Study notes

2 Chronicles 22

Introducing 2 ChroniclesWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

21:4–24:27 Section

Neither Jehoram nor Ahaziah led the southern kingdom the way kings were supposed to. Elijah’s letter to Jehoram made something very clear. God brought judgement against kings who didn’t worship God and follow the Law of Moses.

Yet God had promised to keep the lamp of David’s kingdom burning brightly. This meant that God didn’t want David’s family line to be destroyed. He wanted a son from David’s family line to rule as king for ever. God didn’t allow Athaliah to kill everyone in David’s family line who could be king.

God used Jehosheba and Jehoiada to save Joash. Jehoiada made sure that the Law of Moses was followed. He made sure that the Levites did their duties in the temple. They did them the way that David had appointed them to do.

When David was king, leaders had given very freely for the temple to be built. Under Joash, officials and people brought money and gave it freely. They did this so that the temple could be repaired. The king, people, priests and Levites once again worshipped God in the temple.

But when he was older Joash stopped worshipping God in the temple. He also stopped listening to wise advisors and to messages from God. He had Jehoiada’s son Zechariah killed and was held responsible for this sin. A very small army from Aram did a lot of harm to Judah and Jerusalem. God allowed this to happen as judgement against Joash.

22:2

one year: Ahaziah, also called Jehoahaz, ruled Judah briefly in 841 BC.

22:2–4

The queen mother, Athaliah, had a lot of influence over the king (see study note on 2 Chronicles 15:16). Athaliah was similar to her mother, Jezebel (see 2 Chronicles 22:10–23:15; compare 1 Kings 16:31–21:28), and she followed her grandfather Omri's example (see 1 Kings 16:21–26).

22:5–6

Ramoth-gilead, a city for the Levites in the land of Gad (Joshua 21:38), was on a major trade route. It was important for both Aram and Israel.
Jezreel, located at the base of Mount Gilboa in the Jezreel plain, became the summer residence of the Israelite kings.

22:7–9

Ahaziah died as a punishment for allying with the king of Israel. The king of Judah, who followed the advice of the Israelite house of Omri, shared their fate and found no safety when he died. Ahaziah's unfaithfulness nearly brought David's family line to the same end as Saul's, with no one left to take the throne.

22:10–12

Athaliah was not seen as a legitimate monarch. She did not receive the usual royal recognition of age or reign length like other rulers. She focused on eliminating potential male successors in Judah's royal family. Those who could not rule, like Ahaziah’s sister, survived. Jehosheba, Ahaziah’s half-sister, was the daughter of King Jehoram by a different wife than Athaliah. Athaliah ruled for six years, from 841 to 835 BC.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources