Bible Strands
1 Kings 22:52
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The biblical narrator summarizes Ahaziah’s accession to the throne of Israel, noting his two-year reign in Samaria immediately following his father Ahab’s death. This assessment appears at the conclusion of his royal record to establish his spiritual standing relative to Judah’s timeline.
The words — The idiom בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה (be/ʿê-nê YHWH) literally renders “in the eyes of Yahweh,” functioning as a fixed phrase for divine evaluation. The verb וַיַּעַשׂ (wa-yāʿaś) means “and he did,” framing his actions as a direct object of that evaluation.
The thread — This condemnation formula recurs in 1 Kings 15:26 and 1 Kings 21:25, where earlier monarchs similarly “did evil in the sight of the LORD.” The pattern originates with Jeroboam’s institutionalized idolatry described in 1 Kings 12:28, which Ahaziah now inherits.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that political lineage does not guarantee spiritual fidelity, as Ahaziah actively chooses the corrupt paths of his parents and predecessors. It requires the reader to judge royal legitimacy by obedience to Yahweh rather than dynastic continuity.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 15:26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.
- 1 Kings 21:25 (Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
- 1 Kings 12:28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
- 1 Kings 14:9 You have done more evil than all who came before you. You have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me, and you have flung Me behind your back.
- 1 Kings 15:34 And Baasha did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.
- 1 Kings 16:30 However, Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
- 2 Kings 1:2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
- 2 Kings 3:3 Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
- 2 Kings 8:27 And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
- 2 Kings 9:22 When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”