Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 28

Introduction

Second Chronicles Chapter 28

2 Chronicles 28:1 "Ahaz [was] twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:"

The meaning of the name "Ahaz" is possessor, or grasping. Ahaz was, also, spoken of as Achaz, and Jehoahaz. He was a wicked king.

2 Chronicles 28:2 "For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim."

Now, we see why he was so wicked. He followed the evil ways of Israel, rather than following the LORD God of Israel. Since Ahab and Jezebel’s reign in Israel, the making of molten images had been prominent in Israel. Many of the kings of Judah destroyed the images, so they had not been as prominent in Judah.

2 Chronicles 28:3 "Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel."

He followed the same sins that Solomon did. 1 Kings 11:7 "Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon." 1 Kings 11:8 "And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods." The sacrificing of their children was to the false god, Molech. This was a terrible thing for Ahaz to do.

2 Chronicles 28:4 "He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree."

This was connected with the evil grove worship.

2 Chronicles 28:5 "Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, 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."

The king of Syria, in this instance, is Rezin. This is not the whole land of Judah that is captured and taken captive to Syria, but a large number. It appears, that Israel and Syria fought Judah at this time, and Judah was not helped by their LORD, because of their idolatry. They were unfaithful to their LORD, and He allowed great destruction to come upon them. They were not totally destroyed. That would be left for the Babylonians to do. If they had repented and returned to their LORD during this time, He would have spared them.

2 Chronicles 28:6 "For Pekah the son of Remaliah 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."

Pekah and Rezin are usually spoken of together. This 120,000 fighting men killed, were over a third of their army. Their destruction was a punishment from their LORD, for turning away from Him to false gods.

2 Chronicles 28:7 "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."

2 Chronicles 28:8 "And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria."

It appears, that the mighty man of Israel, Zichri, caught the soldiers of Judah in battle with Syria, and came and took their wives, and sons, and daughters captive back to Israel. This 200,000 were not soldiers, they were their families. Maaseiah would have been quite young had he been the son of Ahaz. Perhaps, that is why the governor was killed, also. He was, probably, in charge of the son. In fact, Elkanah, who would have been second in command, was caught and killed, also. Elkanah was not Ahaz’s son. He was like his vice president. He was second in command of Judah.

2 Chronicles 28:9 "But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name [was] Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage [that] reacheth up unto heaven."

The tribe of Ephraim had always been jealous of Judah. They had taken advantage of a bad situation of Judah, and come in and taken what they wanted. This brave prophet, Obed, told them that God caused this to happen to Judah in punishment for their sin of unfaithfulness. Israel had done this, not because it was the wishes of the LORD, but because they hated Judah. Their hate, for their brothers, had now reached to heaven, and God would punish Israel, also.

2 Chronicles 28:10 "And now ye purpose to keep under thechildren of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: [but are there] not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?"

We can see their error in the following Scripture. Leviticus 25:46 "And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit [them for] a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour." You may read of the punishment for this in Deuteronomy 28:68. Judah had been one of the twelve tribes of Israel. To take the wives and children of Judah as bond servants, would be a sin against God.

2 Chronicles 28:11 "Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD [is] upon you."

This had greatly angered God. His wrath was upon Israel for taking their brethren’s families captive. They had better return them immediately, or they would feel the wrath of God themselves. I must say, this took a brave prophet to tell the army of Israel this.

2 Chronicles 28:12 "Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, 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,"

2 Chronicles 28:13 "And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD [already], ye intend to add [more] to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and [there is] fierce wrath against Israel."

There was always a remnant, who had not bowed their knee to Baal. In this case, Azariah, Berechiah, Jehizkiah, and Amasa knew that the prophet was telling the truth. They knew that Israel had already greatly sinned with their worship of false gods. They made it clear that this sin would be added to the terrible sins they had already committed. They feared the fierce wrath of God descending upon Israel. This handful of men had not participated in the earlier sins, and certainly wanted no part in this sin. They were saying, listen to the prophet, and send them back home.

