2 Chronicles 22:5

He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramothgilead: and the Syrians smote Joram.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) He walked also after (in) their counsel.—An allusion to Psalm 1:1. He became a close partner in the politics of his ally, and joined in his expedition against the Syrians. The words are not in Kings.

And went with Jehoram.—2Kings 8:28, “Joram.”

King of Israel.—Added by chronicler.

Against.—Kings, “with.”

Hazael king of Syria.—See Note on 2Kings 8:8, seq.; 13:3.

The Syrians.—Heb., hārammîm, instead of ‘Arammîm’ (Kings). So Vulg. and Targum. The Syriac, as usual, confuses Aram with Edom. The LXX. renders “the archers,” as if the word were the participle of rāmāh, “to shoot.” Perhaps the chronicler intended ha-rômîm, “the archers.” (Comp. 1Samuel 31:3; Jeremiah 4:29.)

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 22:5. He went with Jehoram to war against Hazael — Following the evil example of Jehoshaphat herein; though he would not follow him in what was good. But of this and the following verses, see notes on 2 Kings 8:28-29; 2 Kings 9:21; 2 Kings 9:27.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

22:1-12 The reign of Ahaziah, Athaliah destroys the royal family. - The counsel of the ungodly ruins many young persons when they are setting out in the world. Ahaziah gave himself up to be led by evil men. Those who advise us to do wickedly, counsel us to our destruction; while they pretend to be friends, they are our worst enemies. See and dread the mischief of bad company. If not the infection, yet let the destruction be feared, Re 18:4. We have here, a wicked woman endeavouring to destroy the house of David, and a good woman preserving it. No word of God shall fall to the ground. The whole truth of the prophecies that the Messiah was to come from David, and thereby the salvation of the world, appeared to be now hung upon the brittle thread of the life of a single infant, to destroy whom was the interest of the reigning power. But God had purposed, and vain were the efforts of earth and hell.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For "42" read "22" (see the marginal reference). Ahaziah's father, Jehoram, was but 40 when be died 2 Chronicles 21:20.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. went … to war against Hazael, king of Syria—It may be mentioned as a very minute and therefore important confirmation of this part of the sacred history that the names of Jehu and Hazael, his contemporary, have both been found on Assyrian sculptures; and there is also a notice of Ithbaal, king of Sidon, who was the father of Jezebel.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Went with Jehoram to war against Hazael; following the evil example of Jehoshaphat therein, 2 Chronicles 18, though he would not follow him in what was good. But of this and the following verses, see 2 Kings 8:28,29 9:21,27.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

He walked also after their counsel,.... Did as they advised him, as in matters of religion, so in political things, of which there is an instance in this and the next verse; of which see Gill on 2 Kings 8:28, 2 Kings 8:29.

Geneva Study Bible

He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramothgilead: and the Syrians smote Joram.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5, 6 (= 2 Kings 8:28-29). The Alliance with Jehoram of Israel

5. smote Joram] R.V. wounded Joram (as 2 Kin.).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - He... went with Jehoram the son of Ahab. So the evil example of even the good lives after them. See Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:29; 2 Chronicles 18:8) followed by his son Jehoram first (2 Kings 3:9), and now by his grandson Ahaziah. The words of this verse and the next are almost identical with the parallel (2 Kings 8:28, 29). Ramoth-Gilead. It will be remembered that Ahab failed when he solicited and obtained the help of Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:3-36; 2 Chronicles 18:3-34) in his enterprise against Ramoth-Gilead. The present attempt, however, seems to have had a different issue (2 Kings 9:14, 15). The Syrians; Hebrew, הָרַמִּים. The initial radical here should be א, from neglect of observing which the Septuagint has translated "archers" (relate). 2 Chronicles 22:5

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The further remark also, "he did that which was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab," is similarly explained; for they (the members of the house of Ahab related to him through his mother) were counsellors to him after the death of his father to his destruction, cf. 2 Chronicles 20:23; while in 2 Kings 8:27, the relationship alone is spoken of as the reason of his evil-doing. How far this counsel led to his destruction is narrated in 2 Chronicles 22:5 and onwards, and the narrative is introduced by the words, "He walked also in their counsel;" whence it is clear beyond all doubt, that Ahaziah entered along with Joram, Ahab's son, upon the war which was to bring about the destruction of Ahab's house, and to cost him his life, on the advice of Ahab's relations. There is no doubt that Joram, Ahab's son, had called upon Ahaziah to take part in the war against the Syrians at Ramoth Gilead (see on 2 Chronicles 18:28), and that Athaliah with her party supported his proposal, so that Ahaziah complied. In the war the Aramaeans (Syrians) smote Joram; i.e., according to 2 Chronicles 22:6, they wounded him (הרמּים is a contraction for הארמּים, 2 Kings 8:28). In consequence of this Joram returned to Jezreel, the summer residence of the Ahabic royal house (1 Kings 18:45), the present Zerin; see on Joshua 19:18. המּכּים כּי has no meaning, and is merely an error for המּכּים מן, 2 Kings 8:29, which indeed is the reading of several Codd.: to let himself be cured of his strokes (wounds). ועזריהוּ, too, is an orthographical error for ועחזיהוּ: and Ahaziah went down to visit the wounded Joram, his brother-in-law. Whether he went from Jerusalem or from the loftily-situated Ramah cannot be with certainty determined, for we have no special account of the course of the war, and from 2 Kings 9:14. we only learn that the Israelite army remained in Ramoth after the return of the wounded Joram. It is therefore probable that Ahaziah went direct from Ramoth to visit Joram, but it is not ascertained; for there is nothing opposed to the supposition that, after Joram had been wounded in the battle, and while the Israelite host remained to hold the city against the Syrian king Hazael, Ahaziah had returned to his capital, and thence went after some time to visit the wounded Joram in Jezreel.