“And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.”
Arabians and Philistines, chap. xxi. 17. (Haydock)
“Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.”
Forty-two, &c. Diverse Greek Bibles read twenty-two, agreeably to 4 Kings viii. 18., (Challoner) with the Syriac and Arabic. The Roman (Calmet) and Alexandrian Septuagint have “twenty.” (Haydock) — Ochozias was the youngest son, and his father died at forty years of age, chap. xxi. 20. (Calmet) — Others would date from the birth of Amri, (Broughton) or of Athalia. But it is most probable that we should read 22, as [in] 4 Kings. (Calmet) — The contradiction has so much perplexed the commentators, that Walton (prol. 36) puts it among the quĉdam apora; and De Dieu says, “I would rather plainly confess that this difficulty is to us inexplicable.” The error here, “is plainly owing to a mistake of one of the Hebrew numeral letters,” c, being put instead of m, which was formerly more similar than it is now. “In Origen’s Hexapla, one of the Greek copies (probably that found in Caracalla’s time) reads here cb, by rendering the number 22, eikosi kai duo, all which proofs make the mistake indubitable, and strongly recommend this method of correcting it.” (Kennicott) — Mariana, Tirinus, &c., had already suggested this plan, (Haydock) which is very plausible. (Du Hamel) — Ochozias might reign twenty years with his father, and only one alone, 4 Kings viii. 26. (Worthington)
“He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly.”
Pushed. Hebrew and Septuagint, “was his counsellor to,” &c.
“And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which were given 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. which: Heb. wherewith they wounded him Azariah: also called, Ahaziah, ver.I. or, Jehoahaz, ver.21.17.”
Ochozias. So all the versions read. Hebrew, “Azarias,” is probably incorrect, unless this man had three names. (Calmet)
“And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. destruction: Heb. treading down”
For. Protestants, “and the destruction of Ahaziah was of God, by coming to Joram.” God had decreed to punish him by the hand of Jehu, 4 Kings ix.
“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 brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.”
Out. Hebrew, “exercising judgment with.” — Brethren, who had been themselves slain by the rovers. Ochozias employed his nephews at court, and they expected that he would make some stay at Jezrahel.
“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, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.”
Hid in the kingdom of Samaria, (Malvenda) at Mageddo, where he was wounded; though he was perhaps put to death at Jezrahel, 4 Kings ix. 27. — Buried him, at Jerusalem. — Reign. Hebrew, “the house of Ochozias had no one to bear the weight of the kingdom.” The children of the deceased were too young, particularly as most of the princes were slain. (Calmet) — Human hope failed, but God’s providence kept David’s issue on the throne, till Christ appeared. (Worthington)
“But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.”
All, except Joas, (ver. 11., and 4 Kings xi. 1.; Calmet) ninety-five years after Solomon’s death. (Mariana) (Du Hamel)
“But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber . 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 slew him not.”
High is not expressed in Hebrew or Septuagint, but he is supposed to have been the pontiff. (Haydock)