16:1-20. Ahaz.

O˛  s  1-2-. Introduction. Accession.
     t  -2-4. Personal. Apostacy.
      u  5-9. Events. Political.
     t  10-18. Personal. Apostasy.
    s  19,20. Conclusion. Record and death.

632 to 616 B.C.

2 Kings 16)

1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. (= possessor. One of the 4 kings in whose reign Isaiah prophesied. Cp. 2 Chron. 28:1. Isa. 1:1)
2 Twenty years old [was] Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem (there is no reason for concluding that "there must be an error in one of the passages" [viz. 16:2 and 18:2], for Ahaz begins in 632 B.C. and reigns till 616. As he was 20 when he began, he was born in 652, and died when 36. Hezekiah begins in 617, and reigns 29 years, till 588. As he was 25 when he began he was therefore born in 642, and died when he was 54. From this it is clear that Ahaz was between 10 and 11 when his son Hezikiah was born. This sounds only improbable to Western ears. But, to Eastern ears and physiological phenomena, there is nothing unusual, and nothing to justify a conclusion that the text is corrupt - the usual excuse for ignorance of the facts),

and did not [that which was] right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father.
3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel (cp. 2 Chron. 28:2), yea, and made his son (see note on 2 Chron. 28:3) to pass through the fire (the first king of Judah to do this. Followed in it by Manasseh [21:6; 23:10]. Cp. Jer. 7:31. Ezek. 20:26, and Lev. 18:21), according to the abominations of the nations, whom the Lord cast out from before the sons of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

5 Then Rezin king of Syria (cp. Isa. 7. He and Pekah are the two firebrands of Isa. 7:4. The events in vv.5-9 are said by some to contradict 2 Chron. 28:5-20; but the event recorded in 2 Chron. happened the year before, directly after [2 Chron. 28:5-20], in 631 B.C. Rezin and Pekah both attacked directly after his accession [successfully]. But they confederated unsuccessfully) and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war (Pekah's design to persuade Ahaz failed; and he tried to supersede him himself ["Tabeal" being a cipher for Remaliah]. Cp. Isa.7:6): and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome [him] (because of the promise to David. Cp. Isa. 7:7,16).
6 At that time Rezin king of Syria (probably Edom [from Aram]. See below) recovered Elath to Syria (It had belonged to Edom [14:22]), and drove the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria (this was opposed by Isaiah [7:17]. Cp. Hos. 5:13; 7:11,12; 8:9; 11:5. Tiglat-pilesr is the "razor" of Isa.7:20), saying, “I [am] your servant and yor son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.”
8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord (some codices read, "treasures of the house"), and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent [it for] a present to the king of Assyria (Tiglath-pileser regarded it [in his inscription] as tribute).
9 And the king of Assyria hearkened to him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried [the people of] it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

10-18. Ahaz. Personal Apostasy.

t  v  10-13. The Altar.
    w  14. Removal.
   v  15,16. The Altar.
    w  17,18. Alterations.

10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus (called Jehoahaz in Tiglath-pileser's great triumphal inscriptions. The first syllable of his name dropped in Scripture, as he was unworthy of it) to meet (and do him honor. Hence the solemn warnings of Isa.8:13,14,19) Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that [was] at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the likeness (or sketch) of the altar, and the pattern (or mode) of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
11 And Urijah the priest (= light of Yahaveh. Perhaps the Uriah of Isa.8:2. His name does not occur in the list of high priests [1 Chron. 6:3-15]. Note the emphatic repetition of "Ahaz the king" and "Urijah the priest") built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made [it] against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
13 And he offered up his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.

14 And he brought also the brazen altar (cp. 1 Kings 8:64), which [was] before the Lord, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of the altar (i.e. the new altar).

15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “Upon the great altar (i.e. the new altar) burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire [by].” (i.e. to consider further what sh ll be done with it)
16 Thus did Urijah the priest (unlike Azuriah in 2 Chron.26:17,18), according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them (cp. 1 Kings 7:23-39. 2 Chron. 28:24,25); and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that [were] under it (cp. 1 Kings 7:23-26), and put it upon a pavement of stones.
18 And the covered way for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry outside, turned he from the house of the Lord because of the king of Assyria.

19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? (cp. 2 Chron. 28:24,25. He shut up the house of Yahaveh altogether)

616 B.C.

20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David (but not in the tombs of the kings. Cp. 2 Chron. 28:27, where observe the phrase "kings of Israel"): and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

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