1 וַיַּמְלִיכוּH4427 יוֹשְׁבֵיH3427 יְרוּשָׁלִַםH3389 אֶתH853 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 בְנוֹH1121 הַקָּטֹןH6996 תַּחְתָּיוH8478 כִּיH3588 כָלH3605 הָרִאשֹׁנִיםH7223 הָרַגH2026 הַגְּדוּדH1416 הַבָּאH935 בָֽעַרְבִיםH6163 לַֽמַּחֲנֶהH4264 וַיִּמְלֹךְH4427 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 בֶןH1121 יְהוֹרָםH3088 מֶלֶךְH4428 יְהוּדָֽהH3063
2 בֶּןH1121 אַרְבָּעִיםH705 וּשְׁתַּיִםH8147 שָׁנָהH8141 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 בְמָלְכוֹH4427 וְשָׁנָהH8141 אַחַתH259 מָלַךְH4427 בִּֽירוּשָׁלִָםH3389 וְשֵׁםH8034 אִמּוֹH517 עֲתַלְיָהוּH6271 בַּתH1323 עָמְרִֽיH6018
3 גַּםH1571 הוּאH1931 הָלַךְH1980 בְּדַרְכֵיH1870 בֵּיתH1004 אַחְאָבH256 כִּיH3588 אִמּוֹH517 הָיְתָהH1961 יֽוֹעַצְתּוֹH3289 לְהַרְשִֽׁיעַH7561
4 וַיַּעַשׂH6213 הָרַעH7451 בְּעֵינֵיH5869 יְהוָהH3068 כְּבֵיתH1004 אַחְאָבH256 כִּיH3588 הֵמָּהH1992 הָֽיוּH1961 לוֹH0 יֽוֹעֲצִיםH3289 אַחֲרֵיH310 מוֹתH4194 אָבִיוH1 לְמַשְׁחִיתH4889 לֽוֹH0
5 גַּםH1571 בַּעֲצָתָםH6098 הָלַךְH1980 וַיֵּלֶךְH1980 אֶתH854 יְהוֹרָםH3088 בֶּןH1121 אַחְאָבH256 מֶלֶךְH4428 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 לַמִּלְחָמָהH4421 עַלH5921 חֲזָאֵלH2371 מֶֽלֶךְH4428 אֲרָםH758 בְּרָמוֹתH7433 גִּלְעָדH1568 וַיַּכּוּH5221 הָֽרַמִּיםH7421 אֶתH853 יוֹרָֽםH3141
6 וַיָּשָׁבH7725 לְהִתְרַפֵּאH7495 בְיִזְרְעֶאלH3157 כִּיH3588 הַמַּכִּיםH4347 אֲשֶׁרH834 הִכֻּהוּH5221 בָֽרָמָהH7414 בְּהִלָּחֲמוֹH3898 אֶתH854 חֲזָהאֵלH2371 מֶלֶךְH4428 אֲרָםH758 וַעֲזַרְיָהוּH5838 בֶןH1121 יְהוֹרָםH3088 מֶלֶךְH4428 יְהוּדָהH3063 יָרַדH3381 לִרְאוֹתH7200 אֶתH853 יְהוֹרָםH3088 בֶּןH1121 אַחְאָבH256 בְּיִזְרְעֶאלH3157 כִּיH3588 חֹלֶהH2470 הֽוּאH1931
7 וּמֵֽאֱלֹהִיםH430 הָיְתָהH1961 תְּבוּסַתH8395 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 לָבוֹאH935 אֶלH413 יוֹרָםH3141 וּבְבֹאוֹH935 יָצָאH3318 עִםH5973 יְהוֹרָםH3088 אֶלH413 יֵהוּאH3058 בֶןH1121 נִמְשִׁיH5250 אֲשֶׁרH834 מְשָׁחוֹH4886 יְהוָהH3068 לְהַכְרִיתH3772 אֶתH853 בֵּיתH1004 אַחְאָֽבH256
8 וַיְהִיH1961 כְּהִשָּׁפֵטH8199 יֵהוּאH3058 עִםH5973 בֵּיתH1004 אַחְאָבH256 וַיִּמְצָאH4672 אֶתH853 שָׂרֵיH8269 יְהוּדָהH3063 וּבְנֵיH1121 אֲחֵיH251 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 מְשָׁרְתִיםH8334 לַאֲחַזְיָהוּH274 וַיַּהַרְגֵֽםH2026
9 וַיְבַקֵּשׁH1245 אֶתH853 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 וַֽיִּלְכְּדֻהוּH3920 וְהוּאH1931 מִתְחַבֵּאH2244 בְשֹֽׁמְרוֹןH8111 וַיְבִאֻהוּH935 אֶלH413 יֵהוּאH3058 וַיְמִתֻהוּH4191 וַֽיִּקְבְּרֻהוּH6912 כִּיH3588 אָֽמְרוּH559 בֶּןH1121 יְהוֹשָׁפָטH3092 הוּאH1931 אֲשֶׁרH834 דָּרַשׁH1875 אֶתH853 יְהוָהH3068 בְּכָלH3605 לְבָבוֹH3824 וְאֵיןH369 לְבֵיתH1004 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 לַעְצֹרH6113 כֹּחַH3581 לְמַמְלָכָֽהH4467
10 וַעֲתַלְיָהוּH6271 אֵםH517 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 רָאֲתָהH7200 כִּיH3588 מֵתH4191 בְּנָהּH1121 וַתָּקָםH6965 וַתְּדַבֵּרH1696 אֶתH853 כָּלH3605 זֶרַעH2233 הַמַּמְלָכָהH4467 לְבֵיתH1004 יְהוּדָֽהH3063
11 וַתִּקַּחH3947 יְהוֹשַׁבְעַתH3090 בַּתH1323 הַמֶּלֶךְH4428 אֶתH853 יוֹאָשׁH3101 בֶּןH1121 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 וַתִּגְנֹבH1589 אֹתוֹH853 מִתּוֹךְH8432 בְּנֵֽיH1121 הַמֶּלֶךְH4428 הַמּוּמָתִיםH4191 וַתִּתֵּןH5414 אֹתוֹH853 וְאֶתH853 מֵֽינִקְתּוֹH3243 בַּחֲדַרH2315 הַמִּטּוֹתH4296 וַתַּסְתִּירֵהוּH5641 יְהוֹשַׁבְעַתH3090 בַּתH1323 הַמֶּלֶךְH4428 יְהוֹרָםH3088 אֵשֶׁתH802 יְהוֹיָדָעH3077 הַכֹּהֵןH3548 כִּיH3588 הִיאH1931 הָיְתָהH1961 אֲחוֹתH269 אֲחַזְיָהוּH274 מִפְּנֵיH6440 עֲתַלְיָהוּH6271 וְלֹאH3808 הֱמִיתָֽתְהוּH4191
12 וַיְהִיH1961 אִתָּםH854 בְּבֵיתH1004 הָֽאֱלֹהִיםH430 מִתְחַבֵּאH2244 שֵׁשׁH8337 שָׁנִיםH8141 וַעֲתַלְיָהH6271 מֹלֶכֶתH4427 עַלH5921 הָאָֽרֶץH776
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 We have here an account of the reign of Ahaziah, a short reign (of one year only), yet long enough, unless it had been better. He was called
Jeho-ahaz (
2Chr 21:17); here he is called
Ahaz-iah, which is the same name and of the same signification, only the words of which it is compounded are transposed. He is here said to be forty-two years old when he began to reign (
2Chr 22:2), which could not be, for his father, his immediate predecessor, was but forty when he died, and it is said (
2Kgs 8:26) that he was twenty-two years old when
he began to reign. Some make this forty-two to be the age of his mother Athaliah, for in the original it is,
he was the son of forty-two years, that is, the son of a mother that was of that age; and justly is her age put for his, in reproach to him, because she managed him, and did what she would - she, in effect, reigned, and he had little more than the title of king. Many good expositors are ready to allow that this, with some few more such difficulties, arise from the mistake of some transcriber, who put forty-two for twenty-two, and the copies by which the error should have been corrected might be lost. Many ancient translations read it here twenty-two. Few books are now printed without some
errata, yet the authors do not therefore disown them, nor are the errors of the press imputed to the author, but the candid reader amends them by the sense, or by comparing them with some other part of the work, as we may easily do this.
The history of Ahaziah's reign is briefly summed up in two clauses,
2Chr 22:3,
2Chr 22:4. His mother and her relations were his counselors to do wickedly, and it was to his destruction.
