2 Chronicles · Chapter 22

Verse 1. Made Ahaziah his youngest son king] All the others had been slain by the Arabians, &c.; see the preceding chapter, 2 Chronicles 21:17.

Verse 1. The band of men had slain all the eldest — A cruel sort of men, who came along with the Arabians, and therefore slew those whom the Arabians had spared, and only carried into captivity. Or the Philistines may be intended, who accompanied the Arabians in this expedition, (2 Chronicles 21:16,) and who lived near the kingdom of Judah, and therefore wished to destroy all the branches of the royal family, lest, if any of them survived, they should afterward gain strength, and revenge themselves upon them for plundering their country, and carrying so many of the seed royal away captive.

V. 2. Forty two years-Some acknowledge an error in the transcribers of the present Hebrew copies, in which language the numeral letters for 22 and 42 are so like, that they might easily be mistaken. For that it was read 22 here, as it is in the book of Kings, in other Hebrew copies, they gather from hence, that it is at this day so read in divers ancient Greek copies, as also in those two ancient translations, the Syriack and the Arabick, and particularly in that most ancient copy of the Syriack which was used by the church of Antioch in the primitive times, and to this day is kept in the church of Antioch. The daughter-Of Ahab, Omri’s Son. Grand-children are often called sons and daughters.

Verse 2. Forty and two years old was Ahaziah] See Clarke’s note on “2 Kings 8:26”. Ahaziah might have been twenty-two years old, according to 2 Kings 8:26, but he could not have been forty-two, as stated here, without being two years older than his own father! See the note there. The Syriac and Arabic have twenty-two, and the Septuagint, in some copies, twenty. And it is very probable that the Hebrew text read so originally; for when numbers were expressed by single letters, it was easy to mistake m mem, FORTY, for k caph, TWENTY. And if this book was written by a scribe who used the ancient Hebrew letters, now called the Samaritan, the mistake was still more easy and probable, as the difference between [Samaritan] caph and [Samaritan] mem is very small, and can in many instances be discerned only by an accustomed eye.

The reading in 2 Kings 8:26 is right, and any attempt to reconcile this in Chronicles with that is equally futile and absurd. Both readings cannot be true; is that therefore likely to be genuine that makes the son two years older than the father who begat him? Apage hae nugæ!

Verse 2. Forty and two years old was Ahaziah — It is said (2 Kings 8:26) that he was but two and twenty years old when he began to reign; so that, it is probable, an error has been committed here by the copyist or transcriber. For some Greek copies have here twenty-two years old, and it is so in the Syriac and Arabic translations, and particularly in that most ancient copy of the Syriac, which was used by the church at Antioch in the primitive times, and to this day is kept in the church of Antioch, from which Archbishop Usher did, at his own great charge, get an exact copy transcribed. Athaliah the daughter of Omri — That is, of Omri’s family; or, of Ahab, Omri’s son. Grand-children are often called sons or daughters in the Scriptures.

Verse 2. Forty and two years old was Ahaziah. Forty two is here mis-written for twenty two, as is evident from 2 Kings 8:26. So are most of the ancient versions. His father Jehoram died in his forty first year, and Ahaziah was his youngest son; so he could not be more than twenty two. The Vatican and the Alexandrine copies of the Septuagint read twenty. He reigned one year in Jerusalem, says Dr. Lightfoot, being made viceroy when his father went to Ramoth-Gilead. In all, he reigned twelve years as regent, and eleven years as king. This is apparently true, how much soever it may embarrass chronology.—Athaliah, the daughter of Omri. She was daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and granddaughter of Omri. 2 Kings 8:18 2 Kings

Verse 3. His mother was his counsellor] Athaliah, the wicked daughter of a wicked parent, and the wicked spouse of an unprincipled king.

Verses 3, 4. He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab — Called their ways, not because they were the first inventors of them in these parts, but the chief establishers. These ways did not consist merely in the worshipping of God by an image, which was the way of Jeroboam; but in the worship of other gods besides the God of Israel, namely, Baal-gods, or Baalim. For his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly — Being a crafty and an imperious woman. Those that counsel persons to do wickedly, counsel them to their destruction. It is bad enough when strangers do this, but when parents give such counsel to their own children, it is deplorable indeed! The counsel of the ungodly is the ruin of many young people of both sexes, especially if given to them when they are setting out in life. They were his counsellors after the death of his father — Who, while he lived, seduced his son by his counsel and authority, and kept him to idolatry, and so rendered other evil counsellors unnecessary.

