1 Kings 22:51

1Ki 22:51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.

Ver. 51. Began to reign.] His father Ahab yet living.

And reigned two years.] After his father’s death.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 22:51-52. And reigned two years over Israel — Not complete, as appears from 2Ki 3:1; but part of two years; for he died before his second year was ended. He walked in the way of his father — Followed the wicked example he had set, especially in worshipping Baal. And in the way of his mother — Jezebel, who was still living; acting according to her wicked counsel. And in the way of Jeroboam — Kept up his idolatry in worshipping the calves. Though he had heard of the ruin of Jeroboam’s family, and had seen his own father drawn to his own destruction by the prophets of Baal, who had been often proved to be false prophets, yet he received no instruction, took no warning, but pursued their wicked courses, not in the least amended by all that had befallen them. And provoked the Lord, according to all that his father had done — Most unhappy parents, that thus help to damn their own children’s souls! We see by all this, how little the example of parents or ancestors is to be valued, where it is opposed to the word and will of God!

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

BEGINNING OF AHAZIAH’S REIGN, 1Ki_22:51-53.

51. Reigned two years — More exactly speaking, one year and part of another. Compare 2Ki_3:1, and see note on 2Ki_1:17.

With this account of the beginning of Ahaziah’s reign the next chapter ought to have commenced. It will be seen from these few verses that Ahaziah followed in the footsteps of his wicked father.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

HOMILETICS OF 1Ki_22:51-53

THE POWER OF EVIL TO PERPETUATE ITSELF

I. That evil perpetuates itself by the force of parental training and example (1Ki_22:52). Ahaziah was cursed with a wicked ancestry. The evil wrought by a wicked father may be counteracted by the influences of a pious mother, or vice versa. But where both father and mother are morally bad, and especially where the mother is the superior genius, no wonder that the worst features of their characters are reproduced and perpetuated in their children. It is a fearful calamity for children to be born of the ignorant, the idolatrous, the vicious. Parents have much to answer for who train up their offspring in sin. It is said that Plato, seeing a child doing mischief in the street, went forth and corrected his father for it.

II. That evil perpetuates itself when it is individually sanctioned and practised. “For he served Baal, and worshipped him” (1Ki_22:53). Ahaziah made the sin of his parents his own, by his own free, voluntary act. He rejected the God of Elijah, of Micaiah, and of Jehoshaphat, of whom he must have heard, and he elected to serve Baal and worship him. He threw all the weight of his kingly authority on the side of the national idol. Evil is strengthened and extended by the independent action of every additional votary.

III. That the perpetuation of evil is offensive to God. “Provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel, according to all that his father had done” (1Ki_22:53). Sin is not unnoticed, nor will it long go unpunished. Every act of iniquity provokes the Divine anger, and though God is slow to wrath and reluctant to punish, the day is approaching when terrible and complete vengeance will overtake the evildoer. The judgment which fell on the house of Ahab is a signal example of the ultimate fate of the impenitent wicked.

LESSONS:—

1. Parents are responsible for the moral condition of their children.

2. Sin is a germ that has the alarming power of propagating itself.

3. Evil, though powerful, is not omnipotent, nor will it for ever triumph.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES

1Ki_22:51-53. As regards his relation to Jehovah, which was the main point for every Israelitish king, Ahaziah was one of the very worst of them. This is marked, in the general description, by the fact that it is said of him, not only that “he did evil in the sight of the Lord,” and “walked in the ways of Jeroboam,” but that it is also added, “in the way of his father,” nay, even also, which is observed of no other king, “in the way of his mother,” the fanatical, idolatrous, and bloodthirsty Jezebel, who was still living, and perhaps controlled him even more than she had controlled his father. All the acts of God during the reign of his father, of which he had been eye-witness and ear-witness, the proofs of God’s power, long-suffering, and justice, even the tragical end of Ahab, had made no impression upon him. All had passed by him, and left no effect behind. For this very reason, then, in the first place, he is worse than Ahab.—Lange.

1Ki_22:52. The curse of ancestral iniquity. I. Is ever displeasing to God. II. Pollutes succeeding generations. III. Is aggravated by voluntary adoption and individual practice of iniquity.

—It is bad enough, indeed, when one or the other of one’s parents is godless, but how much more when neither fears God? How can we hope for the good nurture of children in that case? The power of example is not greater in any relation than in that of parents to children. The way in which the father or mother walks has more influence upon the children than all the doctrines and teachings which they give them. It is not praiseworthy, nor a thing for which one can satisfactorily answer before God, if the parents and ancestors have been godless, or the adherents of a false religion, that the children should do the same, and follow in their footsteps. It will not suffice before God to say, “I believe what my parents and ancestors believed. They were of this religion, and I will not believe that they have been damned.”—Wurt. Summ.