2 Chronicles 28:14 "So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation."

2 Chronicles 28:15 "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 feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria."

The warning was accepted and the men, who had not sinned in this manner, took them back to Jericho. It appeared, they had actually brought some of these people naked. Now, they were clothed and on their way home.

2 Chronicles 28:16 "At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him."

Ahaz was desperate, and sent to the Assyrians to help him.

2 Chronicles 28:17 "For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives."

The Edomites had been constant enemies of Judah. They, too, had taken advantage of their weakened condition, and attacked them, and took many captives.

2 Chronicles 28:18 "The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, 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."

Even the hated Philistines had come, and taken many of the villages of Judah.

2 Chronicles 28:19 "For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD."

Ahaz was spoken of as king of Israel, because he had picked up their sinful ways. He was very much like the kings of Israel. His great sins against the LORD had caused this terrible punishment that came on Judah. Many times, a country suffers for the sins of their king, or leader.

2 Chronicles 28:20 "And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not."

2 Chronicles 28:21 "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] unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not."

Ahaz had robbed the temple of its treasures to buy the help of this evil king of Assyria. He took the bribe, but turned on Judah and instead of helping them, he attacked them, as well.

2 Chronicles 28:22 "And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this [is that] king Ahaz."

2 Chronicles 28:23 "For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, [therefore] will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel."

False gods were the downfall of Israel. In the sense of worshipping the false gods, Judah was no different than Israel. They had all turned from the One True God to the false gods. In this particular instance, Ahaz thought the false gods of Damascus had helped them against him. He did not realize that God had helped them, because of the sins of Ahaz.

2 Chronicles 28:24 "And Ahaz gathered together 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, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem."

2 Chronicles 28:25 "And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers."

Ahaz did the unthinkable. He destroyed the holy things in the temple and then closed it to worship. He had turned completely away from the LORD God. He set up places of worship in all the towns around, and in all corners of Jerusalem to worship the false gods of Damascus. The anger of God in this would be tremendous. We could safely say that Ahaz was one of the most wicked kings who ruled in Judah.

2 Chronicles 28:26 "Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they [are] written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel."

We have mentioned before that this book, mentioned in the verse above, could be speaking of a book which recorded the acts of the kings. It is, also, worth noting that there is a statement made of Ahaz in the book of Kings in the Bible.

2 Chronicles 28:27 "And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, [even] in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead."

302 He was such an evil king, that he was not buried with honor. He was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the sepulchre with the kings, such as David. It is so interesting, to me, that such an evil king could have a son who was like Hezekiah. We will discover in the next lesson, that Hezekiah tries to do what is right in the sight of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 28 Questions

1. How old was Ahaz, when he began to reign?

2. How many years did he reign?

3. What does "Ahaz" mean?

4. What were some other names he was known by?

5. What kind of a king was he?

6. What were some of the terrible things he did?

7. The sacrificing of children pertained to what false god?

8. How did his sins parallel Solomon’s sins?

9. Who delivered Ahaz into the hands of the king of Syria?

10. Who was this king of Syria?

11. Who was the son of Remaliah, who slew in Judah 120,000 in one day?

12. Who was Zichri?

13. What did he do to Judah?

14. How many women and children did he take captive?

15. Who was the prophet that came to them with a message from God?

16. Why had they done this evil thing to Judah?

17. In 2 Chronicles 28:10, the prophet tells them, it would be a ______ to keep the captives of Judah.

18. Quote Leviticus 25:46.

19. Why must they release the captives?

20. Who stood up and agreed with the prophet at that time?

21. What did Azariah and the princes do, before they released the people to go home?

22. Where did they take the captives for safety?

23. Who did Ahaz seek help from?

24. Who took many of the villages of Judah?

25. Who was the king of the Assyrians, who distressed Judah?

26. What was the downfall of Israel?

27. In 2 Chronicles 28:24-25, what terrible things did Ahaz do?

28. Where was Ahaz buried?

29. How was his burial different from kings, like David?

30. Who reigned in his stead?

Verses 1-4

2Ch 28:1-4

2 Chronicles 28:1-4

THE WICKED REIGN OF AHAZ BRINGS AWFUL PUNISHMENT UPON JUDAH

AHAZ (735-715 B.C.)