V. 4. His father-Who, while he lived, seduced his son himself, and made other evil counsellors unnecessary.

Verses 3, 4. He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab — Called their ways, not because they were the first inventors of them in these parts, but the chief establishers. These ways did not consist merely in the worshipping of God by an image, which was the way of Jeroboam; but in the worship of other gods besides the God of Israel, namely, Baal-gods, or Baalim. For his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly — Being a crafty and an imperious woman. Those that counsel persons to do wickedly, counsel them to their destruction. It is bad enough when strangers do this, but when parents give such counsel to their own children, it is deplorable indeed! The counsel of the ungodly is the ruin of many young people of both sexes, especially if given to them when they are setting out in life. They were his counsellors after the death of his father — Who, while he lived, seduced his son by his counsel and authority, and kept him to idolatry, and so rendered other evil counsellors unnecessary.

Verse 5. Went with Jehoram] See on 2 Kings 8:28.

Verse 5. He went with Jehoram to war against Hazael — Following the evil example of Jehoshaphat herein; though he would not follow him in what was good. But of this and the following verses, see notes on 2 Kings 8:28, 29, and 9:21, 27.

Verses 7, 8. The destruction of Ahaziah was of God — By his providence so disposing occasions, and Ahaziah’s inclinations, that he should come, at that particular time, to receive his deserved judgment. See on 2 Kings 10:12-14.

Verses 7, 8. The destruction of Ahaziah was of God — By his providence so disposing occasions, and Ahaziah’s inclinations, that he should come, at that particular time, to receive his deserved judgment. See on 2 Kings 10:12-14.

8:18. It was the frequent way of the Hebrews to call themselves after the first father of their house.

Ver. 8. Jehu—found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah. Ahaziah had no brothers; therefore these were his relations. The princes of Judah were very forward in favouring idolatry, and they received their reward, with these degenerate branches of David’s house. God also was preparing the same vengeance for the idolatrous rulers which remained.

V. 9. Ahaziah-Who, tho’ wounded, had made an escape, 2 Kings 9:27.

Verse 9. He sought Ahaziah] See a different account 2 Kings 9:27, and the note there, where the accounts are reconciled.

Verse 9. They sought Ahaziah — Who, though wounded, had made his escape. They caught him, for he was hid in Samaria — He fled first to Megiddo, but not thinking himself safe there, he fled to Samaria, where he was taken, and sent thence, by Jehu’s order, to Megiddo, where he received the sentence of death. See note on 2 Kings 9:27.

Ver. 9. Ahaziah—was hid in Samaria. He fled to Megiddo, a city of Samaria, and expired of his wound. 2 Kings 9:27. To that chapter the reader is referred for Reflections on this part of sacred history.

Verse 10. All the seed royal of the house of Judah] Nothing but the miraculous intervention of the Divine providence could have saved the line of David at this time, and preserved the prophecy relative to the Messiah. The whole truth of that prophecy, and the salvation of the world, appeared to be now suspended on the brittle thread of the life of an infant of a year old, (see 2 Chronicles 24:1,) to destroy whom was the interest of the reigning power! But God can save by few as well as by many. He had purposed, and vain were the counter-exertions of earth and hell.

Verse 10. But when Athaliah, &c. — This and verses 11, 12, are explained 2 Kings 11:1-3.

Verse 12. Hid in the house of God] “In the house of the sanctuary of God.”-Targum. Or, as he says on 2 Chronicles 22:11, ayvdwq vdwqb bekudash kudeshaiya “in the holy of holies.” To this place Athaliah had no access, therefore Joash lay concealed, he and his affectionate aunt-nurse.-See on 2 Kings 11:1.

II CHRONICLES

Ver. 12. Joash was hid in the house of God, because God would not wholly take away his love to David’s house.