the father of Jezebel.

And 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. Azariah ... went down - i:e., from Ramoth-gilead, to visit the king of Israel, who was lying ill of his wounds at Jezreel, and fled there on the alarm of Jehu's rebellion.

And 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.

No JFB commentary on these verses.

And 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.

Sought Ahaziah .. (for he was hid in Samaria) - (cf. 2 Kings 9:27-29.) The two accounts are easily reconciled. 'Ahaziah fled first to the garden-house and escaped to Samaria; but was here, where he had hidden himself, taken by Jehu's men who pursued him, brought to Jehu, who was still near or in Jezreel and a his command slain at the hill Gur, beside Ibleam, in his chariot; that is, mortally wounded with an arrow, so that he, again fleeing, expired Megiddo' (Keil). Jehu left the corpse at the disposal of the king of Judah's attendants, who conveyed it to Jerusalem and out of respect to his grandfather, Jehoshaphat's memory, gave him an honourable interment in the tombs of the kings.

So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom. His children were too young to assume the reins of government, and all the other royal princes had been massacred by Jehu (2 Chronicles 22:8).

But 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.

Athaliah ... arose and destroyed all the seed royal - (see the notes at 2 Kings 11:1-3.) Maddened by the massacre of the royal family of Ahab, she resolved that the royal house of David should have the same fate. Knowing the commission which Jehu, had received to extirpate the whole of Ahab's posterity, she expected that he would extend his sword to her. Anticipating his movements, she resolved, as her only defense and security, to usurp the throne and destroy "the seed royal," both because they were hostile to the Phoenician worship of Baal, which she was determined to uphold, and because, if one of the young princes became king, his mother would supersede Athaliah in the dignity of queen-mother.

But 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.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

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

He was with them hid in the house of God. Certain persons connected with the priesthood had a right to occupy the buildings in the outer wall, and all within the outer wall was often called the temple. Jehoiada and his family resided in one of these apartments.