A SUMMARY OF THE WICKEDNESS OF AHAZ

"Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he did not that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, like David his father; but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for the Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree."

In commentary on 2Kings are there is a discussion of the reign of Ahaz; and the only section of this chapter which is not mentioned there is found in 2 Chronicles 27:8-9. These verses provide a remarakbly interesting insight into the problems of those times.

It will suffice here to note that Ahaz was by far the most wicked of the kings of Judah up to this point in their history. He even sacrificed his son to Molech, closed the temple, and worshipped pagan gods.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 28:1. David is called the father of Ahaz by way of respect. There had been many generations since him, but he was the first king of the tribe of Judah.

2 Chronicles 28:2. Every king of Israel (the 10 tribes) was an idolater, hence this general reference to them which is done so many times. There were three methods of shaping the metallic idols; carving, hammering and casting or molten. Baalim is the plural form of Baal, and that form was used sometimes because there were so many places where an image was erected to that false god.

2 Chronicles 28:3. The valley of Hinnom is sometimes connected with the son of Hinnom with reference to the offspring of the founder of those rites. Burnt incense means he offered sacrifices in that valley in service to the heathen deity. On the offering of human sacrifies see the comments at 2 Kings 16:3.

2 Chronicles 28:4. Idolatrous sacrifices were wrong wherever practiced. The mention of all these places is to show the degree of iniquity to which Ahaz had gone. High places (see 1 Kings 3:2) were the elevations made by man, the hills were those made by nature, and the trees were those either planted for the purpose of idolatry, or were selected out of the groves and consecrated to the false worship.

Verses 5-7

2Ch 28:5-7

2 Chronicles 28:5-7

GOD DELIVERED JUDAH INTO THE HANDS OF DAMASCUS AND SAMARIA

"Wherefore Jehovah his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away of his a great multitude of captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he also delivered him into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers. And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king’s son, and Azrikam the ruler of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king."

This disaster that fell upon Judah was wrought by a coalition of Rezin king of Syria (Damascus) and Pekah the king of Israel. They almost succeeded in capturing Ahaz, but they could not actually overcome him. However, they carried away two hundred thousand captives and much spoil.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 28:5. God frequently punished his disobedient servants by delivering them into the hand of some other man. A man can be killed but once, yet Ahaz was smitten by two different men. That is because when a certain king smote him it means merely that he was attacked. The severity or extent of the damage is never determined by that word. Thus we read that the kings of both Syria and Israel (the 10 tribes) smote this king of Judah. Of course, many of his men were smitten to the extent that they were slain, and that would be regarded as being an attack upon him.

2 Chronicles 28:6. This is a specification of the statement in the preceding verse. Pekah was a king of Israel, and God suffered him to kill 120,000 men of Judah in one day, as a punishment for their departure from the true God.

2 Chronicles 28:7. Man of Ephraim. For the third word, see comments at 2 Chronicles 25:7. The men whom Zichri slew were important, being closely connected with the king, either by blood or service.

Verses 8-15

2Ch 28:8-15

2 Chronicles 28:8-15

THE PROPHET OBED INTERCEDES FOR THE CAPTIVES

"And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. But a prophet of Jehovah was there, whose name was Obed: and he went out to meet the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, because Jehovah, the God of your fathers, was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage which hath reached up into heaven. And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not even with you trespasses of your own against Jehovah your God? Now hear me therefore and send back the captives, that ye have taken captive of your brethren; for the fierce wrath of Jehovah is upon you. Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, 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, and said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for ye purpose that which will bring upon us a trespass against Jehovah, to add unto our sins, and to our trespass; for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly. And the men that have been mentioned 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 feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm-trees, unto their brethren: then they returned to Samaria."

