1 Ahaz H271 was twenty H6242 years H8141 old H1121 when he began to reign, H4427 and he reigned H4427 sixteen H8337 H6240 years H8141 in Jerusalem: H3389 but he did H6213 not that which was right H3477 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 like David H1732 his father: H1
2 For he walked in H3212 the ways H1870 of the kings H4428 of Israel, H3478 and made H6213 also molten images H4541 for Baalim. H1168
3 Moreover he burnt incense H6999 in the valley H1516 of the son H1121 of Hinnom, H2011 and burnt H1197 his children H1121 in the fire, H784 after the abominations H8441 of the heathen H1471 whom the LORD H3068 had cast out H3423 before H6440 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
4 He sacrificed H2076 also and burnt incense H6999 in the high places, H1116 and on the hills, H1389 and under every green H7488 tree. H6086
5 Wherefore the LORD H3068 his God H430 delivered H5414 him into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Syria; H758 and they smote H5221 him, and carried away H7617 a great multitude H1419 of them captives, H7633 and brought H935 them to Damascus. H1834 And he was also delivered H5414 into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 who smote H5221 him with a great H1419 slaughter. H4347
6 For Pekah H6492 the son H1121 of Remaliah H7425 slew H2026 in Judah H3063 an hundred H3967 and twenty H6242 thousand H505 in one H259 day, H3117 which were all valiant H2428 men; H1121 because they had forsaken H5800 the LORD H3068 God H430 of their fathers. H1
7 And Zichri, H2147 a mighty man H1368 of Ephraim, H669 slew H2026 Maaseiah H4641 the king's H4428 son, H1121 and Azrikam H5840 the governor H5057 of the house, H1004 and Elkanah H511 that was next H4932 to the king. H4428
8 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 carried away captive H7617 of their brethren H251 two hundred H3967 thousand, H505 women, H802 sons, H1121 and daughters, H1323 and took also away H962 much H7227 spoil H7998 from them, and brought H935 the spoil H7998 to Samaria. H8111
9 But a prophet H5030 of the LORD H3068 was there, whose name H8034 was Oded: H5752 and he went out H3318 before H6440 the host H6635 that came H935 to Samaria, H8111 and said H559 unto them, Behold, because the LORD H3068 God H430 of your fathers H1 was wroth H2534 with Judah, H3063 he hath delivered H5414 them into your hand, H3027 and ye have slain H2026 them in a rage H2197 that reacheth up H5060 unto heaven. H8064
10 And now ye purpose H559 to keep under H3533 the children H1121 of Judah H3063 and Jerusalem H3389 for bondmen H5650 and bondwomen H8198 unto you: but are there not with you, even H7535 with you, sins H819 against the LORD H3068 your God? H430
11 Now hear H8085 me therefore, and deliver H7725 the captives H7633 again, which ye have taken captive H7617 of your brethren: H251 for the fierce H2740 wrath H639 of the LORD H3068 is upon you.
12 Then certain H582 of the heads H7218 of the children H1121 of Ephraim, H669 Azariah H5838 the son H1121 of Johanan, H3076 Berechiah H1296 the son H1121 of Meshillemoth, H4919 and Jehizkiah H3169 the son H1121 of Shallum, H7967 and Amasa H6021 the son H1121 of Hadlai, H2311 stood up H6965 against them that came H935 from the war, H6635
13 And said H559 unto them, Ye shall not bring in H935 the captives H7633 hither: for whereas we have offended H819 against the LORD H3068 already, ye intend H559 to add H3254 more to our sins H2403 and to our trespass: H819 for our trespass H819 is great, H7227 and there is fierce H2740 wrath H639 against Israel. H3478
14 So the armed men H2502 left H5800 the captives H7633 and the spoil H961 before H6440 the princes H8269 and all the congregation. H6951
15 And the men H582 which were expressed H5344 by name H8034 rose up, H6965 and took H2388 the captives, H7633 and with the spoil H7998 clothed H3847 all that were naked H4636 among them, and arrayed H3847 them, and shod H5274 them, and gave them to eat H398 and to drink, H8248 and anointed H5480 them, and carried H5095 all the feeble H3782 of them upon asses, H2543 and brought H935 them to Jericho, H3405 the city H5892 of palm trees, H8558 H5899 to H681 their brethren: H251 then they returned H7725 to Samaria. H8111
