מלכים ב, פרק ח׳, פסוק כ״ד

The passing of a king and the transfer of power to his son often reveal the true legacy of the monarch and the fate of his dynasty. Although Jehoram was buried in the City of David, he did not receive full royal honors. Drawing from the parallel account in the Book of Chronicles, commentators agree that he was intentionally excluded from the official tombs of the kings [רש״י, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. Following his death, his son Ahaziah took over the throne, but his independent rule lasted a mere single year. The reason for such a short reign stems from his family ties to the royal house of Omri in Israel, as his mother came from that lineage. Like the children of other sinful kings, Ahaziah carried the guilt of his ancestors and faced the consequence of a brief time in power [אברבנאל].

A historical discrepancy exists regarding Ahaziah's age when he assumed power. While the Book of Kings records that he was twenty-two, the Book of Chronicles states he was forty-two. Two main perspectives are offered to resolve this gap [אברבנאל]. The first approach suggests that Jehoram actually ruled much longer than his official eight years. After an initial period of success, Jehoram fell ill and was defeated by enemies, prompting him to appoint Ahaziah to rule alongside him. According to this calculation, Ahaziah was twenty-two when he became co-regent, a position he held for twenty years. By the time his father died, Ahaziah was forty-two, and he then ruled alone for his final, single year.

Alternatively, another view explains that the number forty-two does not represent Ahaziah's biological age at all. Instead, it marks the number of years that had passed since the dynasty of Omri first took power in Israel. Because Ahaziah was descended from Omri and his destiny was deeply tied to theirs, his reign is recorded using the timeline of that royal house, which was coming to an end at that very moment [אברבנאל בשם סדר עולם ורלב״ג].