Ahaziah
(sustained by the Lord).
Son of Ahab and Jezebel eighth king of Israel, reigned B.C. 896-895. After the battle of Ramoth in Gilead, in which Ahab perished [Ahab], the vassal king of Moab refused his yearly tribute; comp. (Isaiah 16:1) Before Ahaziah could take measures for enforcing his claim, he was seriously injured by a fall through a lattice in his palace at Samaria. Being an idolater, he sent to inquire of the oracle of Baalzebub in the Philistine city of Ekron whether he should recover his health.
But Elijah, who now for the last time exercised the prophetic office, rebuked him for this impiety, and announced to him his approaching death. The only other recorded transaction of his reign, his endeavor to join the king of Judah in trading to Ophir, is related under Jehoshaphat. (1 Kings 22:49-53; 2 Kings 1:1; 2 Chronicles 20:35-37) Fifth king of Judah, son of Jehoram and Athaliah (daughter of Ahab), and therefore nephew of the preceding Ahaziah, reigned one year, B.C. 884.
He is Galled Azariah, (2 Chronicles 22:2) probably by a copyist’s error, and Jehoahaz. (2 Chronicles 21:17) He was 22 years old at his accession. (2 Kings 8:26) (his age 42, in (2 Chronicles 22:2) Isa a copyist’s error). Ahaziah was an idolater, and he allied himself with his uncle Jehoram king of Israel against Hazael, the new king of Syria. the two kings were, however defeated at Ramoth, where Jehoram was severely wounded.
The revolution carried out in Israel by Jehu under the guidance of Elisha broke out while Ahaziah was visiting his uncle at Jezreel. As Jehu approached the town, Jehoram and Ahaziah went out to meet him; the former was shot through the heart by Jehu, and Ahaziah was pursued and mortally wounded. He died when he reached Megiddo.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Ahaziah
Ahaziah a-ha-zi'-a ('achazyah and 'achazyahu, "Yah holds, or sustains"): ⇒See a list of verses on AHAZIAH in the Bible. I. Ahaziah. Son of Ahab and Jezebel, eighth king of Israel (1Ki 22:51 through 2Ki 1:18). ⇒See the definition of aha in the KJV Dictionary 1. His Reign: Ahaziah became king over Israel in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned two years, 854-853 BC. There is, here an incongruity between the synchronism and the length of the reigns of the kings. Jehoshaphat began to reign in the fourth year of Ahab (1Ki 22:41), and he reigned 22 years (1Ki 16:29). Accordingly Ahaziah's first year, in the twenty-second year of Ahab, would fall in the nineteenth year of Jehoshaphat. The chronological statement in 2Ki 1:17 is probably taken from the Syriac, and both are in harmony wrath a method of computation followed by certain Greek manuscripts. ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia. 2. His Character: A good name does not insure a good character. Ahaziah, the "God-sustained," served Baal and worshipped him, and provoked to anger Yahweh, th…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Ahaziah
1. King of Israel, son of Ahab. He is said to have reigned two years ; but as he came to the throne in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat (1 K 22"), and his brother Jehoram succeeded him in Jehoshaphat's 18th year (2 K 3'), the duration of his reign would not much exceed a year. The chronological statement in 2 K 1", which would imply a reign of nearly ten years, is probably an interpolation (Gratz, etc.) ; it is not found in B, and is misplaced in A. The Moabite Stone dates the revolt of Mesha as taking place after ' half the days of Omri's son' ; but the Bible account (2 K 1' 3°) is more probable, which makes it a consequence of the death of Ahab, who was a comparatively powerful monarch. In any case we do not read of any effort to suppress this rising until the reign of Jehoram. It is possible that Ahaziah was engaged in preparations tor war when the accident occurred which resulted in his death. He seems to have inherited from his mother her devotion to Baal, for in his extremity he sent to inquire at the oracle of Baalzebub, the special Baal worshipped at Ekron. The story of his fatal…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Ahaziah
("whom Jehovah holds".) 1. Son of Ahab and Jezebel; king of Israel; a worshipper of Jeroboam's calves, and of his mother's idols, Baal and Ashtoreth. After the Israelite defeat at Ramoth Gilead. Syria was master of the region E. of Jordan; so Moab (2Ki 1:1; 2Ki 3:5), heretofore tributary to Israel, refused the yearly tribute of 100,000 rams with their wool, and 100,000 lambs (2Sa 8:2; Isa 16:1; 2Ki 3:4). Ahaziah was prevented by a fall through a lattice in his palace at Samaria from enforcing it; but Jehoram his brother subsequently attempted it. Ahaziah sent to Baalzebub (lord of flies), god of Ekron, to inquire, should he recover? Elijah, by direction of the angel of the Lord, met the messengers, and reproving their having repaired to the idol of Ekron as if there were no God in Israel, announced that Ahaziah should die. The king sent a captain of 50 and his men to take Elijah. At Elijah's word they were consumed by fire. The same death consumed a second captain and his 50. The third was spared on his supplicating Elijah. Elijah then in person announced to the king what he had alre…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia