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Jehoshaphat's Alliance with Ahab's Son Explained Biblically

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, formed an alliance with Ahab, king of Israel, and later with Ahab's son, Jehoram. This alliance is primarily documented in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles [1, 16]. Jehoshaphat, who reigned for 25 years starting around 914 B.C., was considered one of Judah's most pious and prosperous kings since Solomon [1, 3]. Despite his initial efforts to strengthen Judah against Israel and cleanse the land of idolatry, he entered into a significant alliance with the northern kingdom [1, 3].

The alliance began with a marriage between Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram, and Ahab's daughter, Athaliah [4, 6, 7, 10]. This marital union is explicitly stated in 2 Chronicles 18:1, which notes that Jehoshaphat "allied himself by marriage with Ahab" [4, 6]. Josephus also records that Jehoshaphat took Athaliah, Ahab's daughter, as wife for his son Jehoram [7]. This event is understood to have preceded Jehoshaphat's visit to Ahab in Samaria [10].

The alliance led to several joint military and commercial ventures. One notable instance was a campaign against the Syrians at Ramoth-Gilead, where Jehoshaphat joined Ahab [7, 9, 10]. This military cooperation is mentioned in 1 Kings 22:4, where Ahab asks Jehoshaphat, "Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead?" [11]. Jehoshaphat agreed, stating, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses" [1 Kings 22:4]. This particular alliance, however, was met with divine disapproval, and Jehoshaphat was later reproved by the prophet Jehu for it [11, 14].

After Ahab's death, the alliance continued with his sons. Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah [8]. Ahaziah, like his father, was wicked and followed the counsel of his mother, Jezebel [8]. Jehoshaphat united with Ahaziah in an attempt to revive maritime trade via the Red Sea, an endeavor that ultimately failed [8, 16].

Upon Ahaziah's death, his brother Jehoram (also known as Joram) became king of Israel [2, 5]. The close alliance between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah persisted throughout Jehoram's reign [2]. Jehoram, though not as wicked as his father Ahab or mother Jezebel, still did evil in many things [12]. He did, however, remove some of his father's idols [12]. Jehoshaphat joined Jehoram and the king of Edom in a war against the Moabites [2]. During this campaign, the armies faced a severe water shortage, and Jehoshaphat's piety led to an inquiry of the Lord through the prophet Elisha. Elisha, for Jehoshaphat's sake, provided guidance despite reproving Jehoram [2].

The biblical accounts and subsequent interpretations highlight the problematic nature of these alliances for Jehoshaphat. Commentators suggest that Jehoshaphat's intimacy with the house of Ahab diminished his otherwise great and good reign [16]. The marriage of his son Jehoram to Athaliah, Ahab's daughter, brought Israel's apostasy into Judah, leading to significant negative consequences for the southern kingdom [13, 15]. Athaliah later became a destructive force in Judah, even attempting to destroy all the royal seed [17]. The prophet Jehu chastised Jehoshaphat, indicating that his covenant with the wicked Ahab conflicted with his covenant with the Lord [14]. Matthew Henry notes that Jehoshaphat, despite his growing wealth and honor, did not grow wiser in choosing to ally with Ahab, an idolater and persecutor [15].