16 At that time H6256 did king H4428 Ahaz H271 send H7971 unto the kings H4428 of Assyria H804 to help H5826 him.
17 For again the Edomites H130 had come H935 and smitten H5221 Judah, H3063 and carried away H7617 captives. H7628
18 The Philistines H6430 also had invaded H6584 the cities H5892 of the low country, H8219 and of the south H5045 of Judah, H3063 and had taken H3920 Bethshemesh, H1053 and Ajalon, H357 and Gederoth, H1450 and Shocho H7755 with the villages H1323 thereof, and Timnah H8553 with the villages H1323 thereof, Gimzo H1579 also and the villages H1323 thereof: and they dwelt H3427 there.
19 For the LORD H3068 brought H3665 Judah H3063 low H3665 because of Ahaz H271 king H4428 of Israel; H3478 for he made H6544 Judah H3063 naked, H6544 and transgressed H4603 sore H4604 against the LORD. H3068
20 And Tilgathpilneser H8407 king H4428 of Assyria H804 came H935 unto him, and distressed H6696 him, but strengthened H2388 him not.
21 For Ahaz H271 took away a portion H2505 out of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and out of the house H1004 of the king, H4428 and of the princes, H8269 and gave H5414 it unto the king H4428 of Assyria: H804 but he helped H5833 him not.
22 And in the time H6256 of his distress H6887 did he trespass H4603 yet more H3254 against the LORD: H3068 this is that king H4428 Ahaz. H271
23 For he sacrificed H2076 unto the gods H430 of Damascus, H1834 which smote H5221 him: and he said, H559 Because the gods H430 of the kings H4428 of Syria H758 help H5826 them, therefore will I sacrifice H2076 to them, that they may help H5826 me. But they were the ruin H3782 of him, and of all Israel. H3478
24 And Ahaz H271 gathered together H622 the vessels H3627 of the house H1004 of God, H430 and cut in pieces H7112 the vessels H3627 of the house H1004 of God, H430 and shut up H5462 the doors H1817 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and he made H6213 him altars H4196 in every corner H6438 of Jerusalem. H3389
25 And in every several city H5892 of Judah H3063 he made H6213 high places H1116 to burn incense H6999 unto other H312 gods, H430 and provoked to anger H3707 the LORD H3068 God H430 of his fathers. H1
26 Now the rest H3499 of his acts H1697 and of all his ways, H1870 first H7223 and last, H314 behold, they are written H3789 in the book H5612 of the kings H4428 of Judah H3063 and Israel. H3478
27 And Ahaz H271 slept H7901 with his fathers, H1 and they buried H6912 him in the city, H5892 even in Jerusalem: H3389 but they brought H935 him not into the sepulchres H6913 of the kings H4428 of Israel: H3478 and Hezekiah H3169 his son H1121 reigned H4427 in his stead.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 28
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 28 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 28
2Ch 28:1-21. Ahaz, Reigning Wickedly, Is Afflicted by the Syrians.
1-4. Ahaz was twenty years old—(See on 2Ki 16:1-4). This prince, discarding the principles and example of his excellent father, early betrayed a strong bias to idolatry. He ruled with an arbitrary and absolute authority, and not as a theocratic sovereign: he not only forsook the temple of God, but embraced first the symbolic worship established in the sister kingdom, and afterwards the gross idolatry practised by the Canaanites.
