2 Kings 9:29 kjv
And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab began Ahaziah to reign over Judah.
2 Kings 9:29 nkjv
In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king over Judah.
2 Kings 9:29 niv
(In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah.)
2 Kings 9:29 esv
In the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign over Judah.
2 Kings 9:29 nlt
Ahaziah had become king over Judah in the eleventh year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab.
2 Kings 9 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 21:21-24 | "Behold, I will bring disaster upon you... because of the provocations..." | Elijah's prophecy against Ahab's house. |
| 2 Kgs 8:26 | "He began to reign when he was twenty-two years old, and he reigned one year... His mother's name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri." | Ahaziah's reign details; his connection to Ahab. |
| 2 Kgs 8:27 | "He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly." | Ahaziah's idolatry and link to Ahab's sin. |
| 2 Kgs 9:6-10 | "...thus says the LORD... 'You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge the blood...'" | Jehu's commission to destroy Ahab's line. |
| 2 Kgs 9:24-26 | "...Jehu drew his bow... and struck Joram between his arms... So Joram fell..." | Joram's death fulfills prophecy (Naboth). |
| 2 Kgs 9:27-28 | "But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house..." | Ahaziah pursued and killed by Jehu. |
| 2 Kgs 10:10-11 | "...know now that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke..." | Jehu's full destruction of Ahab's house. |
| 2 Chr 22:2-4 | "He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor..." | Ahaziah's evil path due to family influence. |
| 2 Chr 22:5-7 | "He also followed their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to make war..." | Ahaziah's alliance with Joram, leading to doom. |
| Psa 75:6-7 | "For not from the east or from the west... does exaltation come... it is God who executes judgment..." | God's sovereignty over kings and judgment. |
| Prov 16:9 | "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." | God's sovereign control over human events. |
| Isa 10:5-6 | "Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger... Against a godless nation I send him..." | God uses instruments (like Jehu) for judgment. |
| Jer 2:19 | "Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you." | Consequences of national sin and idolatry. |
| Rom 9:17 | "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you...'" | God raising instruments for His purposes. |
| Rom 13:4 | "For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain..." | Rulers as God's instruments of wrath. |
| Hab 2:3 | "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie..." | Divine prophecy fulfillment at its precise time. |
| Acts 17:26 | "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods..." | God's timing and boundaries for nations. |
| Gal 4:4 | "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son..." | Illustrates God's perfect timing in salvation history. |
| 2 Sam 7:16 | "And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me..." | Contrast with insecure royal lines like Ahab's, highlights Davidic covenant. |
| Deut 7:2-4 | "...you shall not make treaties with them or show them mercy... For they would turn your sons away from following me..." | Warning against unholy alliances leading to apostasy. |
2 Kings 9 verses
2 Kings 9 29 Meaning
2 Kings 9:29 precisely marks the beginning of Ahaziah's reign over Judah as the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel. This chronological detail is crucial for establishing the timeline of the dramatic events that follow, specifically Jehu's execution of God's judgment against the wicked house of Ahab, which also ensnared Ahaziah due to his family ties and association with Joram. The verse sets the stage for the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the eradication of Ahab's lineage.
2 Kings 9 29 Context
2 Kings chapter 9 chronicles the dramatic fulfillment of the Lord's word against the house of Ahab through Jehu. Prior to this verse, Elisha sent a prophet to anoint Jehu king of Israel and commissioned him to utterly destroy the dynasty of Ahab, specifically citing Jezebel and all male descendants as victims of God's wrath due to Ahab's idolatry, the shedding of innocent blood (like Naboth's), and leading Israel astray. The narrative focuses on Jehu's swift, decisive action to depose Joram, the current king of Israel and son of Ahab. This verse, 2 Kings 9:29, acts as a precise chronological anchor. It indicates that Ahaziah, the King of Judah, had already begun his reign when Joram of Israel's eleventh year began, thereby clarifying his presence and involvement with Joram. Ahaziah was the grandson of Ahab through his mother, Athaliah (daughter of Ahab and Jezebel). His alliance and visit to Joram (who was recovering from battle wounds) placed him directly in the path of Jehu's purging judgment, extending the divine condemnation beyond Israel's monarchy to the Judahite king closely linked to Ahab's house. This period represents a turbulent era of the divided kingdom marked by severe divine judgment for widespread idolatry and political instability.