Sources

  1. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jehoshaphat — (whom Jehovah judges.) + King of Judah, son of Asa, succeeded to the throne B.C. 914, when he was 35 years old, and reigned 25 years. His history is to be found among the events recorded in (1 Kings 15:24; 2 Kings 8:16) or in a continuous narrative in (2 Chronicles 17:1; 2 Chronicles 21:3) He was contemporary with Ahab, Ahaziah and Jehoram. He was one of the best, most pious and prosperous kings of Judah, the greatest since Solomon. At first he strengthened himself against Israel; but soon afterward the two Hebrew kings formed an alliance. In his own kin”
  2. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jehoram — (whom Jehovah has exalted). + Son of Ahab king of Israel, who succeeded his brother Ahaziah B.C. 896, and died B.C. 884. The alliance between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, commenced by his father and Jehoshaphat, was very close throughout his reign. We first find him associated with Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom in a war against the Moabites. The three armies were in the utmost danger of perishing for want of water. The piety of Jehoshaphat suggested an inquiry of Jehovah, thorough Elisha. After reproving Jehoram, Elisha, for Jehoshaphat's sake, inqui”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Jehoshaphat — Jehovah-judged. (1.) One of David's body-guard (1 Chr. 11:43). (2.) One of the priests who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chr. 15:24). (3.) Son of Ahilud, "recorder" or annalist under David and Solomon (2 Sam. 8:16), a state officer of high rank, chancellor or vizier of the kingdom. (4.) Solomon's purveyor in Issachar (1 Kings 4:17). (5.) The son and successor of Asa, king of Judah. After fortifying his kingdom against Israel (2 Chr. 17:1, 2), he set himself to cleanse the land of idolatry (1 Kings 22:43). In the third year of his re”
  4. 2 Chronicles “2 Chronicles 18:1 (NASB) — Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab.”
  5. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Jehoram — Jehovah-exalted. (1.) Son of Toi, king of Hamath, sent by his father to congratulate David on the occasion of his victory over Hadadezer (2 Sam. 8:10). (2.) A Levite of the family of Gershom (1 Chr. 26:25). (3.) A priest sent by Jehoshaphat to instructruct the people in Judah (2 Chr. 17:8). (4.) The son of Ahab and Jezebel, and successor to his brother Ahaziah on the throne of Israel. He reigned twelve years, B.C. 896-884 (2 Kings 1:17; 3:1). His first work was to reduce to subjection the Moabites, who had asserted their independence in the reign of his bro”
  6. II Chronicles “II Chronicles 18:1 (BSB) — Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.”
  7. Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 15, section 2: was distributed to be ready for the king's service, besides those whom he sent to the best fortified cities. 3. Jehoshaphat took for his son Jehoram to wife the daughter of Ahab, the king of the ten tribes, whose name was Athaliah. And when, after some time, he went to Samaria, Ahab received him courteously, and treated the army that followed him in a splendid manner, with great plenty of corn and wine, and of slain beasts; and desired that he would join with him in his war against the king of Syria, that he might recover from h”
  8. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Ahaziah — Held by Jehovah. (1.) 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”
  9. Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 15, section 1: . Concerning Jehoshaphat The King Of Jerusalem And How Ahab Made An Expedition Against The Syrians And Was Assisted Therein By Jehoshaphat, But Was Himself Overcome In Battle And Perished Therein. 1. And these were the circumstances in which Ahab was. But I now return to Jehoshaphat, the king of Jerusalem, who, when he had augmented his kingdom, had set garrisons in the cities of the countries belonging to his subjects, and had put such garrisons no less into those cities which were taken out of the tribe of Ephraim by his grand”
  10. 2 Chronicles (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Chronicles 17 (introduction): Jehoshaphat's marriage alliance with Ahab, and his campaign with Ahab against the Syrians at Ramoth in Gilead. - Ch2 18:1. Jehoshaphat came into connection by marriage with Ahab through his son Joram taking Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab, to wife (Ch2 21:6); an event which did not take place on the visit made by Jehoshaphat to Ahab in his palace at Samaria, and recorded in Ch2 18:2, but which had preceded that by about nine years. That visit falls in the beginning of the year in which Ahab was mortally wounded at Ramoth, and died, i.e., the sev”
  11. 1 Kings (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 22:4: Wilt thou go with me - We find that there was a good understanding between Jehoshaphat and Ahab, which no doubt was the consequence of a matrimonial alliance between the son of the former, Jehoram, and the daughter of the latter, Athaliah; see Ch2 18:1; Kg2 8:18. This coalition did not please God, and Jehoshaphat is severely reproved for it by Jehu the seer, Ch2 19:1-3.”
  12. 2 Kings (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 3:1: Jehoram, the son of Ahab, and brother of Ahaziah, is here upon the throne of Israel; and, though he was but a bad man, yet two commendable things are here recorded of him: - I. That he removed his father's idols. He did evil in many things, but not like his father Ahab or his mother Jezebel, Kg2 3:2. Bad he was, but not so bad, so overmuch wicked, as Solomon speaks, Ecc 7:17. Perhaps Jehoshaphat, though by his alliance with the house of Ahab he made his own family worse, did something towards making Ahab's better. Jehoram saw his father and brother cut off for wo”
  13. 2 Chronicles (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Chronicles 18:1: 18:1-2 Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahab led him to compromise his faithfulness to the Lord (see 19:2-3; cp. 2 Cor 6:14-18). The marriage of his son Jehoram (2 Chr 21:1) to Ahab’s daughter Athaliah (22:2) brought Israel’s apostasy into Judah (see 21:5-6, 12-13; 22:1-4).”
  14. 2 Chronicles (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Chronicles 19:1: 19:1-2 Jehu was the son of Hanani, the prophet who had rebuked Asa for his reliance on the Arameans (16:7-9). Jehu now chastised Jehoshaphat for his alliance with Ahab. • The word love expresses faithfulness to a covenant. Jehoshaphat’s covenant with the wicked Ahab conflicted with his covenant with the Lord.”
  15. 2 Chronicles (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Chronicles 18:1: Here is, I. Jehoshaphat growing greater. It was said before (Ch2 17:5) that he had riches and honour in abundance; and here it is said again that his wealth and honour increased upon him by piety and good management. II. Not growing wiser, else he would not have joined with Ahab, that degenerate Israelite, who had sold himself to work wickedness. What good could he get by a man that was so bad? What good could he do to a man that was so obstinately wicked - an idolater, a persecutor? With him he joined in affinity, that is, married his son Jehoram to Ahab's ”
  16. 1 Kings (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 22:41: Here is, I. A short account of the reign of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, of which we shall have a much fuller narrative in the book of Chronicles, and of the greatness and goodness of that prince, neither of which was lessened or sullied by any thing but his intimacy with the house of Ahab, which, upon several accounts, was a diminution to him. His confederacy with Ahab in war we have already found dangerous to him, and his confederacy with Ahaziah his son in trade sped no better. He offered to go partner with him in a fleet of merchant-ships, that should fetch go”
  17. 2 Kings (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Kings 11 (introduction): JEHOASH SAVED FROM ATHALIAH'S MASSACRE. (Kg2 11:1-3) Athaliah--(See on Ch2 22:2). She had possessed great influence over her son, who, by her counsels, had ruled in the spirit of the house of Ahab. destroyed all the seed royal--all connected with the royal family who might have urged a claim to the throne, and who had escaped the murderous hands of Jehu (Ch2 21:2-4; Ch2 22:1; Kg2 10:13-14). This massacre she was incited to perpetrate--partly from a determination not to let David's family outlive hers; partly as a measure of self-defens”
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