ahaziah Summary and Overview

held by Jehovah. (1.) The son and successor of Ahab. He followed the counsels of his mother Jezebel, and imitated in wickedness the ways of his father. In his reign the Moabites revolted from under his authority (2 Kings 3:5-7). He united with Jehoshaphat in an attempt to revive maritime trade by the Red Sea, which proved a failure (2 Chr. 20:35-37). His messengers, sent to consult the god of Ekron regarding his recovery from the effects of a fall from the roof-gallery of his palace, were met on the way by Elijah, who sent them back to tell the king that he would never rise from his bed (1 Kings 22:51; 2 Kings 1:18). (2.) The son of Joram, or Jehoram, and sixth king of Judah. Called Jehoahaz (2 Chr. 21:17; 25:23), and Azariah (2 Chr. 22:6). Guided by his idolatrous mother Athaliah, his reign was disastrous (2 Kings 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 (2 Kings 9:22-28). He reigned only one year.

(sustained by the Lord). 1. Son of Ahab and Jezebel eighth king of Israel, reigned B.C. 896-895. After the battle of Ramoth in Gilead, in which Ahab perished [AHAB], the vassal king of Moab refused his yearly tribute; comp. #Isa 16:1| Before Ahaziah could take measures for enforcing his claim, he was seriously injured by a fall through a lattice in his palace at Samaria. Being an idolater, he sent to inquire of the oracle of Baalzebub in the Philistine city of Ekron whether he should recover his health. But Elijah, who now for the last time exercised the prophetic office, rebuked him for this impiety, and announced to him his approaching death. The only other recorded transaction of his reign, his endeavor to join the king of Judah in trading to Ophir, is related under JEHOSHAPHAT. #1Ki 22:49-53; 2Ki 1:1 ...; 2Ch 20:35-37| 2. Fifth king of Judah, son of Jehoram and Athaliah (daughter of Ahab), and therefore nephew of the preceding Ahaziah, reigned one year, B.C. 884. He is Galled AZARIAH, #2Ch 22:2| probably by a copyist's error, and JEHOAHAZ. #2Ch 21:17| He was 22 years old at his accession. #2Ki 8:26| (his age 42, in #2Ch 22:2| Isa a copyist's error). Ahaziah was an idolater, and he allied himself with his uncle Jehoram king of Israel against Hazael, the new king of Syria. the two kings were, however defeated at Ramoth, where Jehoram was severely wounded. The revolution carried out in Israel by Jehu under the guidance of Elisha broke out while Ahaziah was visiting his uncle at Jezreel. As Jehu approached the town, Jehoram and Ahaziah went out to meet him; the former was shot through the heart by Jehu, and Ahaziah was pursued and mortally wounded. He died when he reached Megiddo.

AHAZI'AH (whom Jehovah sustains). 1. The son and successor of Ahab, and eighth king of Israel, b. c. 896-895. 1 Kgs 22:40. He was an idolater, and for this reason, when he attempted to unite with Jehoshaphat in the gold-trade with Ophir, God caused the ships to be broken in port at Ezion-geber, not allowing this union between his friends and foes. See Jehoshaphat. Under him Moab rebelled. A fall through a lattice, probably from the window of his chamber in his palace in Samaria, occasioned his death. Characteristically, he sent to inquire at Ekron of Baal-zebub whether his injury would be fatal. Elijah met the messengers and told them that he would die. The king sent to take Elijah, and thus two companies of soldiers were destroyed. But with the third, Elijah went and told the king in person of his speedy death. 2 Kgs 1. 1. Called also Azariah, 2 Chr 22:6, and Jehoahaz, 2 Chr 21:17, was a son of Jehoram and Athaliah, and fifth king of Judah, and at the age of twenty-two succeeded his father as king of Judah. 2 Kgs 8:25. He continued the idolatry of the house of Ahab, and was governed by the advice of his infamous mother. His reign lasted only one year, b. c. 884. He allied himself with his uncle, Jehoram, king of Israel, and attacked Hazael, king of Syria, who defeated them at Ramoth-gilead. Jehoram was severely wounded and carried to his palace in Jezreel. There Ahaziah visited him. Israel meanwhile rebelled under Jehu. The two kings went out to meet him, and Jehu killed Jehoram. Ahaziah fled, and was pursued to the pass of Gur, where he was mortally wounded, but escaped, and died at Megiddo. In this way the slightly differing accounts, 2 Kgs 9:27 and 2 Chr 22:9, can be reconciled.