2 Kings 9 29 Word analysis
- "In the eleventh year": This phrase establishes a precise chronological marker. It's significant because biblical narratives often provide such dates to underscore the unfolding of God's plan within specific historical periods. This particular timing aligns Ahaziah's relatively new reign with the culmination of God's judgment on Ahab's house.
- "of Joram": Refers to Jehoram, king of Israel. His name (יוֹרָם, Yoram) means "the LORD is exalted." Ironically, despite his name, he followed in the wicked ways of his father, Ahab, though sometimes credited with being slightly better by removing the pillar of Baal (2 Kgs 3:2). His rule marked the continuation of the Omride dynasty.
- "the son of Ahab": This lineage is paramount. Ahab's idolatry, especially his promotion of Baal worship and the murder of Naboth (1 Kgs 21), brought a severe curse from the LORD on his entire household. Jehu's mission, explicitly stated in 2 Kings 9, is to wipe out this lineage as a divine judgment.
- "Ahaziah": Refers to Ahaziah (אֲחַזְיָהוּ, ’Aḥazyahu), king of Judah. His name means "Yahweh has grasped/held" or "Yahweh is strong." Although king of Judah, he was fatally connected to the condemned house of Ahab through his mother, Athaliah, who was Ahab's daughter (2 Kgs 8:26). This family tie sealed his fate when divine judgment fell upon his in-laws.
- "began to reign": (הֵחֵל לִמְלֹךְ, heḥel limlok) This indicates the formal commencement of his rule. The exact timing mentioned here helps to reconcile the slightly different reign dates for Ahaziah given elsewhere in the text (e.g., 2 Kgs 8:25 speaks of the 12th year of Joram for Ahaziah's reign start). Scholars often resolve this through the concept of co-regencies, where a son begins to rule alongside his father for a period. This detail confirms Ahaziah's legitimate status as monarch at the time of the events described in 2 Kings 9.
- "over Judah": This specifies the kingdom over which Ahaziah ruled. The distinction between Judah (southern kingdom) and Israel (northern kingdom) is consistently maintained in the biblical text, highlighting their separate historical trajectories and sometimes intertwined, often conflicted, destinies. Ahaziah's judgment highlights the ripple effect of sin, crossing geographical and political boundaries through alliances.
2 Kings 9 29 Bonus section
The minor chronological variance in biblical accounts regarding Ahaziah's reign (2 Kgs 8:25 states 12th year, 2 Kgs 9:29 states 11th year) is a frequently discussed point among biblical scholars. A widely accepted reconciliation involves the practice of "co-regency," where a son begins to rule alongside his father. This means Ahaziah could have begun a co-regency in Joram's 11th year, and then his sole reign commenced in the 12th year, or there may be variations in calculation (accession vs. non-accession year dating). Regardless of the specific calculation method, the overarching purpose of this verse is clear: to chronologically tie Ahaziah's active kingship to the exact moment the devastating judgment on Ahab's house unfolds, illustrating the intricate, divinely-controlled timing of prophecy fulfillment.
2 Kings 9 29 Commentary
2 Kings 9:29 is not merely a dry historical note; it is a critical temporal marker that seamlessly integrates the tragic fate of Judah's King Ahaziah into the sweeping narrative of God's judgment against the wicked house of Ahab. By pinpointing Ahaziah's accession to the throne of Judah in Joram's eleventh year, the verse highlights the divine orchestration of events. Ahaziah's alliance with and visit to Joram placed him precisely where Jehu, God's anointed instrument of wrath, was fulfilling the ancient prophecy against Ahab's dynasty. His death, alongside Joram and other descendants of Ahab, underscores a profound biblical truth: the far-reaching and destructive consequences of wicked alliances and apostasy. It powerfully demonstrates that no one, not even a king of Judah, is immune from God's righteous judgment when aligning with and participating in profound evil and idolatry, as Ahab's family epitomized.