G14 C 1. Introduction.
D 2-4. Personal. Evil-doing.
E F 5-15. Defeat by Syria and Israel.
G 16. Embassy. Sent to Assyria.
E F 17-19. Defeat by Edomites and Philistines.
G 20,21. Embassy. Failure.
D 22-25. Personal. Evil-doing.
C 26,27. Conclusion.
1 Ahaz (= possessor) was twenty years old when Jothan began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem (Yet his son Hezekiah was 25 years old when he died [29:1]. See 2 Kings 16:1): but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord (nor like his own father Jothan, or his son Hezekiah), like David his father:
2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. (He outdid the kings of Israel: cp. 2 Kings 16:3,4, which brought forth the prophecies of Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, and others)
3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his sons in the fire, after the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the sons of Israel.
4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places (cp. 2 Kings 16:4), and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 Wherefore the Lord his God (which should have been his) delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria (i.e. Rezin, whom God raised up as a scourge); and they smote him (i.e. when they took Elath [2 Kings 16:6), and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.
6 For Pekah the son of Remaliah (cp. 2 Kings 15:27 and Isa. 7. As Pekah ends 3 years before Ahazbegins, this must have taken place between 632 and 629 B.C.) slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.
7 And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.
8 And the sons of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters (these were also guilty. Cp. Jer. 7:18), and took also away (i.e. from Jerusalem) much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
9 But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded (= establishing. His name is prophetic): and he went out before the host that came to Samaria (showing his courage), and said to them, "Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. (To express the greatness of the rage)
10 And now you purpose to keep under the sons of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, trespasses against the Lord your God?
11 Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which you have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you."
12 Then men of the heads (not the king) of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Jehohannan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,
13 And said to them, "You shall not bring in the captives here: for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, you intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."
14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assemblt.
15 And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the tottering of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees (cp. Deut. 34:3), to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria. (Cp. this account with Luke 10:30-37)
16 At that time did king Ahaz send to the great king of Assyria to help him.
17 For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.
18 The Philistines (these behind, and the Syrians before. Cp. Isa. 9:12,13) also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.
19 For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel (see 21:2); for he made Judah naked (i.e. had stripped Judah of the worship and service of God), and acted treacherously sore (i.e. been grievously unfaithful) against the Lord.
20 And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria (cp. 2 Kings 16:10) came to him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.
22 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz. (Cp. the 3 specially branded transgressors: Cain [Gen. 4:15]; Dathan [Num. 26:9]; and Ahaz here. Contrast Hezehiah [32:12,30])
23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which smote him (i.e. which as he believed smote him): and he said, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them (so he falsely reasoned), therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him (as the idolatry of the Edomites ruined Amaziah [25:14,15]), and of all Israel.
24 And Ahaz gathered together (cp. 2 Kings 16:8) the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord (his son Hezekiah's 1st act was to open them [29:3]), and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers.
26 Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways (cp. 27:7), first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers (see Deut. 31:16), and they buried him in the city (not in the sepulchers), even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchers of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.