וַיַּמְלִיכוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֶת־אֲחַזְיָהוּ בְנוֹ הַקָּטֹן תַּחְתָּיו כִּי כָל הָרִאשֹׁנִים הָרַג הַגְּדוּד הַבָּא בָעַרְבִים לַמַּחֲנֶה וַיִּמְלֹךְ אֲחַזְיָהוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

The inhabitants of Jerusalem crowned Ahazyahu his youngest son king in his stead, as the troop that had come with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the older ones. Consequently, Ahazyahu son of Yehoram king of Judah became king.

בֶּן־אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה אֲחַזְיָהוּ בְמָלְכוֹ וְשָׁנָה אַחַת מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ עֲתַלְיָהוּ בַּת עָמְרִי

Ahazyahu was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. It is difficult to understand that he was literally forty-two years old, as according to the information provided above, his father, Yehoram, was forty when he died. It is likely that this number is based on a different chronology of Ahazyahu’s years. His mother’s name was Atalyahu daughter of Omri. As stated in the previous chapter (21:6), she was the daughter of Ahav, who was the son of Omri. It is not uncommon for the Bible to refer to members of the royal dynasties of Israel as children of the founder of that dynasty.

גַּם־הוּא הָלַךְ בְּדַרְכֵי בֵּית אַחְאָב כִּי אִמּוֹ הָיְתָה יוֹעַצְתּוֹ לְהַרְשִׁיעַ

He, Ahazyahu, also followed in the ways of the house of Ahav, as his mother was his counselor to act wickedly. Atalyahu, who was earlier held responsible for the sins of her husband Yehoram, was no less influential over her son Ahazyahu.

וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' כְּבֵית אַחְאָב כִּי־הֵמָּה הָיוּ־לוֹ יוֹעֲצִים אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אָבִיו לְמַשְׁחִית לוֹ

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, like the house of Ahav, as they were his counselors after the death of his father, and they contributed to his ruin. Since his mother the queen was the dominant figure in the royal court, she made sure to fill it with officials who were loyal to her. These advisors had a detrimental effect on the king. Although the Kingdom of Israel did not physically conquer Judah, it greatly influenced the southern kingdom through the figure of Queen Atalyahu.

גַּם בַּעֲצָתָם הָלַךְ וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶת יְהוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל־ חֲזָאֵל מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם בְּרָמוֹת גִּלְעָד וַיַּכּוּ הָרַמִּים אֶת־יוֹרָם

He also followed their counsel and went with Yehoram son of Ahav, king of Israel, to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramot Gilad (see commentary on 18:2). Yehoram continued his father’s incessant wars against Aram, and the Arameans smote Yoram, Yehoram king of Israel. They did not kill him, but he was wounded in battle.

וַיָּשָׁב לְהִתְרַפֵּא בְיִזְרְעֶאל כִּי הַמַּכִּים אֲשֶׁר הִכֻּהוּ בָרָמָה בְּהִלָּחֲמוֹ אֶת־חֲזָהאֵל מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם וַעֲזַרְיָהוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָם מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה יָרַד לִרְאוֹת אֶת יְהוֹרָם בֶּן־אַחְאָב בְּיִזְרְעֶאל כִּי־חֹלֶה הוּא

He, Yehoram king of Israel, returned to convalesce in Yizre’el because of the wounds that were struck against him at Rama, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Azaryahu, probably another name for Ahazyahu, son of Yehoram king of Judah went down to see Yehoram son of Ahav, his wounded uncle, in Yizre’el, because he was ill.

וּמֵאֱלֹהִים הָיְתָה תְּבוּסַת אֲחַזְיָהוּ לָבוֹא אֶל־יוֹרָם וּבְבֹאוֹ יָצָא עִם־יְהוֹרָם אֶל יֵהוּא בֶן־נִמְשִׁי אֲשֶׁר מְשָׁחוֹ ה' לְהַכְרִית אֶת־בֵּית אַחְאָב

The downfall of Ahazyahu was from God, his coming to Yoram. His visit to Yehoram was a punishment from God; and when he came, he went out with Yehoram to Yehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to eliminate the house of Ahav. Ahazyahu arrived there exactly when a revolt was underway, as Yehu had been given a prophecy instructing him to destroy the house of Ahav, and not to leave any survivors.

