Difference between revisions of "Ahaziah"

<p> '''Ahazi'ah.''' ''(Sustained By The Lord).'' </p> <p> 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, ''See '' '''Ahab''' '','' the vassal king of Moab refused his yearly tribute; compare &nbsp;Isaiah 16:1. </p> <p> 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. </p> <p> 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''' . &nbsp;1 Kings 22:49-53; &nbsp;2 Kings 1:1; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 20:35-37. </p> <p> 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 called '''Azariah''' , &nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:2, probably by a copyist's error, and '''Jehoahaz''' . &nbsp;2 Chronicles 21:17. </p> <p> He was 22 years old at his accession; &nbsp;2 Kings 8:26; (his age 42, in &nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:2, is 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. </p> <p> 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. </p>

<p> '''Ahaziah''' (''Â-Ha-Zî'Ah'' ). ''Whom Jehovah Holds.'' 1. The eighth king of Israel; he was the son and successor of Ahab. He reigned two years, alone and with his father, who associated him in the kingdom the year before his death. In the second year of his reign he fell through the lattice of an upper apartment of his palace, and died soon after, as Elijah had foretold, b.c. 895. Ahaziah imitated the impiety of his father and mother in the worship of Baal and Ashteroth. &nbsp;1 Kings 22:40-51; &nbsp;2 Kings 1:1-18; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 20:35; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 20:37. 2. The sixth king of Judah; he succeeded his father, and reigned only one year. &nbsp;2 Kings 8:26. In &nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:2, he is said, by an error of the scribes, to have been "forty-two years old" when he began to reign, which would make him two years older than his father. The correct age is "twenty-two," as stated in &nbsp;2 Kings 8:16-26. Ahaziah was governed by his idolatrous mother Athaliah; he received his mortal wound by the command of Jehu, and died at Megiddo, b.c. 883. &nbsp;2 Kings 9:27. In &nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:9, the circumstances of the death of Ahaziah appear to be stated differently: but the account is only more full, and.follows the order of events. Ahaziah is also called "Jehoahaz," &nbsp;2 Chronicles 21:17; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 25:23; and "Azariah," &nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:6. </p>

