Ahaziah (1 Kings 22:40; 1 Kings 22:48–49; 1 Kings 22:51; 1 Kings 22:52–53; 2 Kings 1:1–2; 2 Kings 1:3–4; 2 Kings 1:9–10; 2 Kings 1:13–15; 2 Kings 1:16–17; 2 Kings 1:18; 2 Kings 3:1; 2 Chronicles 20:35–37)

Son of Ahab, king of Israel

The son of Ahab who reigned over Israel in Samaria two years, served Baal, and after a fall sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron; Elijah met them with the LORD's word, three captains of fifty were sent against Elijah, and the king died.

“So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead” (1 Kings 22:40). He “began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel” (1 Kings 22:51). The text sums up his reign: “he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherein he made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 22:52). 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles both tell of ships of Tarshish at Ezion-geber that were broken, and they tell of his part in them differently (1 Kings 22:48-49; 2 Chronicles 20:35-37).

“And Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick” (2 Kings 1:1-2). He sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether he would recover. The angel of the LORD sent Elijah the Tishbite to meet them, and Elijah's word was “thus saith Jehovah, Thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die” (2 Kings 1:4).

The king sent a captain of fifty with his fifty, and then another; fire from heaven consumed both. The third captain fell on his knees, and Elijah went down with him to the king (2 Kings 1:9-15). To the king himself Elijah spoke the same word, and “he died according to the word of Jehovah which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his stead … because he had no son” (2 Kings 1:17). The rest of his acts, the text says, are “written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel” (2 Kings 1:18).

Weaknesses

• Evil in the sight of the LORD
• Walked in the way of Jeroboam
• Served Baal
• Inquired of Baal-zebub instead of the God of Israel

Themes

• Son of Ahab
• Baal worship
• Inquiring of other gods
• The word of the LORD through Elijah
• Captains of fifty

Reigns in Ahab's stead (1 Kings 22:40; 1 Kings 22:51)

Ahab sleeps with his fathers and Ahaziah his son reigns over Israel in Samaria two years.

Evil in the sight of the LORD (1 Kings 22:52–53)

The text says he walked in the way of his father, his mother and Jeroboam, served Baal, and provoked the LORD to anger.

The ships of Tarshish (1 Kings 22:48–49; 2 Chronicles 20:35–37)

1 Kings says the ships were broken at Ezion-geber and Jehoshaphat would not let Ahaziah's servants go in them; 2 Chronicles says Jehoshaphat joined himself with Ahaziah to make them.

The ships of Tarshish

1 Kings says: “Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not” (1 Kings 22:48-49).

2 Chronicles says: “And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel; the same did very wickedly: and he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Ezion-geber” (2 Chronicles 20:35-36). Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat: “Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah hath destroyed thy works. And the ships were broken, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish” (2 Chronicles 20:37).

The fall and the inquiry of Baal-zebub (2 Kings 1:1–2)

After Moab rebels, Ahaziah falls through the lattice of his upper chamber in Samaria, is sick, and sends messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron.

The fall and the inquiry of Baal-zebub

“And Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab” (2 Kings 1:1).

“And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this sickness” (2 Kings 1:2).

Elijah meets the messengers (2 Kings 1:3–8)

The angel of the LORD sends Elijah the Tishbite to meet the king's messengers, who return and tell Ahaziah the word; when they describe the hairy man girt with leather, he says it is Elijah the Tishbite.

The captains of fifty (2 Kings 1:9–15)

Ahaziah sends a captain of fifty with his fifty, and then another, and fire from heaven consumes both; the third captain falls on his knees and begs for his life.

The captains of fifty

“Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he spake unto him, O man of God, the king hath said, Come down” (2 Kings 1:9). Elijah answered, “If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty” (2 Kings 1:10).

“And again he sent unto him another captain of fifty and his fifty” (2 Kings 1:11), who said, “O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly” (2 Kings 1:11); and “the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty” (2 Kings 1:12).

“And again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight” (2 Kings 1:13). “And the angel of Jehovah said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king” (2 Kings 1:15).

Dies according to the word (2 Kings 1:16–18)

Elijah tells Ahaziah to his face that he shall surely die because he sent to inquire of Baal-zebub; he dies and Jehoram reigns in his stead.

Dies according to the word

“And he said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die” (2 Kings 1:16).

“So he died according to the word of Jehovah which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son” (2 Kings 1:17).

“Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?” (2 Kings 1:18). The text does not say where he was buried.

Ahab (1 Kings 22:40; 1 Kings 22:52–53)

His father: Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead, and walked in his father's way and served Baal according to all that his father had done.

Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:48–49; 2 Chronicles 20:35–37)

1 Kings says Jehoshaphat would not let Ahaziah's servants go in his ships; 2 Chronicles says he joined himself with Ahaziah to make ships to Tarshish.

Elijah (2 Kings 1:3–4; 2 Kings 1:15–17)

The angel of the LORD sent Elijah to meet the king's messengers, and Elijah spoke to Ahaziah the word that he should surely die.

Jehoram (1 Kings 22:51; 2 Kings 1:17; 2 Kings 3:1)

Each is called a son of Ahab; Jehoram began to reign in Ahaziah's stead, because he had no son.

The LORD (1 Kings 22:53; 2 Kings 1:16–17)

Ahaziah provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger; the LORD's word through Elijah was fulfilled at his death.

Major sections

• 1 Kings 22:40–53
• 2 Kings 1
• 2 Chronicles 20:35–37

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