2 Crônicas 22
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
2 Crônicas 22
NJB (LXX versing) Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah Ahaziah Reigns in Judah The Brief but Wicked Reign of Ahaziah; the Usurpation of Athaliah King Ahaziah of Judah Reign of Ahaziah 22:1-4 22:1-9 22:1-6 22:1-6 22:1-9a Ahaziah Allies with Jehoram of Israel 21:5-7 Jehu Murders Princes of Judah 22:7-9 22:7-9a 22:8-9 22:9b 22:9b Athaliah Reigns in Judah Queen Athaliah of Judah Athaliah Massacres the Royal Family 22:10-12 22:10-12 22:10-12 22:10-12 22:10-12 Etc.
2 Crônicas 22:1-4
22:1 "Ahaziah" This same person is called "Jehoahaz" in 2 Chr. 1:17. It is hard in this chapter to identify persons because of the same name. "for the band of men who came with the Arabs to the camp had slain all the older sons" These are the Arabs who were allied with the Ethiopian rulers of Egypt (cf. 2 Chr. 14:9-15; 17:11). This is apparently related to 2 Chr. 21:16-17. Irony—two royal children saved; one is evil, Ahaziah and one is godly, Joash. The Messianic line from David continues! 22:2 NASB, TEV "twenty-two" NKJV, NRSV, NJB "forty-two" The MT has "forty two" but the text is so in doubt that the UBS Text Project cannot choose between the two forms. 2 Kings 8:26 has "twenty two." Some LXX MSS have "twenty" and some have "twenty two." Chronology strongly suggests the lower number (42 would make him older than his father). The AB, p. 125, suggests that the two versions of the LXX were combined to get "42," in an effort by the Chronicler to preserve both LXX text traditions. "the granddaughter of Omri" See full note at 2 Chr. 21:6. 22:3-6 What a tragedy! Israel and Judah had reunited, not around YHWH but around Ba'al. The judgment of YHWH (i.e., Jehu) on Ahab's house (including later, Athaliah) fell on Jehoram, the short-lived king of Judah. 22:3 "walked in the ways of the house of Ahab" This northern king was the one who popularized Ba'al worship because of the encouragement of his Phoenician wife, Jezebel (cf. 1 Kgs. 16:29-22:40). SPECIAL TOPIC: FERTILITY WORSHIP OF THE ANE 22:4 "He did evil in the sight of the Lord" This is theologically parallel to "walked in the ways of the house of Ahab." It denotes idolatry and covenant disobedience. YHWH is described in anthropomorphic language. Humans use earthly, time-oriented language to describe an eternal, spiritual Being! SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD DESCRIBED AS HUMAN "his counselors" The ones we listen to and seek advice from are crucial people in our spiritual lives! Be careful!
2 Crônicas 22:5-7
22:5 Notice the two different spellings of the same name. Jehoram ‒ יהורם Joram ‒ יורם NKJV, TEV, LXX "Syrians wounded" NASB, NRSV, REB, NJB, JPSOA, Peshitta "Arameans wounded" The MT has הרמים, which seems to be the root for "archers,"רמה (BDB 941), not "Aram," ארם (BDB 74), which is used earlier in 2 Chr. 22:5. 2 Kings 8:28 has "the Syrians wounded/smote Joram." The UBS Text Project does not address the possible variant. 22:6 "Ramah" This is not the city in Naphtali (cf. Josh. 19:29,36) but a reference to the battle in Ramoth-gilead. Young's Analytical Concordance lists it as a contraction of "Ramoth-gilead" (here and in 2 Kgs. 8:29). "Ahaziah" The MT has "Azariah" (BDB 741, JPSOA) but 2 Kgs. 8:29 has "Ahaziah" (BDB 28, cf. 2 Kgs. 9:16; NRSV, REV, NJB, LXX, Peshitta, and Vulgate). The UBS Text Project, p. 465, gives "Ahaziah" a "C" rating (considerable doubt). 22:7 Ahaziah's (Jehoahaz) demise is attributed to a direct influence by YHWH because of his disobedience (cf. 2 Chr. 21:14-15). This is characteristic of the Chronicler! He saw YHWH's hand in all of Judah/Israel's affairs. "Jehu" He is characterized as "whom the Lord had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab" (cf. 2 Kgs. 9:6,7). This was a prophetic anointing by Elisha! The full account or Jehu is found in 2 Kgs. 9:1-10:31. SPECIAL TOPIC: "ANOINTING" IN THE BIBLE
2 Crônicas 22:8-9
22:8-9 The leaders of Judah are also affected by YHWH's judgment on Ahab's house. This is paralleled in 2 Kgs. 10:12-14. 22:9 The account of Jehu's assassination of Ahaziah is recorded differently in 2 Kgs. 9:27. Kings and Chronicles used different sources. "Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart" This theological statement is a key to Chronicles. It is the way kings are evaluated. Rehoboam ‒ did not, 2 Chr. 12:14 Asa ‒ did, 2 Chr. 14:7; did not, 2 Chr. 16:12 Jehoshaphat ‒ did, 2 Chr. 19:3; 22:9 Uzziah ‒ did, 2 Chr. 26:5 Hezekiah ‒ did, 2 Chr. 31:12 Josiah ‒ did, 2 Chr. 34:3 Because they did, the blessings of Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28 are given to them and their people (cf. 2 Chr. 14:7; 17:5,11-12; 26:5; 31:21).
2 Crônicas 22:10-12
22:10-12 Athaliah saw the power vacuum and acted so she could reign. However, one child was spared (2 Chr. 22:11). There were still godly, faithful people in Judah. Jehoshabeath is King Jehoram of Judah's daughter wife of Jehoida the priest sister of King Ahaziah Athaliah's daughter or the daughter of another wife/concubine of Jehoram YHWH is acting to preserve the Messianic line of David (cf. 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17). 22:10 "she rose and destroyed" The MT has "she rose and commanded" with the implication of "kill" the other royal children (lit. "seed"). The LXX, Peshitta, and Vulgate emend "said" (דבר, BDB 180, KB 210,Piel IMPERFECT with waw) to the similar root, אבד, BDB 1, "destroy" (cf. 2 Kgs. 11:1). A good brief discussion of scribal errors is in R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, pp. 254-257. 22:11 "Jehoshabeath" 2 Kings 11:2 called her "Jehosheba." Oh how different the lives of Athaliah and Jeehoshabeath. One of sin and self, one of faith and selflessness! YHWH directed one; Satan directed the other. "in the bedroom" I do not know why NASB puts the word "bedroom" (BDB 641) in italics. It is in the MT here and 2 Kgs. 11:2. This term can mean where one sleeps ‒ Exod. 8:3; 2 Sam. 4:7; 2 Kgs. 6:12 where extra bedding is stored ‒ 2 Kgs. 11:2; 2 Chr. 22:11 Later the boy was kept in the temple chambers reserved for the priests (or possibly High Priest only). This is why Athaliah could not find him. 22:12 "Athalia reigned" See parallel in 2 Kings 11. "six years" This was probably the length of Athaliah's reign (cf. Edwin Thiele, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, p. 104, #18.