"But a prophet of Jehovah was there ... Obed" (2 Chronicles 28:9). God never stopped his pleading with the northern tribes through his holy prophets, despite the fact that within a decade, or a little less time, the Northern Israel would be destroyed and many of them transported as captives by Assyria in 722 B.C. The reign of Ahaz (735-715 B.C.) would not close until after the fall of Samaria. "Thus this change of heart by some of the men of Ephraim came at a time when it was already too late." This act of mercy on their part must therefore be viewed, not as any fundamental change in the apostate Israel, but as an act of God’s mercy upon Judah, even in his judgment against them. Significantly, "Nothing is known of this prophet Obed, except what is written here." There may have been many such prophets whom God sent in his futile efforts to win back from their rebellion the northern kingdom.

"Certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim" (2 Chronicles 28:12). Here the word Ephraim is used, as frequently in the O.T., for all of northern Israel.

The radical critics’ hatred of Chronicles is typically expressed by Curtis (Madsen) who called this passage (2 Chronicles 28:8-15), "A good example of Midrash." The meaning of such a comment is simply that, "There’s not a word of truth in it." This writer is happy to reject out of hand such unbelieving, unsupported, and inaccurate comments. It is refreshing indeed to find that today, long after the fulminations of the International Critical Commentary, many great scholars, even liberal critics, give a much more favorable view of this passage. Myers, for example, treated this paragraph as authentic, and as being supported by the sources available to the Chronicler. There are no legitimate grounds for denying anything in Chronicles.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 28:8. Children of Israel is a term .that applies usually to all the tribes, but in this verse applies to the 10 tribes only. However, being all Jews, they are called their brethren. Women, eons, and daughters would indicate a general capture, and not the soldiers only, as is so often done. The spoil means the personal property of the people. They brought them all to Samaria because that was their capital.

2 Chronicles 28:9. When God uses a man or nation to punish another man or nation, he never allows any boasting over it. This will be manifest many times when we come to the books of the prophets. The kingdom of the 10 tribes was used in the present instance as an instrument in God’s hands to chastise the kingdom of Judah. They did what they were supposed to do and no fault will be charged against them on that score. But the spirit in which they did it, and the motive they had as to the future, was displeasing to the Lord, and he determined to rebuke them. Again we see the use that God made of the prophets. (Hebrews 1:1.) The prophet Oded was the one selected for this occasion. The point was made that God had the kingdom of Judah punished because he was wroth with Judah, and not because of any merit of the kingdom of Israel. If a parent punishes his child while in anger, the purpose of the discipline may be defeated. The people of Israel had attacked Judah in rage, and that was objectionable to the Lord.

2 Chronicles 28:10. This verse reveals one of the motives the people of Israel had, and that was to put those of Judah under a state of enforced servitude. In other words, they had the intention of reaping some special advantage out of their service to God. The reference to their sins against the Lord was a hint that a similar judgment might be meted out to them unless they corrected their ways.

2 Chronicles 28:11. The kingdom of Judah had been sufficiently punished by the loss of their goods, and the humiliation of their citizens. It was proper, therefore, that they not be made further to suffer. In a final word of exhortation, the prophet told them to release the captives.

2 Chronicles 28:12-13. The men named in V. 12 were representative ones, and they accepted the admonition of the prophet Oded. They took their stand against the men who had been conducting the war operations. They objected to bringing the captives into the vicinity of Samaria, and denounced it as a sin against the Lord. They said that already there had been an offense committed against God, and that by bringing these captives away from Judah they would be adding to the trespass, and would bring upon them the divine wrath.

2 Chronicles 28:14. The foregoing speech was directed toward the men in the army, because they were the ones who had taken possession of the captives. Upon hearing the rebuke of the princes (leading men named in 2 Chronicles 28:12), they surrendered the captives and spoil.