וַיְהִי כְּהִשָּׁפֵט יֵהוּא עִם־בֵּית אַחְאָב וַיִּמְצָא אֶת־שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְנֵי אֲחֵי אֲחַזְיָהוּ מְשָׁרְתִים לַאֲחַזְיָהוּ וַיַּהַרְגֵם

It was when Yehu was punishing the house of Ahav that he found there at the time the princes of Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahazyahu, who were serving Ahazyahu, and he killed them. Yehu destroyed not only the family of Ahav; he also killed all the friends and supporters of the king of Israel. Ahazyahu king of Judah was a descendant of Ahav and close to his son Yehoram, and therefore Yehu did not hesitate to kill his men as well.

וַיְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־אֲחַזְיָהוּ וַיִּלְכְּדֻהוּ וְהוּא מִתְחַבֵּא בשֹׁמְרוֹן וַיְבִאֻהוּ אֶל־יֵהוּא וַיְמִיתֻהוּ וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ כִּי אָמְרוּ בֶּן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט הוּא אֲשֶׁר־דָּרַשׁ אֶת־ה' בְּכָל־לְבָבוֹ וְאֵין לְבֵית אֲחַזְיָהוּ לַעְצֹר כֹּחַ לְמַמְלָכָה

He, Yehu, sought Ahazyahu, who had fled from him, and they captured him from where he was hiding in the city of Samaria. They brought him to Yehu, and he put him to death. They buried him, as they said: He is the son of Yehoshafat, who sought the Lord with all his heart. He deserves some respect, as he was the grandson of the righteous king, Yehoshafat. Although they did not spare his life, they showed him some honor by burying him rather than tossing his body in the open field, as they had done to Yehoram son of Ahav. There was no one from the house of Ahazyahu with the capacity to reign. Yehu had evidently killed all the men of power and status in the Kingdom of Judah.

וַעֲתַלְיָהוּ אֵם אֲחַזְיָהוּ רָאֲתָה כִּי־מֵת בְּנָהּ וַתָּקָם וַתְּדַבֵּר אֶת־כָּל־זֶרַע הַמַּמְלָכָה לְבֵית יְהוּדָה

Atalyahu, mother of Ahazyahu, saw that her son was dead, and she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. Her husband Yehoram had already killed some of his family, and she did her best to destroy anyone who might contest the throne. Consequently, she became the ruler of Judah.

וַתִּקַּח יְהוֹשַׁבְעַת בַּת־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־יוֹאָשׁ בֶּן־אֲחַזְיָהוּ וַתִּגְנֹב אֹתוֹ מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמּוּמָתִים וַתִּתֵּן אֹתוֹ וְאֶת־מֵינִקְתּוֹ בַּחֲדַר הַמִּטּוֹת וַתַּסְתִּירֵהוּ יְהוֹשַׁבְעַת בַּת־הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוֹרָם אֵשֶׁת יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן כִּי הִיא הָיְתָה אֲחוֹת אֲחַזְיָהוּ מִפְּנֵי עֲתַלְיָהוּ וְלֹא הֱמִיתָתְהוּ

But Yehoshavat, also called Yehosheva, daughter of Yehoram the king, though presumably from another woman, not Atalyahu, took Yo’ash son of Ahazyahu, and spirited him from among the king’s sons who were put to death. Atalyahu had ordered that all the sons of the king be killed, but one small boy remained unnoticed among the corpses. And she, Yehoshavat, put him and his nurse in the bedroom. The child was so small that he still required a nurse, and his aunt Yehoshavat managed to hide them both away. Some commentaries maintain that this “bedroom” was actually the most concealed place in the Temple, the only spot where they could be sure that the child would remain untouched. Yehoshavat daughter of King Yehoram, wife of Yehoyada the High Priest, concealed him, Yo’ash, from Atalyahu, for she was the sister of Ahazyahu, and she, Atalyahu, did not put him to death. The fact that Yehoyada was the High Priest explains why he was given the king’s daughter for a wife; it also accounts for their choice of a hiding place. Together, Yehoshavat and Yehoyada sought to preserve a remnant of the house of David from the murderous intentions of Atalyahu.

וַיְהִי אִתָּם בְּבֵית הָאֱלֹהִים מִתְחַבֵּא שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים ועֲתַלְיָה מֹלֶכֶת עַל־הָאָרֶץ

He was with them in the House of God, hiding, for six years. The king’s son grew up in the Temple without anyone knowing about his existence, as he was under the tutelage and protection of the High Priest, who was in charge of the Temple. And throughout these years, Atalya was reigning over the land. She had her ministers and advisors, and she proved to be a strong queen who ruled over the land in her own way.