1 In the seventeenth H7651 H6240 H8141 year H8141 of Pekah H6492 the son H1121 of Remaliah H7425 Ahaz H271 the son H1121 of Jotham H3147 king H4428 of Judah H3063 began to reign. H4427
The vision H2377 of Isaiah H3470 the son H1121 of Amoz, H531 which he saw H2372 concerning Judah H3063 and Jerusalem H3389 in the days H3117 of Uzziah, H5818 Jotham, H3147 Ahaz, H271 and Hezekiah, H3169 kings H4428 of Judah. H3063
In the two H8147 H8141 and fiftieth H2572 year H8141 of Azariah H5838 king H4428 of Judah H3063 Pekah H6492 the son H1121 of Remaliah H7425 began to reign H4427 over Israel H3478 in Samaria, H8111 and reigned twenty H6242 years. H8141 And he did H6213 that which was evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD: H3068 he departed H5493 not from the sins H2403 of Jeroboam H3379 the son H1121 of Nebat, H5028 who made Israel H3478 to sin. H2398 In the days H3117 of Pekah H6492 king H4428 of Israel H3478 came H935 Tiglathpileser H8407 king H4428 of Assyria, H804 and took H3947 Ijon, H5859 and Abelbethmaachah, H62 and Janoah, H3239 and Kedesh, H6943 and Hazor, H2674 and Gilead, H1568 and Galilee, H1551 all the land H776 of Naphtali, H5321 and carried them captive H1540 to Assyria. H804 And Hoshea H1954 the son H1121 of Elah H425 made H7194 a conspiracy H7195 against Pekah H6492 the son H1121 of Remaliah, H7425 and smote H5221 him, and slew H4191 him, and reigned H4427 in his stead, in the twentieth H6242 year H8141 of Jotham H3147 the son H1121 of Uzziah. H5818
In the second H8147 year H8141 of Pekah H6492 the son H1121 of Remaliah H7425 king H4428 of Israel H3478 began Jotham H3147 the son H1121 of Uzziah H5818 king H4428 of Judah H3063 to reign. H4427 Five H2568 and twenty H6242 years H8141 old H1121 was he when he began to reign, H4427 and he reigned H4427 sixteen H8337 H6240 years H8141 in Jerusalem. H3389 And his mother's H517 name H8034 was Jerusha, H3388 the daughter H1323 of Zadok. H6659
And Jotham H3147 slept H7901 with his fathers, H1 and was buried H6912 with his fathers H1 in the city H5892 of David H1732 his father: H1 and Ahaz H271 his son H1121 reigned H4427 in his stead.
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 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 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 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
And it came to pass in the days H3117 of Ahaz H271 the son H1121 of Jotham, H3147 the son H1121 of Uzziah, H5818 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 that Rezin H7526 the king H4428 of Syria, H758 and Pekah H6492 the son H1121 of Remaliah, H7425 king H4428 of Israel, H3478 went up H5927 toward Jerusalem H3389 to war H4421 against it, but could H3201 not prevail H3898 against it.
The word H1697 of the LORD H3068 that came unto Hosea, H1954 the son H1121 of Beeri, H882 in the days H3117 of Uzziah, H5818 Jotham, H3147 Ahaz, H271 and Hezekiah, H3169 kings H4428 of Judah, H3063 and in the days H3117 of Jeroboam H3379 the son H1121 of Joash, H3101 king H4428 of Israel. H3478
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 16
Commentary on 2 Kings 16 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 16
2Ki 16:1-16. Ahaz' Wicked Reign over Judah.
1-4. Ahaz … did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord—[See on 2Ch 28:1.] The character of this king's reign, the voluptuousness and religious degeneracy of all classes of the people, are graphically portrayed in the writings of Isaiah, who prophesied at that period. The great increase of worldly wealth and luxury in the reigns of Azariah and Jotham had introduced a host of corruptions, which, during his reign, and by the influence of Ahaz, bore fruit in the idolatrous practices of every kind which prevailed in all parts of the kingdom (see 2Ch 28:24).
3. walked in the way of the kings of Israel—This is descriptive of the early part of his reign, when, like the kings of Israel, he patronized the symbolic worship of God by images but he gradually went farther into gross idolatry (2Ch 28:2).
made his son to pass through the fire—(2Ki 23:10). The hands of the idol Moloch being red hot, the children were passed through between them, which was considered a form of lustration. There is reason to believe that, in certain circumstances, the children were burnt to death (Ps 106:37). This was strongly prohibited in the law (Le 18:21; 20:2-5; De 18:10), although there is no evidence that it was practised in Israel till the time of Ahaz.
5. Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem—Notwithstanding their great efforts and military preparations, they failed to take it and, being disappointed, raised the siege and returned home (compare Isa 7:1).
6. Rezin … recovered Elath—which Azariah had got into his possession (2Ki 14:22).
the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day—The Septuagint version has "the Edomites," which the most judicious commentators and travellers [Robinson] prefer.
7-9. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser—In spite of the assurance given him by Isaiah by two signs, the one immediate, the other remote (Isa 7:14; 8:4), that the confederate kings would not prevail against him, Ahaz sought aid from the Assyrian monarch, to purchase which he sent the treasures of the palace and temple. Tiglath-pileser marched against Damascus, slew Rezin the king, and carried the people of Damascus into captivity to Kir, which is thought to have been the city Karine (now Kerend), in Media.
10-16. And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser—This was a visit of respect, and perhaps of gratitude. During his stay in that heathen city, Ahaz saw an altar with which he was greatly captivated. Forthwith a sketch of it was transmitted to Jerusalem, with orders to Urijah the priest to get one constructed according to the Damascus model, and let this new altar supersede the old one in the temple. Urijah, with culpable complaisance, acted according to his instructions (2Ki 16:16). The sin in this affair consisted in meddling with, and improving according to human taste and fancy, the altars of the temple, the patterns of which had been furnished by divine authority (Ex 25:40; 26:30; 27:1; 1Ch 28:19). Urijah was one of the witnesses taken by Isaiah to bear his prediction against Syria and Israel (Isa 8:2).
2Ki 16:17-19. He Spoils the Temple.
17. cut off the borders of the bases, &c.—It is thought that he did this to use the elaborate sculpture in adorning his palace.
18. the covert for the Sabbath—the portico through which the priests entered the temple on the Sabbath.
the king's entry without—a private external entrance for the king into the temple. The change made by Ahaz consisted in removing both of these into the temple from fear of the king of Assyria, that, in case of a siege, he might secure the entrance of the temple from him.