Ahaziah

Ahaziah, name means "Yahweh has grasped (my hand)." The 9th king of Israel, the northern kingdom (if Tibni is included in the count). Ahaziah followed his father Ahab on the throne and reigned less than 2 years (c. 853—852 b.c.). It is unusual that his mother, probably Jezebel, is not mentioned by name. True to the family tradition he "did evil in the sight of the Lord" and served Baal (1 Ki 22:40, 51—53). He joined Jehoshaphat of Judah in building a fleet of ships to be sent out to Ophir for gold. The ships were wrecked at Eziongeber on the Gulf of Aqabah, probably in one of the dangerous storms that come up very suddenly there.

Ahaziah apparently proposed a second attempt, but Jehoshaphat declined after being warned by a prophet against joining the wicked king of Israel (1 Ki 22:48, 49 2 Chr 20:35—37). The rebellion of Moab seems to have occurred during his reign, but nothing was done to force that country back into subjection (2 Ki 1:1). Ahaziah was seriously injured when he "fell down through a lattice" in his palace. When he sent messengers to Baal—zebub, god of Ekron, to request healing, his men were intercepted by Elijah, who sent them back with word that the king would die of his injuries (vs 2—4). Since he died without a son, the throne passed to his brother Jehoram, or Joram (v 17).