| Ahaziah Smith's Bible Dictionary
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| Ahazi'ah.
(sustained by the Lord). 1. Son of Ahab and Jezebel, eighth king of Israel, reigned B.C. 896-895. After the battle of Ramoth in Gilead, in which Ahab perished, see Ahab, the vassal king of Moab refused his yearly tribute; compare Isa_16:1.Before Ahaziah could take measures for enforcing his claim, he was seriously injured by a fall through a lattice in his palace at Samaria. Being an idolater, he sent to inquire of the oracle of Baalzebub in the Philistine city of Ekron whether he should recover his health. But Elijah, who now, for the last time, exercised the prophetic office, rebuked him for this impiety, and announced to him his approaching death. The only other recorded transaction of his reign, his endeavor to join the king of Judah in trading to Ophir, is related under Jehoshaphat. 1Ki_22:49-53; 2Ki_1:1; 2Ch_20:35-37.2. Fifth king of Judah, son of Jehoram and Athaliah (daughter of Ahab), and therefore, nephew of the preceding Ahaziah, reigned one year, B.C. 884. He is called Azariah, 2Ch_22:2, probably by a copyist's error, and Jehoahaz. 2Ch_21:17.He was 22 years old at his accession; 2Ki_8:26; (his age 42, in 2Ch_22:2, is a copyist's error). Ahaziah was an idolater, and he allied himself with his uncle Jehoram, king of Israel, against Hazael, the new king of Syria. The two kings were, however, defeated at Ramoth, where Jehoram was severely wounded.The revolution, carried out in Israel by Jehu under the guidance of Elisha, broke out while Ahaziah was visiting his uncle at Jezreel. As Jehu approached the town, Jehoram and Ahaziah went out to meet him; the former was shot through the heart by Jehu, and Ahaziah was pursued and mortally wounded. He died when he reached Megiddo.
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| Taken from: Smith's Bible Dictionary by Dr. William Smith (1884) | |