221 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem cause Ahaziah his youngest son to reign in his stead, (for all the elder had the troop slain that came in with the Arabians to the camp,) and Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah reigneth. 2 A son of twenty and two years 'is' Ahaziah in his reigning, and one year he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother 'is' Athaliah daughter of Omri; 3 he also hath walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother hath been his counsellor to do wickedly. 4 And he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, like the house of Ahab, for they have been his counsellors, after the death of his father, for destruction to him. 5 Also, in their counsel he hath walked, and goeth with Jehoram son of Ahab king of Israel to battle against Hazael king of Aram, in Ramoth-Gilead, and they of Ramah smite Joram; 6 and he turneth back to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds with which they had smitten him in Ramah, in his fighting with Hazael king of Aram. And Azariah son of Jehoram king of Judah hath gone down to see Jehoram son of Ahab, in Jezreel, for he 'is' sick;
7 and from God hath been the destruction of Ahaziah, to come unto Joram: and in his coming he hath gone out with Jehoram unto Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Jehovah anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. 8 And it cometh to pass, in Jehu's executing judgment with the house of Ahab, that he findeth the heads of Judah and sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, ministers of Ahaziah, and slayeth them. 9 And he seeketh Ahaziah, and they capture him, (and he is hiding himself in Samaria), and bring him in unto Jehu, and put him to death, and bury him, for they said, 'He 'is' son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Jehovah with all his heart;' and there is none to the house of Ahaziah to retain power for the kingdom.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Chronicles 22:1-9
Chapter Contents
The reign of Ahaziah, Athaliah destroys the royal family.
The counsel of the ungodly ruins many young persons when they are setting out in the world. Ahaziah gave himself up to be led by evil men. Those who advise us to do wickedly, counsel us to our destruction; while they pretend to be friends, they are our worst enemies. See and dread the mischief of bad company. If not the infection, yet let the destruction be feared, Revelation 18:4. We have here, a wicked woman endeavouring to destroy the house of David, and a good woman preserving it. No word of God shall fall to the ground. The whole truth of the prophecies that the Messiah was to come from David, and thereby the salvation of the world, appeared to be now hung upon the brittle thread of the life of a single infant, to destroy whom was the interest of the reigning power. But God had purposed, and vain were the efforts of earth and hell.