2 Chronicles 28

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the LORD's sight, the way his ancestor David had done.

1Ahaz 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:

NoteAfter Solomon's death the kingdom split in two: Judah in the south, ruled from Jerusalem by David's descendants, and Israel (also called Ephraim) in the north, ruled from Samaria. Ahaz was king of Judah, roughly 735–715 BC. "His ancestor David" is not his literal father, David lived about 300 years earlier, and the phrase marks Ahaz as part of David's royal line.

2Instead, he lived the way the kings of Israel lived. He even had metal statues made of the Baals.

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

NoteBaal ("lord, master") was the storm and fertility god of Israel's Canaanite neighbors. The plural "the Baals" refers to the many local versions of him worshiped at particular towns and shrines. "Metal statues" translates a word for images cast from molten metal, as opposed to carved ones.

3He also burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, and he burned his own sons in the fire. He copied the disgusting practices of the nations that the LORD had driven out ahead of the people of Israel.

3Moreover 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.

NoteThe Valley of Ben-hinnom ("the valley of the son of Hinnom") is the ravine running along the south and west sides of Jerusalem, just outside the city walls; its later Greek name, Gehenna, came to be used as a name for hell. Burning children in the fire refers to child sacrifice, a practice associated with the god Molech and forbidden in Israelite law.

4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the worship sites on the hilltops, on the hills, and under every green tree.

4He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Note"Worship sites on the hilltops" translates "high places", open-air shrines, usually on a hill or ridge, with an altar, upright stone pillars and often a sacred tree or wooden pole. "Under every green tree" was a stock phrase for such shrines: large evergreen trees marked sacred spots.

5So the LORD his God handed him over to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated him, took a great many of his people prisoner, and brought them to Damascus. Ahaz was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him a heavy blow.

5Wherefore 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.

NoteAram is Syria; its capital, Damascus, lay northeast of Israel. Aram and the northern kingdom of Israel had formed an alliance and were attacking Judah to force it to join their revolt against Assyria, the war modern historians call the Syro-Ephraimite war (about 735–732 BC), also described in 2 Kings 16 and Isaiah 7.

6Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 men of Judah in a single day, all of them brave soldiers. This happened because the people had abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

6For 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.

NotePekah was king of the northern kingdom of Israel. Figures like 120,000 are startlingly large; the Hebrew word rendered "thousand" can also mean a military unit or clan contingent, so the real scale of the losses is uncertain.

7Zichri, a strong warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the official in charge of the palace, and Elkanah, who was second in rank to the king.

7And 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.

NoteEphraim was the largest tribe of the northern kingdom, and its name is often used for that kingdom as a whole. "The official in charge of the palace" was the chief steward of the royal household, one of the highest posts in the government; "second in rank to the king" marks Elkanah as the next man after the king himself.

8The Israelites took 200,000 of their own relatives from Judah as prisoners: women, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a large amount of goods from them and brought it all to Samaria.

8And 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.

NoteSamaria was the capital city of the northern kingdom. "Their own relatives" is literal: north and south were one people divided into two states, which is what makes the raid shocking to the prophet in the next verse.

9But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there. He went out to meet the army as it came back to Samaria and said to them, "Look, the LORD, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, so he handed them over to you. But you have killed them in a rage that reaches all the way to heaven.

9But 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.

10And now you plan to force the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem to be your slaves. But don't you yourselves have sins against the LORD your God?

10And now ye purpose to keep under the children 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?

NoteIsraelite law barred permanently enslaving fellow Israelites: a Hebrew who fell into debt-slavery was to be released after six years, and in the year of jubilee families returned to their land. Turning captured kinsfolk into slaves crossed that line.

11So listen to me now. Send back the prisoners you took from your own relatives, because the LORD is fiercely angry with you."

11Now 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.

12Then some of the leaders of Ephraim stood in the way of the men returning from the war. They were Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai.

12Then 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,

13They said to the soldiers, "You must not bring these prisoners here. You would make us guilty before the LORD and add to our sins and our wrongdoing. Our guilt is already great, and the LORD is fiercely angry with Israel."

13And 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.

