Ahaziah

Ahaziah, son of Ahab, reigned as king of Israel for two years.

Ahaziah was the son of Ahab and the eighth king of Israel. He reigned for two years in Samaria, doing evil in the sight of the Lord and following the ways of his father and mother, Jezebel. (1Ki 22:51-53)

During his reign, Ahaziah formed an alliance with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to build ships to go to Tarshish. However, the ships were wrecked, and the venture failed. (1Ki 22:48-49; 2Ch 20:35-37).

Ahaziah suffered a severe injury when he fell through the lattice of his upper room. He sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, about his recovery. The prophet Elijah confronted the messengers and prophesied that Ahaziah would die due to his idolatry. Ahaziah sent captains with their fifties to seize Elijah, but fire from heaven consumed them. Elijah then went to Ahaziah and delivered the message of his impending death. (2Ki 1:2-17)

Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah, and his brother Jehoram succeeded him as king, as Ahaziah had no son. (2Ki 1:17-18).

The son and successor of Ahab. He followed the counsels of his mother Jezebel, and imitated in wickedness the ways of his father. In his reign the Moabites revolted from under his authority (2 Kings 3:5-7). He united with Jehoshaphat in an attempt to revive maritime trade by the Red Sea, which proved a failure (2 Chr. 20:35-37). His messengers, sent to consult the god of Ekron regarding his recovery from the effects of a fall from the roof-gallery of his palace, were met on the way by Elijah, who sent them back to tell the king that he would never rise from his bed (1 Kings 22:51; 2 Kings 1:18).