2 Chronicles 28:15. When these princes (named in 2 Chronicles 28:12) got possession of all that had been taken by the soldiers, they used the articles of clothing for the benefit of the captives. Having been stripped of their personal property, they were in need of the things required for bodily comfort. These were provided out of the very things that had been taken from them. They gave them food and drink, and further administered to their comfort by anointing them. That was a practice of ancient times that had more than one meaning. It contributed to the sanitary and medical benefit of the person receiving it, and also indicated to him an attitude of respect. See Psalms 23:5, Luke 7:46. Having given the captives these tokens of compassion, they placed them on beasts of burden and took them back into their own land. The particular spot to where they took them was Jericho, a prominent city in the possession of the tribe of Benjamin, a part of the Kingdom of Judah. It was called the city of palm trees because of the prevalence of that tree, which was a very useful one. Smith’s Bible Dictionary describes the palm tree thus: "The palm tree frequently attains a height of 80 feet, but more commonly 40 to 50. It begins to bear fruit after it has been planted 6 or 8 years, and continues to be productive for a century. Its trunk is straight, tall and unbroken, terminating in a crown of emerald-green plumes, like a diadem of gigantic ostrich-feathers, these leaves are frequently 20 feet in length, droop slightly at the ends, and whisper musically in the breeze. The palm is, in truth, a beautiful and most useful tree. Its fruit is the daily food of millions; its sap furnishes an agreeable wine; the fibres of the base of its leaves are woven into ropes and rigging; its tall stem supplies a valuable timber; its leaves are manufactured into brushes, mats, bags, couches and baskets. This one tree supplies almost all the wants of the Arab or Egyptian." After delivering the captives to their own country, the princes of Israel returned to their own capital, at Samaria.

Verses 16-21

2Ch 28:16-21

2 Chronicles 28:16-21

AHAZ MAKES JUDAH A VASSAL OF ASSYRIA IN HIS APPEAL TO THEM FOR HELP

"At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with the towns thereof, and Timnah with the towns thereof, and Gimzo with the towns thereof: and they dwelt there. For Jehovah brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he had dealt wantonly in Judah, and trespassed sore against Jehovah. And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of Jehovah, and out of the house of the king and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria, but it helped him not."

"Ahaz king of Israel" (2 Chronicles 28:19). In the view of the Chronicler, Judah was the only real Israel left, after the apostasy of the northern tribes, and thus in this line he referred to Ahaz as king of Israel, meaning the king of Judah, the only real Israel.

(See our comments in Second Kings upon this disastrous maneuver of Ahaz in seeking aid from Assyria and, in doing so, making himself, in effect, a vassal of that ambitious and cruel monolithic empire.)

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 28:16. Later on in the chapter we will learn that God saw fit again to humble Ahaz for his unrighteous life. Again the punishment will be administered through the agency of the heathen nations. Common reason should have told the king that if the Lord decided to punish him by bringing one foreign nation against him, it would be in vain for him to call upon another for help. But he evidently did not consider, for we are told that he called on the Assyrians for help.

2 Chronicles 28:17-18. The invaders named in this paragraph had been causing Ahaz much trouble, and that was the reason he sent for the Assyrians referred to in 2 Chronicles 28:16. The Edomites were east, and the Philistines west of Judah. They sent bands of men who took part of the people captive and carried them out of their own land. Others of the invaders took possession of some of the towns and dwelt in them.

2 Chronicles 28:19. This verse explains why the Lord had brought the nations against his people. It was too bad that the nation had to be brought down on account of their king, but he was their representative and acted on their be half. Naked is used figuratively and means that the people were exposed to the insults of a foreign power, who dispossessed them of their valuables and left them in want.

2 Chronicles 28:20. Tilgath-pilneser was a king of Assyria, the nation mentioned in 2 Chronicles 28:16. Ahaz called for him and he came; but instead of relieving him, he became his enemy.

2 Chronicles 28:21. Ahaz thought he could hire the king of Assyria. To obtain something with which to induce Tilgath-pilneser to help him, Ahaz even plundered the temple and the palace, also the houses of his leading men, and gave the loot to the Assyrian king. It was in vain, for the king refused to help him.

