2 Chronicles 22 9

2 Chronicles 22:9 kjv

And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 22:9 nkjv

Then he searched for Ahaziah; and they caught him (he was hiding in Samaria), and brought him to Jehu. When they had killed him, they buried him, "because," they said, "he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So the house of Ahaziah had no one to assume power over the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 22:9 niv

He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, "He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 22:9 esv

He searched for Ahaziah, and he was captured while hiding in Samaria, and he 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." And the house of Ahaziah had no one able to rule the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 22:9 nlt

Then Jehu's men searched for Ahaziah, and they found him hiding in the city of Samaria. They brought him to Jehu, who killed him. Ahaziah was given a decent burial because the people said, "He was the grandson of Jehoshaphat ? a man who sought the LORD with all his heart." But none of the surviving members of Ahaziah's family was capable of ruling the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 22 verses

2 Chronicles 22 9 Meaning

2 Chronicles 22:9 describes the final moments of Ahaziah, king of Judah, highlighting his capture, execution by Jehu's men, and his subsequent burial. The reason given for his burial, despite his execution, is explicitly tied to his grandfather, Jehoshaphat's, deep devotion to the Lord. This act marks the end of Ahaziah's brief, wicked reign and underscores the immediate divine judgment upon him and the consequence for his household, leaving them without power to maintain the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 22 9 Context

2 Chronicles 22:9 follows a period of decline for the kingdom of Judah. King Jehoram, Ahaziah's father, abandoned the Lord's ways, marrying Athaliah, daughter of wicked King Ahab of Israel, and promoting Baal worship. His reign was marked by calamity and ultimately a horrible death, with no pleasant burial. Ahaziah succeeded his father and, under the wicked counsel of his mother Athaliah and the house of Ahab, continued their ungodly practices (2 Chr 22:3-4). His brief reign was further defined by his alliance with Jehoram, king of Israel (Ahab's son), against Hazael king of Aram (2 Chr 22:5). Ahaziah was wounded in battle and sought recovery in Jezreel, where Jehu, anointed by the prophet Elisha, was executing the Lord's judgment against the house of Ahab. Jehu's initial target was Jehoram of Israel, whom he killed (2 Kgs 9:24). It is after this that Ahaziah is sought out, as part of the broader judgment against the entire house of Ahab, which Judah had unfortunately aligned with through marriage and political alliances. The Chronicler emphasizes that even in this fierce judgment, a measure of respect (burial) was granted to Ahaziah only due to the great righteousness of his grandfather, Jehoshaphat. This highlights the severe consequences of ungodly alliances and the divine reckoning for wickedness, even as it acknowledges God's faithfulness to His promises made to past righteous generations.

2 Chronicles 22 9 Word analysis

• And he searched for Ahaziah: The verb "searched for" (Hebrew: וַיְבַקְשֻׁהוּ, vay’vak’shu hu) implies a deliberate and determined pursuit. This was not a chance encounter but an active hunt by Jehu's men, signifying the thoroughness of God's judgment against the wicked. The hunt for Ahaziah indicates he was a legitimate target within the scope of the divine commission given to Jehu, though not as direct a target as Jehoram of Israel.
• and they caught him (for he was hidden in Samaria): "Caught him" (Hebrew: וַיִּתְפְּשֻׁהוּ, vay’yit’pe’suhu) denotes being apprehended or seized. The parenthetical remark "for he was hidden in Samaria" (Hebrew: כִּי־נֶחְבָּא בְשֹׁמְרוֹן, ki nech’ba v’sho’mron) reveals Ahaziah's attempt to escape the divine wrath, which proved futile. Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, highlighting his close association and trust in the wicked house of Ahab, even in his final moments. His hiding underscores the fear of those targeted by divine judgment.
• and brought him to Jehu; Ahaziah was taken to Jehu to confirm his identity and seal his fate. This underscores Jehu's authority in executing God's decree against the royal houses associated with Ahab's wickedness.
• and when they had slain him, they buried him: "Slain him" (Hebrew: וַיַּהַרְגֻהוּ, vayya’har’guhuhu) indicates a violent and intentional killing, an execution of judgment. "They buried him" (Hebrew: וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ, vayyiq’beru’hu) is a significant detail. Burial, especially a proper one, was an act of respect and implied a certain level of dignity, contrasting sharply with the fate of many wicked kings who were denied honorable burial (e.g., Jehoram his father in 2 Chr 21:20; Ahab's house eaten by dogs). This act points to an important distinction that follows.
• Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. This is the crucial clause. "Son of Jehoshaphat" (Hebrew: בֶן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט, ben Y’ho’shafat) identifies his lineage to a highly revered king. "Sought the LORD with all his heart" (Hebrew: דָּרַשׁ אֶת־יְהוָה בְּכָל־לְבָבוֹ, darash et YHWH b’khol l’vavo) is the Chronicler's primary commendation for righteous kings, denoting deep devotion, sincere inquiry, and full obedience to God. The act of burial, then, is a concession given not for Ahaziah's own merit (he was wicked) but due to the deep reverence for his godly grandfather. It illustrates a principle where God’s mercy or honor can extend to later generations because of the covenant faithfulness of their ancestors, even amidst deserved judgment. This does not negate Ahaziah's individual sin but influences the nature of his death's aftermath.
• So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep the kingdom. This signifies the absolute end of Ahaziah's direct royal line. "No power to keep the kingdom" (Hebrew: אֵין עֹצֵר כֹּחַ לְמַמְלָכָה, en ’otzer koakh l’mam’lachah) means there was no one left who could effectively assume the throne or carry on his specific branch of the royal dynasty immediately after him. This immediate extinction of Ahaziah's royal household is a stark divine judgment, serving as a warning against ungodly alliances and disobedience, and emphasizes the instability of kingship not rooted in God's righteousness.

2 Chronicles 22 9 Bonus section

The account in 2 Chronicles provides a slight variation from 2 Kings 9, where Ahaziah is struck while fleeing but dies at Megiddo, and his servants bring him to Jerusalem for burial. The Chronicler's account streamlines the narrative, emphasizing the critical theological point that the reason for burial was Jehoshaphat's piety, irrespective of the exact place of death or subsequent transport. This reinforces the Chronicler's focus on a retributive theology—blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience—often extending to future generations based on the actions of their forefathers, either positively or negatively. While Ezekiel 18 teaches individual accountability, Old Testament narratives like this verse also demonstrate the socio-spiritual effects of a leader's or family line's faithfulness (or lack thereof) across generations.

2 Chronicles 22 9 Commentary

2 Chronicles 22:9 serves as a concise yet powerful narrative of divine judgment and its execution. It reveals that though judgment for sin is inevitable, God's remembrance of past righteousness can influence the form and degree of that judgment, even for a wicked individual. Ahaziah's death was not a mere casualty of war but a precise fulfillment of prophecy and a decisive act by God to remove a corrupt ruler linked to the wickedness of the house of Ahab. The detail of his burial, starkly contrasting with his father Jehoram's unhonored death, underscores the enduring legacy of a righteous king like Jehoshaphat, whose faithfulness had an impact even on his ungodly descendants. However, this ancestral grace did not avert the core judgment: Ahaziah's life was cut short, his wicked rule ceased, and his household was stripped of its royal claim, demonstrating that personal unrighteousness inevitably leads to the loss of God's direct blessing and protection over one's life and reign. The Chronicler highlights this judgment to reinforce the theological lesson that fidelity to God results in blessing and stability, while apostasy brings about chaos, demise, and loss of divine favor.