Topical Bible: Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Ahaziah

◄ Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Ahaziah ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram and Athaliah, reigned as the sixth king of Judah. His reign is recorded in the biblical books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Ahaziah's rule was notably brief, lasting only one year, around 841 BC. His account is a cautionary tale of the consequences of ungodly alliances and the influence of idolatry.

Family Background and Ascension to the Throne

Ahaziah was born into a royal lineage that was deeply intertwined with the northern kingdom of Israel through his mother, Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. This connection to the house of Ahab would prove detrimental to his reign. Upon the death of his father, Jehoram, Ahaziah ascended to the throne of Judah at the age of 22. His mother, Athaliah, played a significant role in his reign, as noted in 2 Chronicles 22:3 : "He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wickedness."

Reign and Political Alliances

Ahaziah's reign was marked by his alliance with the northern kingdom of Israel, particularly with his uncle, King Joram (also known as Jehoram) of Israel. This alliance was solidified through their shared lineage and mutual interests. Ahaziah joined Joram in a military campaign against Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth-gilead. During this campaign, Joram was wounded, and Ahaziah visited him at Jezreel, which would lead to his downfall.

Influence of Idolatry and Wickedness

Ahaziah's reign was characterized by the continuation of idolatrous practices introduced by his maternal grandparents, Ahab and Jezebel. The influence of his mother, Athaliah, further entrenched these practices in Judah. 2 Kings 8:27 states, "And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law to the house of Ahab."

Downfall and Death

Ahaziah's downfall was swift and orchestrated by divine judgment against the house of Ahab. During his visit to Joram in Jezreel, Ahaziah encountered Jehu, who had been anointed by the prophet Elisha to destroy the house of Ahab. In the ensuing chaos, Jehu executed Joram and pursued Ahaziah. According to 2 Kings 9:27 , "When Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he fled up the road to Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him, shouting, 'Shoot him too!' So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot on the way up to Gur, near Ibleam." Ahaziah fled to Megiddo, where he died from his wounds.

Legacy and Aftermath

Ahaziah's death marked the beginning of a turbulent period for Judah. His mother, Athaliah, seized the throne and attempted to exterminate the royal line of David. However, Ahaziah's son, Joash, was hidden and later restored to the throne, ensuring the continuation of David's lineage. Ahaziah's reign serves as a reminder of the perils of ungodly alliances and the influence of idolatry, highlighting the importance of faithfulness to the LORD.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 8:25-29
In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 9:16-29
So Jehu rode in a chariot, and went to Jezreel; for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah was come down to see Joram.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 22:1-9
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 oldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Fall of the House of Ahab
... the child remained hidden, while "Athaliah reigned over the land ... of this time, "the
Levites and all Judah" (2 Chronicles ... said, God save the king." 2 Kings 11:12 ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 16 the fall of.htm

The Two Boy Kings.
... soon after Solomon's death, and a king reigned in Jerusalem ... of Judah, and another
in Samaria over the kingdom of ... among them were two who became kings when they ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxx the two boy.htm

The Divided Kingdom.
... Reigned IS years and died. ... During this time the kings of Judah cherished the
hope that they would regain their control over the ten tribes. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xiii the divided kingdom.htm

The Kingdom Op Judah.
... strengthened to gain a great victory over the Ethiopians ... kingdom during his lifetime,
and afterwards reigned alone till ... and most idolatrous of the Kings of Judah ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson vii the kingdom op.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... When He Had Taken Jezebel To Wife Became More Wicked Than All The Kings That Had ...
How Jotham, The Son Of Uzziah Reigned Over The Tribe Of Judah; And What ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

Questions.
... 14. Who reigned over the rest of Israel? 15. ... 29. Who reigned after Hezekiah? 30. ... 7.
What prophecy did Josiah exactly fulfil?"1 Kings, xiii.2.31, 32,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/questions.htm

Concerning Jehoshaphat the King of Jerusalem and How Ahab Made an ...
... by his grandfather Abijah, when Jeroboam reigned over the ten ... hundred thousand of
the tribe of Judah, of whom ... from Jerusalem to Samaria, the two kings went out ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 15 concerning jehoshaphat the.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... For we may pass over in silence Cometes of Crete ... for a half, Vespasian with Otho,
Galba, and Vitellius reigned. ... of Israel is reckoned among the kings of Judah. ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

Appendices
... and not rather one of the unknown kings of the ... Assyrians 732 Hezekiah 727 Invasion
of Judah by Sennacherib ... 2. My father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/appendices.htm

The Earlier Hebrew Histories.
... old songs are quoted: the "Song of Hannah," David's exquisite lament over Saul and ...
twenty years and then came to the throne and reigned for sixteen ... 2 Kings 16:2 ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter iv the earlier hebrew.htm