14So the armed men handed over the prisoners and the goods to the leaders and to the whole assembly.

14So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

15Then the men who had been named stepped forward and took charge of the prisoners. From the captured goods they clothed everyone who had no clothes. They gave them clothing, sandals, food, and drink, and anointed them. They put all who were weak on donkeys and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, back to their relatives. Then they went home to Samaria.

15And 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.

NoteAnointing here is medical, not ceremonial: olive oil was the standard dressing for wounds. Jericho, an oasis town in the Jordan valley famous for its date palms, lay near the frontier between the two kingdoms, so returning the captives there put them back within reach of their own people.

16At that time King Ahaz sent for help from the kings of Assyria.

16At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

NoteThe Hebrew says "kings" of Assyria though only one king, Tiglath-pileser, is meant in verse 20; the plural may be a formal or honorific usage. Assyria was the dominant empire of the age, based in what is now northern Iraq. Sending for help meant offering to become a tribute-paying vassal.

17This was because the Edomites had come again and attacked Judah and taken prisoners.

17For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.

NoteEdom lay southeast of Judah, beyond the Dead Sea. Edomites were reckoned descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother, and so were counted as kin to Israel, but the two peoples were long-standing enemies.

18The Philistines had also raided the towns in the foothills and in the dry southern part of Judah. They captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its villages, Timnah and its villages, and Gimzo and its villages, and they settled there.

18The Philistines 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.

NoteThe Philistines occupied the coastal plain southwest of Judah. "The foothills" is the Shephelah, the belt of low hills between that plain and the Judean highlands; "the dry southern part" is the Negev. The towns listed guarded the western approaches to Jerusalem, so their loss left Judah exposed.

19The LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel. Ahaz had let the people run wild and had been deeply unfaithful to the LORD.

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

NoteAhaz ruled Judah, not the northern kingdom; Chronicles sometimes uses "Israel" for the whole people of God regardless of the political split. "Let the people run wild" translates a Hebrew verb meaning to loosen or uncover, the image is of removing restraint, leaving Judah exposed and undisciplined.

20Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz, but he caused him trouble instead of making him stronger.

20And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

NoteTiglath-pileser III (reigned about 745–727 BC) rebuilt Assyria into the great power of the Near East. He did break the Aram–Israel alliance, but he absorbed Judah as a tribute-paying vassal in the process, which is the "trouble" meant here.

21Ahaz took some of the treasure from the LORD's temple, from the royal palace, and from the officials, and gave it to the king of Assyria. But it did him no good.

21For 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.

NoteThis was tribute, the payment a lesser king made to buy an emperor's protection and stay in his favor. Stripping the temple and palace treasuries was the usual way of raising such a sum.

22And during this time of trouble, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. This is what King Ahaz was like.

22And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.

23He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, which had struck him. He said, "The gods of the kings of Aram help them, so I will sacrifice to those gods and they will help me." But they were what ruined him and all Israel.

23For 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.

NoteIn the thinking of the ancient Near East, a battle tested the strength of the gods as much as of the armies, so a defeated king might conclude that the winners' gods were the more effective ones and take up their worship.

24Ahaz collected the objects used in God's temple and cut them to pieces. He shut the doors of the LORD's temple and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Jerusalem.

24And 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.

NoteThe "objects" are the bronze and gold furnishings and implements used in the sacrifices, basins, shovels, lampstands and the like. Shutting the temple doors ended the daily worship there altogether.

25In every single town of Judah he built worship sites for burning incense to other gods, and so he made the LORD, the God of his ancestors, angry.

25And 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.

26The rest of what Ahaz did, and everything about how he lived, from beginning to end, is written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

26Now 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.

NoteThis was a royal chronicle kept as an official record, now lost. It is not the books of 1 and 2 Kings in the Bible, though those books cite similar sources.

27Ahaz died and joined his ancestors, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem. But they did not put him in the tombs of the kings of Israel. His son Hezekiah became king in his place.

27And 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.

NoteKings of Judah were normally buried in the royal tombs in the City of David. Excluding a king from them was a public verdict on his reign, and the burial notice is the standard way this book closes an account of a king's life.