<p> '''''ā''''' -'''''ha''''' -'''''zı̄´a''''' ( אחזיה , <i> ''''''aḥazyāh''''' </i> and אחזיהוּ , <i> ''''''ăḥazyāhū''''' </i> , "Yah holds, or sustains"): </p> I. Ahaziah <p> Son of Ahab and Jezebel, eighth king of Israel (1 Ki 22:51 through 2 Ki 1:18). </p> <p> 1. His [[Reign]] </p> <p> Ahaziah became king over Israel in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned two years, 854-853 bc. There is, here an incongruity between the synchronism and the length of the reigns of the kings. Jehoshaphat began to reign in the fourth year of Ahab (&nbsp;1 Kings 22:41 ), and he reigned 22 years (&nbsp;1 Kings 16:29 ). Accordingly Ahaziah's first year, in the twenty-second year of Ahab, would fall in the nineteenth year of Jehoshaphat. The chronological statement in &nbsp;2 Kings 1:17 is probably taken from the Syriac, and both are in harmony wrath a method of computation followed by certain Greek manuscripts. </p> <p> 2. His Character </p> <p> A good name does not insure a good character. Ahaziah, the "God-sustained," served Baal and worshipped him, and provoked to anger Yahweh, the God of Israel, Just as his father before him had done. He appears to have been weak and unfortunate, and calamities in quick succession pursued him. </p> <p> 3. The [[Revolt]] of Moab </p> <p> Ahab had sought the good and became an enemy to the best. His house and the nation suffered the consequences. "Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab." Ahaziah appears to have been too weak to offer resistance. The [[Moabite]] Stone dates the revolt in the days of Ahab. No doubt it began at the time of Ahab's last campaign against Syria. </p> <p> 4. His Maritime [[Alliance]] </p> <p> According to &nbsp;1 Kings 22:48 f Ahaziah attempted to form an alliance with Jehoshaphat of Judah to revive the ancient maritime traffic, but failed. According to &nbsp; 2 Chronicles 20:35-37 the alliance was consummated, in consequence of which the enterprise came to nothing. See Jehoshaphat . </p> <p> 5. His [[Sickness]] and Death </p> <p> Ahaziah suffered a severe accident by falling through the lattice in his upper apartment in Samaria, and lay sick. As a worthy son of Jezebel and Ahab, he sent messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, regarding his recovery. But Israel belonged to Yahweh. Accordingly the messengers were met by the prophet Elijah who for the last time warns against the corrupting moral influences of the Baal religion. "Thus saith Yahweh, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?' Therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die" was the message which he sent back to the embassy, and the death of the king speedily followed. </p> II. Ahaziah <p> Sixth king of Judah (&nbsp;2 Kings 8:25-29; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:16 f = &nbsp; 2 Chronicles 22:1-9 ); also written Jehoahaz (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 21:17; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 25:23 ), which is merely a transposition of the component parts of the compound. The form "Azariah" (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:6 ) is an error, fifteen [[Hebrew]] manuscripts and all the versions reading Ahaziah. </p> <p> 1. His Brief Reign </p> <p> Ahaziah, youngest son of Jehoram, began to reign in the twelfth year (&nbsp;2 Kings 8:25 ) of Jehoram of Israel. In &nbsp;2 Kings 9:29 it is stated as the eleventh. The former is probably the Hebrew, the latter the Greek method of computation, the [[Septuagint]] Luc also reading eleventh in &nbsp; 2 Kings 8:25 . He was 22 years old when he began to reign and he reigned one year (&nbsp;2 Kings 8:26 ). The reading "forty two" (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:2 ) is a scribal error, since according to &nbsp;2 Chronicles 21:5 , &nbsp;2 Chronicles 21:20 Jehoram the father was only 40 years old at the time of his death. Syriac, Arabic and Luc read 22, Septuagint Codex Vaticanus 20. See [[Chronology Of The Old Testament]] . </p> <p> 2. His Character </p> <p> (Compare &nbsp;2 Kings 8:27; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:3 , &nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:4 .) In view of the disaster which befell the royal house (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 21:16 , &nbsp;2 Chronicles 21:17 ), the inhabitants of [[Jerusalem]] placed Ahaziah the youngest son upon the throne. That "he walked in the way of the house of Ahab" is exemplified by Chronicles to the effect that his mother, the daughter of Jezebel, counseled him in the ways of wickedness and that the house of Ahab led him to his destruction. The influence of Jezebel was at work in Judah. Ahaziah dedicated "hallowed things" to [[Yahweh]] (&nbsp;2 Kings 12:18 ), but he did evil in Yahweh's eyes. </p> <p> 3. His Alliance with Jehoram of Israel </p> <p> (Compare &nbsp;2 Kings 8:28 , &nbsp;2 Kings 8:29; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:5 , &nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:6 .) Ahaziah cultivated the relations which had been established between the two kingdoms by Ahab. Accordingly he joined his uncle Jehoram of Israel in an expedition against Hazael, king of Syria. Ramoth-gilead was captured and held for Israel against the king of Syria (&nbsp;2 Kings 9:14 ). However, Jehoram of Israel was wounded and returned to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds. It appears that the army was left in charge of Jehu at Ramoth-gilead. Ahaziah apparently went to Jerusalem and later went down to Jezreel to visit Jehoram. In the meantime Jehu formed a conspiracy against Jehoram. </p> <p> 4. His Death </p> <p> The death of Ahaziah, as told in &nbsp;2 Kings 9:16 f, differs from the account in &nbsp; 2 Chronicles 22:7-9 . According to the account in Kings, Ahaziah who is visiting Jehoram, joins him in a separate chariot to meet Jehu. Jehoram suspecting treachery turns to flee, but an arrow from the bow of Jehu pierces his heart and he dies in his chariot. Ahaziah tries to escape, but is overtaken near [[Ibleam]] and mortally wounded by one of Jehu's men. He fled to the fortress of Megiddo, where he died. His servants conveyed his body in a chariot to Jerusalem, where he was buried. According to the Chronicler, this account is very much abbreviated (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 22:7 f). His destruction is of God because of his alliance with Jehoram. Jehu, who was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, first slew the kinsmen of Ahaziah. He then sought Ahaziah who was hiding in Samaria. When he was found, he was brought to Jehu and put to death. He was buried, but where and by whom we are not told. </p> <p> That there were other traditions respecting the death of Ahaziah, is proved by Josephus, who says that when Ahaziah was wounded he left his chariot and fled on horseback to Megiddo, where he was well cared for by his servants until he died ( <i> Ant. </i> , IX, vi, 3). </p>