("whom Jehovah holds".) 1. Son of Ahab and Jezebel; king of Israel; a worshipper of Jeroboam's calves, and of his mother's idols, Baal and Ashtoreth. After the Israelite defeat at Ramoth Gilead. Syria was master of the region E. of Jordan; so Moab (2 Kings 1:1; 2 Kings 3:5), heretofore tributary to Israel, refused the yearly tribute of 100,000 rams with their wool, and 100,000 lambs (2 Samuel 8:2; Isaiah 16:1; 2 Kings 3:4). Ahaziah was prevented by a fall through a lattice in his palace at Samaria from enforcing it; but Jehoram his brother subsequently attempted it. Ahaziah sent to Baalzebub (lord of flies), god of Ekron, to inquire, should he recover? Elijah, by direction of the angel of the Lord, met the messengers, and reproving their having repaired to the idol of Ekron as if there were no God in Israel, announced that Ahaziah should die. The king sent a captain of 50 and his men to take Elijah. At Elijah's word they were consumed by fire. The same death consumed a second captain and his 50. The third was spared on his supplicating Elijah. Elijah then in person announced to the king what he had already declared to his messenger. So accordingly Ahaziah died. He was in alliance with Jehoshaphat in building ships at Ezion Geber to go to Tarshish; but the ships were wrecked, the Lord, as He intimated by Eliezer son of Dodavah of Mareshah, thereby manifesting disapproval of the alliance of the godly, with Ahaziah "who did very wickedly. Jehoshaphat therefore, when he built a new fleet of merchant ships (as the phrase "ships of Tarshish" means; the other reading is "had ten ships"), in which undertaking Ahaziah wanted to share, declined further alliance; bitter experience taught him the danger of evil communications (1 Corinthians 15:33). Let parents and young people beware of affinity with the ungodly, however rich and great (2 Corinthians 6:14, etc.). 2. Nephew of the former. At first viceroy during his father's sickness, then king of Judah, son of Jehoram of Judah and Athaliah, Ahab's cruel daughter (2 Kings 9:29, compare 2 Kings 8:25). Called Jehoahaz (2 Chronicles 21:17-19). Azariah ("whom Jehovah helps," substantially equivalent to Ahaziah or Jehoahaz by transposition, a name sadly at variance with his character), in 2 Chronicles 22:6, may be a transcriber's error for Ahaziah. In 2 Chronicles 22:2, for 42 there should be, as in 2 Kings 8:26, "twenty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign," for his father Jehoram was only 40 when he died (2 Chronicles 21:20). Ahaziah walked in all the idolatries of Ahab his maternal grandfather, his mother being his counselor to do wickedly. He allied himself with Jehoram of Israel, brother of the former Ahaziah (in spite of the warning God gave him in the fatal issue of the alliance of godly Jehoshaphat, his paternal grandfather, with wicked Ahab), against Hazael of Syria at Ramoth Gilead. Jehoram was wounded, and Ahaziah went to see him at Jezreel. There his destruction from God ensued by Jehu, who conspired against Joram. Akin to Ahab in character, as in blood, he might have overspread Judah with the same idolatry as Israel, but for God's intervention. Fleeing by the garden house, he was smitten in his chariot at the going up to Gur by Ibleam, and he fled to Megiddo and died there. God's people must separate from the world, lest they share the world's judgments (Revelation 18:4). In 2 Chronicles 22:9 we read Ahaziah was hid in Samaria, brought to Jehu, and slain. The two accounts harmonize thus. Ahaziah fled first to the garden house (Bethgan), and escaped to Samaria where were his brethren; thence brought forth from his hiding place to Jehu, he was mortally wounded in his chariot at the hill Gut beside Iblcam, and reaching Megiddo died there. Jehu allowed Ahaziah's attendants to bury him honorably in his sepulchre with his fathers in the city of David, "because, said they, he is the son grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart." Otherwise "in Samaria" may mean "in the kingdom of Samaria," or 2 Chronicles 22:9 may mean merely, he attempted to hide in Samaria, but did not reach it. The recurrence of the same names Joram and Ahaziah in both the dynasties of Israel and Judah is a delicate mark of truth, it being the natural result of the intermarriages.