I. He did wickedly. Though by a special providence of God he was preserved alive, when all his brethren were slain, and reserved for the crown, notwithstanding he was the youngest of them - though
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, when they had buried his father ingloriously, made him king, in hopes he would take warning by that not to tread in his steps, but would do better for himself and his kingdom - yet he was not influenced by the favours either of God or man, but
walked in the way of the house of Ahab, did evil in the sight of the Lord like them (
2Chr 22:3,
2Chr 22:4), that is, he worshipped, Baalim and Ashtaroth, supposing (as the learned bishop Patrick thinks) that by these demons, as mediators, they might have easier access to the supreme
Numen, the God of Israel, or that
these they might resort to at all times and
for all matters, as being
nearer at hand, and
not of so high a dignity, but of a
middle nature between the immortal God and mortal men - deified heroes; so they worshipped them as the church of Rome does saints and angels. That was sufficiently bad; but I wish there was no reason to suspect worse. I am apprehensive that they looked upon Jehovah, the God of their fathers, to be altogether such a one as these Baalim, and them to be as great and as good as he, nay, upon one account, more eligible inasmuch as these Baalim encouraged in their worshippers all manner of lewdness and sensuality, which the God of Israel strictly forbade.
II. He was counselled by his mother and her relations to do so.
She was his counsellor (
2Chr 22:3) and so were
they, after the death of his father, 2Chr 22:4. While his father lived
he took care to keep him to idolatry; but, when he was dead, the house of Ahab feared lest his father's miserable end should deter him from it, and therefore they were very industrious to keep him closely to it, and to make him
seven times more a
child of hell than themselves. The counsel of the ungodly is the ruin of many young persons when they are setting out in the world. This young prince might have had better advice if he had pleased from the princes and the judges, the priests and the Levites, that had been famous in his good grandfather's time for teaching in the knowledge of God; but the house of Ahab humoured him, and
he walked after their counsel, gave himself up to be led by them, and did just as they would have him. Thus do those debase and destroy themselves that forsake the divine guidance.
III. He was counselled by them to his destruction. So it proved. Those that counsel us to do wickedly counsel us to our destruction; while they fawn, and flatter, and pretend friendship, they are really our worst enemies. Those that debauch young men destroy them. It was bad enough that they exposed him to the sword of the Syrians, drawing him in to join with Joram king of Israel in an expedition to Ramoth-Gilead, where Joram was wounded, an expedition that was not for his honour. Those that give us bad counsel in the affairs of religion, if regarded by us, may justly be made of God our counsellors to do foolishly in our own affairs. But that was not all: by engaging him in an intimacy with Joram king of Israel, they involved him in the common ruin of the house of Ahab. He came on a visit to Joram (
2Chr 22:6) just at the time that Jehu was executing the judgment of God upon that idolatrous family, and so was cut off with them, (2Chr:22:7-9). Here, 1. See and dread the mischief of bad company - of joining in with sinners. If not the infection, yet let the destruction be feared.
Come out from Babylon, that falling house,
Revel 18:4. 2. See and acknowledge the justice of God. His providence brought Ahaziah, just at this fatal juncture, to see Joram, that he might fall with him and be taken as in a snare. This we had an account of before,
2Kgs 9:27,
2Kgs 9:28. It is here added that he was decently buried (not as Jehoram, whose dead body was cast into Naboth's vineyard,
2Kgs 9:26), and the reason given is because he was the son (that is, the grandson) of good Jehoshaphat,
who sought the Lord with his heart. Thus is
he remembered with honour long after his death, and some respect shown even to his degenerate unworthy seed for his sake.
The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot. 10 We have here what we had before,
2Kgs 11:1, etc. 1. A wicked woman endeavouring to destroy the house of David, that she might set up a throne for herself upon the ruins of it. Athaliah barbarously cut off all the seed-royal (
2Chr 22:10), perhaps intending to transmit the crown of Judah after herself to some of her own relations, that though her family was cut off in Israel by Jehu it might be planted in Judah. 2. A good woman effectually preserving it from being wholly extirpated. One of the late king's sons, a child of a year old, was rescued from among the dead, and saved alive by the care of Jehoiada's wife (
2Chr 22:11,
2Chr 22:12), that a
lamp might be ordained for God's anointed; for no word of God shall fall to the ground.