Catholic Commentary on 2 Chronicles 22

"Through Ahaziah's visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah's downfall." (2 Chronicles 22:7)

Ahaziah and Athaliah

Ahaziah son of Jehoram reigns in Jerusalem. He follows the counsel of Ahab's house: his mother Athaliah, Ahab's daughter, encourages him in wickedness. Through Ahaziah's visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah's downfall. He goes to see Joram, Ahab's son, who is recovering from wounds. Jehu, who is executing God's judgment on the house of Ahab, finds Ahaziah at Samaria hiding and kills him. When Athaliah hears that her son is dead, she proceeds to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. Jehosheba, daughter of Jehoram, rescues Joash, Ahaziah's young son, and hides him and his nurse in a bedroom. He remains hidden while Athaliah rules the land for six years.

The Catechism identifies Jehosheba's rescue of the infant Joash as a type of every providential preservation of the covenant line through human courage: one woman's act of concealment keeps the Davidic dynasty alive for a generation (CCC 303).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, Jehosheba hid one child in a bedroom and the covenant line survived. The single act of one courageous woman preserved the dynasty that leads to Christ. Your single act of faithfulness may be the one that preserves something more important than you know. Do the small courageous thing.

Prayer

Lord God, Jehosheba hid one child and the covenant survived. Use our small acts of courage to preserve what you have entrusted to our keeping. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

22
Ahaziah Reigns in Judah
(2 Kings 8:25-29)
1 Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, the youngest son of Jehoram, king in his place, since the raiders who had come into the camp with the Arabs * 22:1 Or since the marauding bands of Arabs had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 2 Ahaziah was twenty-two † 22:2 Some LXX manuscripts and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:26); Hebrew forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri.
 
3 Ahaziah also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wickedness. 4 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for to his destruction they were his counselors after the death of his father.
 
5 Ahaziah also followed their counsel and went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans ‡ 22:5 Some LXX manuscripts the archers wounded Joram;§ 22:5 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verses 6 and 7 6 so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramah * 22:6 Ramah is a variant of Ramoth; see verse 5. when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah † 22:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:29); most Hebrew manuscripts Azariah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.
 
7 Ahaziah’s downfall came from God when he went to visit Joram. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son ‡ 22:7 Or grandson; see 2 Kings 9:14. of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.
Jehu Kills the Princes of Judah
(2 Kings 9:14-29)
 
8 So while Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the rulers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them.
 
9 Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu’s soldiers captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. So Ahaziah was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.”
 
So no one was left from the house of Ahaziah with the strength to rule the kingdom.
Athaliah and Joash
(2 Kings 11:1-3)
 
10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath § 22:11 Jehoshabeath is a variant of Jehosheba; twice in this verse; see 2 Kings 11:2. daughter of King Jehoram took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she could not kill him.
 
12 And Joash remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

*22:1 22:1 Or since the marauding bands of Arabs

†22:2 22:2 Some LXX manuscripts and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:26); Hebrew forty-two

‡22:5 22:5 Some LXX manuscripts the archers

§22:5 22:5 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verses 6 and 7

*22:6 22:6 Ramah is a variant of Ramoth; see verse 5.

†22:6 22:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac (see also 2 Kings 8:29); most Hebrew manuscripts Azariah

‡22:7 22:7 Or grandson; see 2 Kings 9:14.

§22:11 22:11 Jehoshabeath is a variant of Jehosheba; twice in this verse; see 2 Kings 11:2.

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