Overview of 2 Chronicles 21:1–23:21

Three dramatic chapters recount movement from the heights of Jehoshaphat’s faithful reign down to the depths of the apparent end of the Davidic dynasty and of worship of the Lord alone in his temple. There was, however, a reversal, with unexpected survival of a Davidic heir and reaffirmation of king and people’s allegiance to the Lord. Jehoshaphat’s reign had been marked by reform and trust in the Lord (reaffirmed in 2 Chron. 21:12; 22:9)—but he had also entered into a marriage alliance with the syncretistic northern king Ahab (18:1). That alliance led to disaster in Judah, beginning immediately with the reign of his son Jehoram,¹ who was married to Ahab’s daughter Athaliah.

The reigns of Jehoram (21:1–20) and his son Ahaziah (22:1–9) were unremittingly dark, with all of the Chronicler’s additions being completely negative. Both were condemned for following the “ways” of the “house of Ahab” (21:6, 13; 22:3, 4) instead of the “ways” of previous Davidic kings (21:12). The motif of danger for the Davidic dynasty is present throughout. Jehoram’s account opens with his “kill[ing] all his brothers” (21:4, 13), but in turn the Philistines carried away his sons and wives, with only his youngest son Jehoahaz/Ahaziah² being left (21:17). Ahaziah’s very brief reign ended with his being killed, together with “the sons of [his] brothers,” as part of Jehu’s purge in the north—in the Davidic line “the house of Ahaziah had no one able to rule the kingdom” (22:1–9). Finally, Athaliah purged the royal household so that it appeared the Davidic dynasty had ended as she “reigned over the land” (22:10, 12b).

Like her mother, Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, Athaliah was a zealous promoter of Baal worship, evident already in the reigns of her husband and son. It appeared she had been lastingly successful, but the account of her reign (22:10–23:21) tells mainly of the plot that led to her overthrow and the installation of the seven-year-old Joash, Ahaziah’s son, as king, followed by restoration of worship of the Lord alone.

Shining through in hope from the start of the narrative is the statement that “The Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David” (21:7), and we read how he anointed Jehu “to destroy the house of Ahab” (22:7, 8). In the darkest hour of Athaliah’s ruthlessness, a baby from the royal line was rescued and hidden “in the house of God” (22:11–12a). As elsewhere the Chronicler’s additions (21:2–4, 11–19) point to loss of territory and ignominious deaths as the outworking of retributive justice, made clear in a prophetic message from Elijah. The Lord also honors the faithfulness of people. While the Chronicler sees no redeeming actions by the rulers, he notes that the people’s going “astray” was because of the king’s apostatizing leadership (21:11). He affirms popular disdain for Jehoram (21:20) and support of Jehoshaphat’s faith (22:9), as well as the joyful celebration of Athaliah’s death and restoration of the worship of the Lord in the Jerusalem temple (23:16–21). Here is a pattern of faithful hope during dark periods.

The Chronicler uses material from 2 Kings 8:16–11:20 that relates to Judah, but he also includes much material from other sources, shaping them for his purposes (table 3.15).