2 Chronicles 22 8

2 Chronicles 22:8 kjv

And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.

2 Chronicles 22:8 nkjv

And it happened, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers who served Ahaziah, that he killed them.

2 Chronicles 22:8 niv

While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them.

2 Chronicles 22:8 esv

And when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he met the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers, who attended Ahaziah, and he killed them.

2 Chronicles 22:8 nlt

While Jehu was executing judgment against the family of Ahab, he happened to meet some of Judah's officials and Ahaziah's relatives who were traveling with Ahaziah. So Jehu killed them all.

2 Chronicles 22 verses

2 Chronicles 22 8 Meaning

This verse describes a pivotal moment during Jehu's divine purge of the wicked house of Ahab. As Jehu was executing God's judgment against Ahab's descendants and associates in Israel, he encountered high-ranking officials and close royal relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. These individuals, serving Ahaziah who had aligned with Ahab's ways, were then put to death by Jehu, extending the reach of divine retribution from Israel into Judah due to their intertwined corruption.

2 Chronicles 22 8 Context

This verse is situated within a very brief but impactful reign of King Ahaziah of Judah, documented in 2 Chronicles chapter 22. Ahaziah inherited the throne from his father, Jehoram, and tragically, also inherited the pervasive evil influence of his mother, Athaliah, who was the daughter of King Ahab and Jezebel of Israel. Consequently, Ahaziah "walked in the ways of the house of Ahab" (2 Chr 22:3-4), continuing the idolatry and wickedness that had permeated both the northern and southern kingdoms through their royal intermarriages and political alliances.

The preceding chapter details how Ahaziah joined Jehoram (Joram) king of Israel—his maternal uncle—in a military campaign against Aram at Ramoth-gilead. During this battle, Jehoram was wounded, and Ahaziah traveled to Jezreel to visit him. At this very time, Jehu, anointed by a prophet under Elisha's instruction, initiated a swift and ruthless purge to utterly annihilate the entire house of Ahab, as foretold by Elijah. Jehu executed Jehoram king of Israel and Jezebel. As part of this sweeping judgment, Ahaziah of Judah was also targeted due to his direct connection and alignment with the condemned house of Ahab (2 Chr 22:7, 9). Verse 8 then specifically describes Jehu's further actions beyond killing Ahaziah: his encounter with and execution of Judahite officials and royal family members who were found ministering to the now-slain King Ahaziah. This illustrates how the consequences of Judah's ungodly alliance with Ahab's line ultimately resulted in severe divine judgment extending to Judah's own leadership.

2 Chronicles 22 8 Word analysis

• And when he executed judgment: This phrase implies a divinely appointed action, not merely a human political coup. The Hebrew word for "executed judgment" (עֲשׂוֹת שְׁפָטִים, 'asot sh’phatim) denotes carrying out God's decree or judicial sentence. Jehu was an instrument of the Lord's long-prophesied judgment upon the corrupt lineage of Ahab (2 Kgs 9:6-7). This highlights God's sovereignty and righteousness in addressing evil.
• upon the house of Ahab: The Hebrew (בֵּית אָחָאב, bet 'akh'av) signifies not just Ahab's immediate family but his entire dynasty, influence, and those associated with his corrupt rule, particularly their notorious promotion of Baal worship and systemic wickedness (1 Kgs 16:30-33, 21:25-26). God's unwavering decree against this house was absolute.
• he found: The Hebrew (מָצָא, matsa') implies that Jehu deliberately sought them out or encountered them providentially. This wasn't a chance meeting; it was part of God's orchestrated judgment to extend purification to Judah, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of the purge.
• the princes of Judah: (שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה, sarei Yehudah). These were high-ranking officials and leaders in Judah. Their status suggests they wielded significant influence. Their presence signifies the deep infiltration of Ahab's corruption into Judah's administrative and political structures.
• and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah: (וּבְנֵי אַחֵי אֲחַזְיָהוּ, uv'nei 'achei 'akhazyahu). These were the nephews or male cousins of King Ahaziah of Judah, representing his close extended royal family. Some might have survived Jehoram's massacre of his own brothers (2 Chr 21:4), suggesting their continued prominence despite past turmoil. This further underscores how deep the intermarriage and corruption reached within Judah's own royal line.
• that ministered to Ahaziah: The Hebrew (מְשָׁרְתִים לַאֲחַזְיָהוּ, m'shartim la'akhazyahu) implies they were serving and supporting King Ahaziah in his administration. Given Ahaziah's walking "in the ways of the house of Ahab," their service implicitly tied them to his wicked and idolatrous reign, making them culpable by association with his condemned alliances.
• and slew them: The Hebrew (וַיַהֲרְגֵם, vayahargem) is stark and unambiguous. It reflects the complete, uncompromising, and divinely sanctioned nature of Jehu's mission. The lives of these officials and relatives were forfeited due to their direct association with and complicity in the idolatry and wickedness fostered by the house of Ahab.

Word Groups Analysis:

• "And when he executed judgment upon the house of Ahab, he found...": This establishes Jehu as an agent of divine justice. His actions are portrayed as directly fulfilling God's predetermined wrath against the pervasive evil epitomized by Ahab's house, whose reach now extended into Judah.
• "the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah": This specific targeting of Judahite royalty and officials demonstrates the ripple effect of Judah's unholy alliance with the Northern Kingdom's wicked dynasty. These individuals were not incidental bystanders but actively participated in Ahaziah's compromised reign, thereby falling under the same judgment that swept away Ahab's house.

2 Chronicles 22 8 Bonus section

The chronicler includes this detail, not found in 2 Kings, to underscore the theological lesson for Judah. It serves as a direct message that Judah's royal family and its supporting infrastructure were contaminated by their alliance with Ahab's house and were therefore justly subjected to divine purification. This narrative provides a strong emphasis on the devastating impact of sin spreading through the Davidic line. The "sons of the brethren of Ahaziah" may have also held significant wealth or influence, indicating that the purge affected the entire corrupted power structure within Judah. This judgment paves the way for the subsequent narrative of Athaliah's destructive reign and Judah's subsequent cleansing.

2 Chronicles 22 8 Commentary

2 Chronicles 22:8 powerfully illustrates the severe and far-reaching consequences of ungodly alliances and compromises. While Jehu's primary mission was to eradicate the notorious house of Ahab in the northern kingdom, Judah's deep interconnections with this condemned family (through intermarriage and shared military endeavors) inevitably brought the sweeping divine judgment upon its own royal and official class. The verse emphasizes that proximity to wickedness, particularly in a leadership capacity, offers no immunity from God's holy wrath. The killing of the Judahite princes and Ahaziah's relatives who "ministered to Ahaziah" highlights corporate responsibility; their service to a king deeply influenced by Ahab's evil made them complicit and subject to the cleansing fire of God's justice. This tragic event serves as a stark warning about the spiritual dangers of forming close bonds with those who actively oppose God's ways, underscoring that compromise with idolatry and unrighteousness will ultimately lead to ruin, affecting even those considered noble or close to power. It is a testament to God's impartial justice that tolerates no sustained wickedness within His people or among their leaders.