OCHOZIA (IOACHAZ). — King of Judah, Ioram (v.) and Athalia; he reigned for only one year (842 B.C.). He was among the few members of the royal family to escape deportation during the terrible incursion of the Philistines and Idumeans into the territory of Judah during the reign of Ioram (II Par. 21:16–17). Having ascended the throne at the age of twenty-two, he followed in his father’s footsteps, shaping his policy according to an anti-Yahwistic orientation, after the example of the house of Achab, to which he was related.
The influence of Queen Athalia, daughter of Achab, king of Israel, was as baneful upon him as it had already been upon his father. “He too walked in the way of the house of Achab, because his mother was his counsellor in doing evil” (II Par. 22:3; cf. II Reg. 8:27). Together with his uncle Ioram, king of Israel, he took part in the expedition against Hazael, king of Damascus, for the reconquest of Ramoth of Galaad. But when he went to Iezrahel to visit Ioram, who had been wounded in the battle, they were both surprised by the new king of Israel, Iehu (v.), who, after killing Ioram, also wished to get rid of O., because he was the son of Achab’s daughter (II Reg. 8:28 ff.). Pursued and wounded on the ascent of Gaver, not far from Ieblaam (modern Bel'ameh, 2 km. south of Genin), O. was put to death by Iehu’s order near Mageddo (ibid. 9:27; in Samaria according to II Par. 22:9: the geographical divergence may be resolved by supposing that the chronicler limited himself to indicating the region in general, without specifying, as II Re does, the precise location; alternatively, one must posit a copyist’s error in one of the two versions).
His death had disastrous consequences for the kingdom of Judah. Having become the sole arbiter, the cruel Queen Athalia, his mother, massacred all the descendants of the royal line: of O.’s sons, only a one-year-old child, GIOAS (v.), the future king of Judah, could be saved.