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

Reign of Ahaziah of Israel. - Kg1 22:51. For the datum "in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat," see at Kg2 1:17.

Kg1 22:52-53

Ahaziah walked in the way of his father and his mother, who had introduced the worship of Baal into the kingdom, and in the way of Jeroboam, who had set up the calves (cf. Kg1 16:30-33). - In Kg1 22:53 it is again expressly added, that he adored and worshipped Baal, as in Kg1 16:31. - With this general description of his character not only is the chapter brought to a close, but the first book of Kings also, - very unsuitably, however, since the further account of Ahaziah's reign and of his death is given in 2 Kings 1 of the following book. It would have been incomparably more suitable to commence a fresh chapter with Kg1 22:52, and indeed to commence the second book there also.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

22:51-53 The tragic story of the rule of Ahaziah in Israel continues in 2 Kgs 1:1-18. He followed in the evil ways of his parents, Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kgs 21:25-26); he worshiped Baal (2 Kgs 1:2, 16) and supported the state religion instituted by Jeroboam I (1 Kgs 12:28-32). Ahaziah’s accession and statement of character provide closure to the account of Ahab in 1 Kings and a smooth transition to the continuing story of the divided kingdom in 2 Kings.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(51) Ahaziah.—In this short reign the influence of Jezebel, evidently in abeyance in the last days of Ahab, revives; and the idolatry of Baal resumes its place side by side with the older idolatry of Jeroboam, and (see 2Ki_1:2) with the worship of the Canaanitish Baalzebub.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

51–53. Ahaziah, king of Israel. His wicked reign (Not in Chronicles)

51. the seventeenth year] The R.V. inserts in before these words, and as the preposition is in the original, there is no ground for excluding it in the English. On the chronology see above on 1Ki_22:42.

and reigned] R.V. and he reigned. The main division of the verse in the Hebrew precedes these words, and the pronoun repeated makes somewhat of a like division in the translation.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah,.... It is observed, that Jehoshaphat began to reign in the fourth year of Ahab, and Ahab reigned twenty two years, see Kg1 22:41, and therefore Ahab's son must begin to reign in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat; but perhaps he was made king in his father's lifetime, before he went on his expedition to Ramothgilead, or Ahab's reign was not twenty two years complete:

and reigned two years over Israel; not complete, as appears from Kg2 3:1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Two years - According to our reckoning, not much more than a twelve-month year.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

By comparing this verse with 1Ki 22:41, it appears that Ahaziah was made king by his father, and reigned in conjunction with him, a year or two before Ahab’s death, and as long after it; even as Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat was made king by his father in his lifetime, as we shall see hereafter; which possibly was done in compliance with Ahab’s desire upon marriage of his daughter to Jehoshaphat’s son; and it may be Ahab, to induce and encourage him to do so, gave him an example of it, and made his son his partner in the kingdom.

Reigned two years; either after his father’s death; or one before it, and another after it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Reign of Ahaziah.

Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. Parts of two years; 2Ki_3:1; and of. 1:17 and 8:16. It is suggested that Jehoram was associated with his father in the government of Judah from the date of the expedition against Ramoth-Gilead, and this is not improbable. But it has been already remarked that these chronological notices appear to have undergone a revision which has sometimes resulted in confusion.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ahaziah, &c. - Ahaziah was made king by his father, and reigned in conjunction with him a year or two before Ahab's death, and as long after it; even as Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat was made king by his father in his life-time, which possibly was done in compliance with Ahab's desire upon marriage of his daughter to Jehoshaphat's son; and it may be Ahab, to induce him to do so, give him an example of it, and made his son his partner in the kingdom.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

he reigned two years

"he reigned 2 years" (See: Numbers)

what was evil in the sight of Yahweh

Yahweh's opinion regarding something is spoken of as if Yahweh were seeing that thing. AT: "what Yahweh considered to be evil" (See: Metaphor)

walked in the way of his father, in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat

A person's behavior is spoken of as if that person were walking along a path. AT: "did the same things that his father, mother, and Jeroboam son of Nebat had done" (See: Metaphor)

led Israel to sin

Here the word "Israel" refers to the ten northern tribes that made up the kingdom of Israel.

He served Baal and worshiped him

The words "served" and "worshiped" mean basically the same thing. (See: Doublet)

the God of Israel

Here the word "Israel" refers to all of the twelve tribes descended from Jacob.

translationWords

reign

kingdom of Israel

Samaria

king

kingdom of Judah

Israel

evil

walk

Jeroboam

sin

servant

Baal

worship

anger

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.