Verses 22-27

2Ch 28:22-27

2 Chronicles 28:22-27

FURTHER WICKEDNESS OF AHAZ; HIS DEATH; AND THE SUCCESSION OF HEZEKIAH

"And in the time of his distress did he transgress yet more against Jehovah, this same Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Assyria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. And Ahaz gathered together 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 Jehovah; and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And in every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked to anger Jehovah, the God of his fathers. Now the rest of his acts, and all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem, for they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead."

We have commented extensively upon the wickedness of Ahaz in Second Kings; and there is no need to elaborate the discussion here.

His great failure was his adoption of the theological ideas that prevailed throughout the ancient world, namely, that each country had its gods, and that their victories or defeats were due to the will of such pagan deities. In God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt, he had established most conclusively the principle that there is only one true and Almighty God, that the pagan deities are not merely powerless, but that they are actually nonentities, and finally that God’s People would prosper or suffer in direct proportion to their fidelity, or lack of it, to the One True and Only God.

The long time sins and apostasies of the Chosen People had all but completely erased from their hearts those basic truths; and the final result of that shameful development would be rapidly revealed in the defeat and deportation, first, of Northern Israel to Assyria (722 B.C.), and later, in the defeat and captivity of Judah in Babylon (586 B.C.).

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 28:22. Distress is supposed to make a man sober minded and cause him to look to the Lord of Heaven for help. Ahaz was not so affected by his afflictions.

2 Chronicles 28:23. It is difficult to explain the density of some men’s minds. The people of Damascus, capital of Syria, had defeated Ahaz, but he had much reason to understand that they could not have done so had not God used them for that purpose. Instead of ascribing their success against him to his own true God, he gave it to their false gods. He was so foolish as to offer sacrifice to them, thinking they might help him. Instead of being any advantage to him, they were his ruin or cause of his downfall.

2 Chronicles 28:24. Ahaz "went the limit" in his sins against the Lord. The vessels of the house of God were the various implements used in the different services. The word is from KELIY and Strong defines it, "Something prepared, i, e. any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon) ." These articles were made of precious metal. They could be melted and recast into altars or other things for some use designed by the one having charge of it. Ahaz wanted to use this material for his corrupt service of idolatry, so he plundered the temple of its sacred instruments, closed the doors, and thus abandoned the lawful worship. He then used the metal for making altars for the service of idolatry, placing them in every corner or prominent angle in Jerusalem. We may find a parallel in principle in some of the practices of professed Christians. They will deny the lawful use of the Bible and the Church, then try to use them for their own plans. The holy creations were for the exclusive purpose of benefiting mankind morally and religiously. God made them to prepare man for usefulness in this life and for happiness in the next. But they are often plundered and made to serve the social and financial interests of professed worshipers of God. All such will be condemned by the Lord, even as Ahaz was condemned.

2 Chronicles 28:25. The wicked king of Judah was not content with corrupting the capital city with his idolatry. He made high places (see comments at 1 Kings 3:2) in the different cities of his realm, and used them as places for sacrifices to false gods. Provoked has no word in the original at this place, but it is used in the same sense in other places as applying to God. It is from NAATS and defined in the lexicon, "a primitive root; to scorn; or (Ecclesiastes 12:5) by interchanging for NUUTS, to bloom." In the A. V. it is sometimes used in the sense of "give occasion to." We should not think of God as being like men, and giving way to evil passions at the instigation of human creatures. Yet the misdeeds of man will cause the occasion for the Lord to express his anger in some form of punishment for the offender.

2 Chronicles 28:26. See 1 Kings 14:19 and comments, in connection with this paragraph.

2 Chronicles 28:27. Slept with his fathers is treated at 1 Kings 2:10. The people of ancient times were particular about their burying grounds, and classified them according to the merits of the ones buried. Ahaz was a king of Judah and was entitled to burial in the capital of his kingdom. But he had been a wicked man and was not placed in the sepulchres that were set apart exclusively for the kings.