1Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, like his father David. 2For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molten images for the Baals. 3He burned incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah had cast out before the children of Israel. 4And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. 5Therefore Jehovah his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria. They struck him, and carried away a great multitude of them as captives, and brought them to Damascus. Then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him down with a great slaughter. 6For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken Jehovah the God of their fathers. 7Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king. 8And the sons of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoils from them, and brought the spoils to Samaria. 9But a prophet of Jehovah was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: Behold, because Jehovah the God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to the heavens. 10And now you propose to subject the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be your male and female slaves; but do you not also have guilt of your own before Jehovah your God? 11Now listen to me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of Jehovah is upon you. 12Then some of the heads of the sons of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war, 13and said to them, You shall not bring the captives here, for we are already guilty before Jehovah. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. 14So the armed men left the captives and the spoils before the rulers and all the assembly. 15Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoils they clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys. So they brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees; and returned to Samaria. 16At that time King Ahaz had sent to the king of Assyria to help him, 17for again the Edomites had come, struck Judah, and carried away captives. 18The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Sochoh with its daughter-villages, Timnah with its daughter-villages, and Gimzo with its daughter-villages; and dwelt there. 19For Jehovah had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had led Judah into lack of restraints, and to trespass in unfaithfulness unto Jehovah. 20And Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him and distressed him, and did not help him. 21For Ahaz took part of the treasures from the house of Jehovah, from the house of the king, and from the rulers, and he gave it to the king of Assyria; but he did not help him. 22And in the time of his distress he became increasingly unfaithful to Jehovah; this King Ahaz. 23For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had struck him, saying, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 24So Ahaz gathered the vessels of the house of God, cut in pieces the utensils of the house of God, shut up the doors of the house of Jehovah, and made for himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem. 25And in every single city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger Jehovah the God of his fathers. 26Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 27So Ahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem; but they did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his place.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 AHAZ, REIGNING WICKEDLY, IS AFFLICTED BY THE SYRIANS. (2Ch. 28:1-21)
Ahaz was twenty years old--(See on
2Kgs 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 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 (
2Kgs 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 (
2Chr 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 (
Gen 41:40;
Esth 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 [
2Chr 28:8].
8 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
Judg 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 (
2Chr 28:12 compared with
2Chr 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 (
Lev 25:43-
Lev 25:44;
Mic 2:8-
Mic 2:9) 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
2Chr 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
2Kgs 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 (
2Chr 15:11; compare
2Kgs 16:6).
18 Gederoth--on the Philistine frontier (
Josh 15:41).
Shocho--or Socoh (
Josh 15:35), now Shuweikeh, a town in the Valley of Judah (see on
1Sam 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
2Chr 21:2;
2Chr 24:16;
2Chr 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 (
2Kgs 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 (
2Chr 28:2-3).
22 HIS IDOLATRY IN HIS DISTRESS. (
2Chr 28:22-27)
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 (
2Chr 28:23) and a ruthless defiance of God (see on
2Kgs 16:10-20).