2 Chronicles 22 2

2 Chronicles 22:2 kjv

Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.

2 Chronicles 22:2 nkjv

Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri.

2 Chronicles 22:2 niv

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.

2 Chronicles 22:2 esv

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri.

2 Chronicles 22:2 nlt

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri.

2 Chronicles 22 verses

2 Chronicles 22 2 Meaning

This verse states that Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king of Judah and reigned for only one year in Jerusalem. It further identifies his mother as Athaliah, specifically noting her as the "daughter of Omri," which critically links her, and thereby Ahaziah and the royal line of Judah, to the wicked Omride dynasty of the northern kingdom of Israel.

2 Chronicles 22 2 Context

This verse immediately follows the account of Jehoram's wicked and tragic reign, serving as the introduction to Ahaziah's own brief kingship. Historically, the kingdom of Judah was the southern kingdom, ostensibly upholding the Davidic covenant and the worship of Yahweh in Jerusalem. However, generations of compromise, notably through Jehoshaphat's alliance with the wicked house of Ahab, led to intermarriage (Jehoram to Athaliah, Ahab's daughter). This introduced intense Baal worship and the corrupt practices of the northern kingdom (Israel), a direct polemic against spiritual compromise and the mingling of the faithful with idolaters. Ahaziah's description sets the stage for how this evil seed further corrupted Judah, eventually leading to his premature death and Athaliah's bloody usurpation of the throne, nearly extinguishing the Davidic line. The "daughter of Omri" emphasizes this imported corruption, as Omri and Ahab were infamous for state-sanctioned idolatry.

2 Chronicles 22 2 Word analysis

• Forty and two years old:
  • This numerical datum presents a textual discrepancy with the parallel account in 2 Kings 8:26, which states "twenty and two years old." The figure of 22 years old is generally favored by scholars as Ahaziah's age, making 42 either a scribal error (perhaps a numerical confusion between similar-looking Hebrew letters for 20 and 40, or transposition), or possibly referring to 42 years into the reign of Omri's dynasty when Ahaziah ascended, emphasizing his connection to that wicked line's duration. The exact interpretation highlights the importance of comparative biblical study.
• Ahaziah (אֲחַזְיָהוּ, ’ăḥaz·yā·hū):
  • Means "Yahweh has grasped," "Yahweh holds," or "Yahweh has taken possession." The meaning stands in stark irony to his short and wicked reign, suggesting he was 'grasped' by divine judgment.
• when he began to reign:
  • This phrase indicates the commencement of his royal tenure, marking a new chapter in the dynastic history.
• reigned one year:
  • This remarkably brief duration signals an ineffective and divinely truncated reign, a common consequence of wicked rule in biblical narratives. It reflects instability and divine disapproval.
• in Jerusalem:
  • Identifies the capital of the kingdom of Judah, the spiritual and political center established by David. This clarifies that Ahaziah ruled over the legitimate Davidic kingdom, despite his ungodly lineage.
• His mother's name was Athaliah (עֲתַלְיָה, ‘Ăṯal·yāh):
  • "Athaliah" means "Yahweh is exalted" or "Afflicted of Yahweh," another ironic name given her extreme idolatry and later infamy. The mention of the queen mother was customary and important in Judah, as these figures often wielded significant power and influence.
• the daughter of Omri:
  • This is a highly significant genealogical marker. Athaliah was technically the daughter of Ahab and granddaughter of Omri (1 Kings 16:29, 2 Kings 8:18). By calling her "daughter of Omri," the text emphasizes her lineage from the very founder of Israel's most wicked and idolatrous dynasty. Omri introduced significant Baal worship and corrupt statutes (Micah 6:16). This designation immediately signals the corrupting influence she brought into the Davidic line, tracing the source of Judah's spiritual decline.

2 Chronicles 22 2 Bonus section

The numerical discrepancy regarding Ahaziah's age at ascension (42 in 2 Chronicles 22:2 vs. 22 in 2 Kings 8:26) is one of the most noted harmonistic challenges in the biblical text. While some ancient versions or interpretations attempt to reconcile by suggesting one account refers to a "co-regency" or counting years from an earlier point (e.g., from the start of the Omri dynasty), the prevailing scholarly view often points to "22" as the original age and "42" as a scribal error. If 42 were correct, Ahaziah would have been older than his father, Jehoram, who was 40 when he died after an 8-year reign. Therefore, "22" years old aligns better with the chronology of his father's reign and general age of succession. Regardless of the numerical solution, the brief duration of "one year" remains consistent and underscores the unstable and divinely judged nature of his kingship, reflecting a broader biblical pattern of short and disastrous reigns for kings who defied Yahweh. Furthermore, the persistent identification of Athaliah as "daughter of Omri" rather than simply "daughter of Ahab" carries significant polemical weight, underscoring the deep-rooted corruption of the Omride house as a distinct spiritual plague. It served as a stark reminder of the dire consequences of political alliances overriding divine commands regarding separation from idolatry, as such compromise directly infiltrated the leadership of God's covenant people.

2 Chronicles 22 2 Commentary

2 Chronicles 22:2 concisely introduces Ahaziah's brief and inglorious reign, placing particular emphasis on the devastating influence of his mother, Athaliah. The verse immediately informs the reader that Ahaziah's rule, lasting only one year, was fraught with the wickedness directly inherited and propagated by his connection to the notorious Omride dynasty of Israel. This detail explains why Ahaziah would "walk in the ways of the house of Ahab" (v. 3), as Athaliah acted as his principal "counsellor for doing wickedly" (v. 3). The textual discrepancy concerning his age (42 vs. 22 years old) primarily serves to draw attention to the brevity of his life and reign, consistent with the pattern of short reigns for ungodly kings. This verse thus lays the foundation for understanding the depths of Judah's moral decline and the severity of the crisis that would engulf the Davidic throne in the subsequent verses.