Ahaz Reigns in Judah
(2 Kings 16:1–9)
Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. 1Ch 3:13Isa 1:12Ch 17:32Ki 16:1-20Hos 1:1Isa 7:1-12Mat 1:9Mic 1:1 Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even made cast images of the Baals. Exo 34:17Jdg 2:111Ki 16:31-332Ch 21:62Ch 22:3-42Ki 10:26-28Hos 2:13Hos 2:17
Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, 1 according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 2Ch 33:22Ch 33:6Lev 18:212Ki 23:10Jos 15:82Ki 16:3Deu 12:31Deu 18:9 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. 2Ki 16:4Deu 12:2-3Lev 26:30
Aram Defeats Judah
(Isaiah 1:1–9)
So the LORD his God delivered Ahaz into the hand of the king of Aram, who attacked him and took many captives to Damascus. Isa 7:12Ch 24:242Ki 16:5-62Ch 33:112Ch 36:172Ch 36:5Exo 20:2-3Jdg 2:14
Ahaz was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force. For in one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah. This happened because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. Jer 15:6Isa 1:28Jer 2:192Ki 15:27Jos 24:20Isa 9:212Ch 13:172Ch 15:2 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the son of the king, Azrikam the governor of the palace, and Elkanah the second to the king. Est 10:3Gen 41:43Gen 43:12Gen 43:15 Then the Israelites took 200,000 captives from their kinsmen—women, sons, and daughters. They also carried off a great deal of plunder and brought it to Samaria. 2Ch 11:4Deu 28:25Deu 28:41Act 13:26Act 7:26
But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army that returned to Samaria. “Look,” he said to them, “because of His wrath against Judah, the LORD, the God of your fathers, has delivered them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. Ezr 9:6Isa 47:6Rev 18:5Zec 1:151Ki 20:131Ki 20:221Ki 20:422Ch 19:1-2 And now you intend to reduce to slavery the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem. But are you not also guilty before the LORD your God? Lev 25:39-461Pe 4:17-18Jer 25:29Mat 7:2-4Rom 12:20-21 Now therefore, listen to me and return the captives you took from your kinsmen, for the fierce anger of the LORD is upon you.” Jas 2:132Ch 28:8Ezr 10:14Heb 13:1-3Isa 58:6Jer 34:14-15Mat 5:7Mat 7:2
Then some of the leaders of the Ephraimites 2—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, 3 Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—stood in opposition to those arriving from the war. 1Ch 28:1Jer 26:6 “You must not bring the captives here,” they said, “for you are proposing to bring guilt upon us from the LORD and to add to our sins and our guilt. For our guilt is great, and fierce anger is upon Israel.” Jos 22:17-18Mat 23:32Mat 23:35Num 32:14Rom 2:5
So the armed men left the captives and the plunder before the leaders and all the assembly. Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria. Deu 34:3Pro 25:21-222Ki 6:22Jdg 1:161Jn 3:17-18Isa 58:7Jas 2:15-16Job 31:15-23
The Idolatry of Ahaz
(2 Kings 16:10–20)
At that time King Ahaz sent for help from the king 4of Assyria. 2Ki 16:5-7Isa 7:17Isa 7:1-9 The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away captives. Oba 1:102Ch 25:11-12Lev 26:18Oba 1:13-14 The Philistines had also raided the cities of the foothills 5and the Negev of Judah, capturing and occupying Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their villages. Ezk 16:57Ezk 16:271Sa 6:92Ch 11:10Jdg 14:1Jos 15:10Jos 15:41Jos 15:48 For the LORD humbled Judah because Ahaz king of Israel 6had thrown off restraint in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD. 2Ch 21:2Job 40:121Sa 2:7Deu 28:43Exo 32:25Gen 3:11Gen 3:7Hos 5:11
Then Tiglath-pileser 7king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him. 2Ki 15:291Ch 5:26Isa 30:162Ki 16:7-102Ki 17:5Hos 5:13Isa 30:3Isa 7:20 Although Ahaz had taken a portion from the house of the LORD, from the royal palace, and from the princes and had presented it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him. 2Ch 12:92Ki 16:8-92Ki 18:15-16Pro 20:25
In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD. Ezk 21:13Isa 1:5Jer 5:32Ch 33:12Est 7:6Hos 5:15Psa 50:15Psa 52:7 Since Damascus had defeated him, he sacrificed to their gods and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But these gods were the downfall of Ahaz and of all Israel. 2Ch 25:142Ki 16:12-13Hab 1:11Hos 13:9Isa 1:28Jer 10:5Jer 44:15-18Jer 44:20-28
Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of the LORD, and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Jerusalem. 2Ch 29:72Ch 30:142Ch 33:3-52Ki 16:17-182Ch 29:32Ki 25:13-17Act 17:16Act 17:23 In every city of Judah he built high places to offer incense to other gods, and so he provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers. 2Ch 28:3
As for the rest of the acts of Ahaz and all his ways, from beginning to end, they are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 2Ki 16:19-202Ch 20:342Ch 27:7-9 And Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of Jerusalem, but he was not placed in the tombs of the kings of Israel. And his son Hezekiah reigned in his place. 2Ch 21:202Ch 24:251Sa 2:302Ch 26:232Ch 33:20Pro 10:7Isa 14:28