In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. Ver. 1. _Ahaz the son of Jotham._] Under this most wicked prince prophesied Isaiah, Hosea, Micah, and Nahum, but with little good success, so incorrigibly flagitious were now all sorts grown.... [ Continue Reading ]
Twenty years old [was] Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father. Ver. 2. _When he began to reign,_] _i.e., _ Himself alone after his father's death; in whose lifetime he had been d... [ Continue Reading ]
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. Ver. 3. _But he walked in the way, &c._] He "did wickedly as he could," as if he had been "delive... [ Continue Reading ]
And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Ver. 4. _And he sacrificed, &c._] He "did evil with both hands earnestly," Mic 7:3 as if afraid to be outdone by any other; he took long strides toward hell, which was but a little afore him, and d... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome [him]. Ver. 5. _Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah, &c._] After a former invasion of the land, and great spoil made, 2Ch 28:5 these two confederate kings cam... [ Continue Reading ]
At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day. Ver. 6. _At that time._] When he came against Jerusalem. _ Recovered Elath._] Josephus calleth it Aria by the Red Sea.... [ Continue Reading ]
So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I [am] thy servant and thy 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. Ver. 7. _So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser._] God had offered hi... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent [it for] a present to the king of Assyria. Ver. 8. _And sent it for a present to the king of Assyria._] Who being ambitious of a universal monarchy, was glad of the opportun... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king of Assyria hearkened unto 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. Ver. 9. _And carried the people of it captive to Kir._] According to Amos 1:5. This Kir some will have to be that Cyrene mentione... [ Continue Reading ]
And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that [was] at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. Ver. 10. _To meet Tiglathpileser._] As well to congratul... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 11. _And Urijah the priest built an altar._] So in the year of grace 610, Pope Boniface IV, after that he had by the Emperor's appoi... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon. Ver. 12. _And the king approached to the altar._] Urijah suffering him so to do; whereas that zealous priest Azariah would not endure his grandfather Uzziah, a far better man... [ Continue Reading ]
And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar. Ver. 13. _And he burnt his burnt offering._] Uzziah for so doing was smitten with leprosy; but Ahaz of a far worse disease, an incurable hardness of... [ Continue Reading ]
And he brought also the brasen altar, 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. Ver. 14. _And put it on the north side._] As it were, in a corner out of the way. _a_ a _Quasi vicarium e... [ Continue Reading ]
_And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; a... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded. Ver. 16. _Thus did Urijah the priest._] A fawning parasite to that wicked king; and one of those _qui sacerdotium in aucupium vertunt, principum mensas et cellaria obsident, et qui quaestus causa ad dominorum suorum fistulas sal... [ Continue Reading ]
And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that [were] under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones. Ver. 17. _And king Ahaz cut off the borders._] He took away both the ornaments and instruments of the true... [ Continue Reading ]
And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria. Ver. 18. _And the covert for the Sabbath._] _a_ Where the priests, who had served all the week before, reposed themselves on the Sabbath; and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?_ Ver. 19. _Now the rest of the acts, &c._] See 1 Kings 14:29 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. Ver. 20. _And Hezekiah his son._] A most pious prince, who standeth between his father Ahaz and his son Manasseh, as a rose betwixt two thistles, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]