5-7. the Lord … delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria … he was also delivered into the hand of the King of Israel—These verses, without alluding to the formation of a confederacy between the Syrian and Israelitish kings to invade the kingdom of Judah, or relating the commencement of the war in the close of Jotham's reign (2Ki 15:37), give the issue only of some battles that were fought in the early part of the campaign.
delivered him … smote him … he was also delivered—that is, his army, for Ahaz was not personally included in the number either of the slain or the captives. The slaughter of one hundred twenty thousand in one day was a terrible calamity, which, it is (2Ch 28:6) expressly said, was inflicted as a judgment on Judah, "because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers." Among the slain were some persons of distinction:
7. Maaseiah the king's son—the sons of Ahaz being too young to take part in a battle, this individual must have been a younger son of the late King Jotham;
Azrikam the governor of the house—that is, "the palace"; and
Elkanah that was next to the king—that is, the vizier or prime minister (Ge 41:40; Es 10:3). These were all cut down on the field by Zichri, an Israelitish warrior, or as some think, ordered to be put to death after the battle. A vast number of captives also fell into the power of the conquerors; and an equal division of war prisoners being made between the allies, they were sent off under a military escort to the respective capitals of Syria and Israel [2Ch 28:8].
8-14. the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand—These captives included a great number of women, boys, and girls, a circumstance which creates a presumption that the Hebrews, like other Orientals, were accompanied in the war by multitudes of non-combatants (see on Jud 4:8). The report of these "brethren," being brought as captives to Samaria, excited general indignation among the better-disposed inhabitants; and Oded, a prophet, accompanied by the princes (2Ch 28:12 compared with 2Ch 28:14), went out, as the escort was approaching, to prevent the disgraceful outrage of introducing such prisoners into the city. The officers of the squadron were, of course, not to blame; they were simply doing their military duty in conducting those prisoners of war to their destination. But Oded clearly showed that the Israelitish army had gained the victory—not by the superiority of their arms, but in consequence of the divine judgment against Judah. He forcibly exposed the enormity of the offense of keeping "their brethren" as slaves got in war. He protested earnestly against adding this great offense of unnatural and sinful cruelty (Le 25:43, 44; Mic 2:8, 9) to the already overwhelming amount of their own national sins. Such was the effect of his spirited remonstrance and the opposing tide of popular feeling, that "the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation."
15. the men which were expressed by name rose up—These were either the "heads of the children of Ephraim" (mentioned 2Ch 28:12), or some other leading individuals chosen for the benevolent office. Under their kindly superintendence, the prisoners were not only released, but out of the spoils were comfortably relieved with food and clothing, and conveyed as far as Jericho on their way back to their own homes. This is a beautiful incident, and full of interest, as showing that even at this period of national decline, there were not a few who steadfastly adhered to the law of God.
16. At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria—"kings," the plural for the singular, which is found in many ancient versions. "At that time," refers to the period of Ahaz' great distress, when, after a succession of defeats, he retreated within the walls of Jerusalem. Either in the same or a subsequent campaign, the Syrian and Israelitish allies marched there to besiege him (see on 2Ki 16:7). Though delivered from this danger, other enemies infested his dominions both on the south and the west.
17. again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah—This invasion must have been after Rezin (at the beginning of the recent Syro-Israelitish war), had released that people from the yoke of Judah (2Ch 15:11; compare 2Ki 16:6).
18. Gederoth—on the Philistine frontier (Jos 15:41).
Shocho—or Socoh (Jos 15:35), now Shuweikeh, a town in the Valley of Judah (see on 1Sa 17:1).
Gimzo—now Jimza, a little east of Ludd (Lydda) [Robinson]. All these disasters, by which the "Lord brought Judah low," were because of Ahaz, king of Israel (Judah), see 2Ch 21:2; 24:16; 28:27, who made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.
20. Tilgath-pilneser … distressed him, but strengthened him not—that is, notwithstanding the temporary relief which Tilgath-pilneser afforded him by the conquest of Damascus and the slaughter of Rezin (2Ki 16:9), little advantage resulted from it, for Tilgath-pilneser spent the winter in voluptuous revelry at Damascus; and the connection formed with the Assyrian king was eventually a source of new and greater calamities and humiliation to the kingdom of Judah (2Ch 28:2, 3).
2Ch 28:22-27. His Idolatry in His Distress.
22. in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord—This infatuated king surrendered himself to the influence of idolatry and exerted his royal authority to extend it, with the intensity of a passion—with the ignorance and servile fear of a heathen (2Ch 28:23) and a ruthless defiance of God (see on 2Ki 16:10-20).