Ahaziah, succeeding, reigns wickedly, 1-4. In his confederacy with Joram, the son of Ahab, he is slain by Jehu, 5-9. Athaliah, destroying all the royal family, except Joash, whom Jehoshabeath his aunt hid, usurps the kingdom, 10-12.
1 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead, for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. Thus Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. 2 Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. 4 Therefore, he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors, after the death of his father, to his destruction.
5 He also walked after their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians smote Joram. 6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which were given to him at Ramah when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel because he was sick.
7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was from God by coming to Joram, for when he had come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
8 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 brothers of Ahaziah, who ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them. 9 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 they said, "He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So the house of Ahaziah had no power to retain the kingdom.
10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons who were slain and put him and his nurse in a bed chamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not slay him. 12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 22[➚]