2 Chronicles 28:1-4 (2 Kings 16:1-4). Ahaz succeeds and practises Idolatry 1. _Ahaz_ The full form of the name is _Jehoahaz_, the "Ja-u-ḥa-zi" of an inscription of Tiglath-pileser III. _twenty years old_ As he died sixteen years later leaving a son of _twenty-five_(2 Chronicles 29:1), the reading o... [ Continue Reading ]
_for Baalim_ R.V. FOR THE BAALIM.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the valley of the son of Hinnom_ This name was of harmless signification at first (Jeremiah 7:31-32), but its Heb. form _Gê-hinnôm_was afterwards corrupted into "Gehenna" (Matthew 5:22, R.V. mg.) and it gained an evil reputation from its connexion with the worship of Molech. It was S. and S.W. of J... [ Continue Reading ]
_He sacrificed also_ R.V. AND HE SACRIFICED. _under every green tree_ The Heb. word here used for "green" (_ra-anân_) means rather "flourishing," the reference being not so much to colour as to condition and size. Large fine trees (which are rarer In the East than in the West) are important landmark... [ Continue Reading ]
_smote him_ From 2 Kin. it appears that the Syrian king, (1) helped to shut up Ahaz in Jerusalem, (2) seized the port of Elath (Eloth) on the Red Sea which had belonged to Judah. Some of the "captives" taken to Damascus were no doubt brought from Elath. _carried away a great multitude of them capti... [ Continue Reading ]
5 7 (cp. 2 Kings 16:5-9; Isaiah 7:1-9). The Syro-Ephraimite War The Chronicler describes the war from a different point of view from that taken in 2 Kin. In the latter the failure of the allies to take Jerusalem is the chief feature in the account, while in Chron. the damage and loss inflicted on J... [ Continue Reading ]
_an hundred and twenty thousand_ i.e. more than a third of the host as reckoned in 2 Chronicles 26:13. which were _all_ R.V. ALL OF THEM. _the Lord God_ R.V. THE LORD, THE GOD. "The LORD" stands here for the proper name "Jehovah"; cp. 2 Chronicles 21:10; 2 Chronicles 24:18; 2 Chronicles 24:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the governor of the house_ R.V. THE RULER (_nâgîd_, Heb.) OF THE HOUSE. Probably the head of the king's household is meant, his "chancellor"; but cp. Nehemiah 11:11, "the ruler (_nâgîd_) of the house of God." _next to the king_ Cp. 1 Samuel 23:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
(not in Kings; but cp. 2 Kings 6:21-23, a similar incident). Israel sends back the Jewish Captives 8. _of their brethren_ Cp. 2 Chronicles 11:4, "ye shall not … fight _against your brethren_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a prophet of the Lord was there_ Nothing further is known of Oded, but this may have been the only occasion on which be appeared as a prophet. _he went out before_ R.V. HE WENT OUT TO MEET. that _reacheth up_ R.V. WHICH HATH REACHED UP. Cp. Genesis 4:10. _heaven_ There is a tendency in some late... [ Continue Reading ]
_keep under_ In Nehemiah 5:5, the same Heb. word is translated, "bring into bondage"; cp. Ryle's note on Hebrew slavery _in loco._One Hebrew might hold another Hebrew as a slave for a limited period, but in the present passage the case is of one part of the people taking advantage of the fortune of... [ Continue Reading ]
_deliver the captives again_ R.V. SEND BACK THE CAPTIVES. _the fierce wrath of the Lord_is _upon you_ Cp. Zechariah 1:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
_for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, ye intend to add more to our sins_ R.V. FOR YE PURPOSE THAT WHICH WILL BRING UPON US A TRESPASS (mg. "guilt") AGAINST THE LORD, TO ADD UNTO OUR SINS. _trespass_ R.V. mg. "guilt.... [ Continue Reading ]
_were expressed_ R.V. HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED. The phrase is characteristic of the Chronicler; cp. 2Ch 31:19; 1 Chronicles 12:31; 1 Chronicles 16:41; Ezra 8:20. _took the captives_ Render, TOOK HOLD OF THE CAPTIVES; i.e. succoured them; cp. Hebrews 2:16 (ἐπιλαμβάνεται = "he taketh hold of"). _to eat a... [ Continue Reading ]
_the kings_ LXX. "king" (sing.). This monarch was Tiglath-pileser III.; cp. 2 Kings 16:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
(2 Kings 16:7-9). Ahaz invokes Assyrian aid There is a variation here between Chron. and Kings. According to the former (2 Chronicles 28:21) Ahaz gained nothing by his tribute to the king of Assyria; according to Kings the Assyrian accepted the offering and marched against Syria, capturing Damascus... [ Continue Reading ]
_had invaded_ Rather, RAIDED. _the low country_ R.V. THE LOWLAND (Heb. _Shephçlâh_). Cp. 2 Chronicles 1:15 (note). _Beth-shemesh_ Cp. 1 Chronicles 6:59 [44, _Heb_.], note. _Ajalon_ R.V. AIJALON; cp. 2 Chronicles 11:10. _Gederoth_ Joshua 15:41. _Shocho_ R.V. SOCO; cp. 2 Chronicles 11:7. _Timnah_... [ Continue Reading ]
_king of Israel_ Cp. 2 Chronicles 11:3 (note). _he made Judah naked_ R.V. HE HAD DEALT WANTONLY IN JUDAH (mg. "cast away restraint"). Cp. Exodus 32:25 (A.V. and R.V.) where the same Heb. verb is twice used.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Tilgath-pilneser_ i.e. Tiglath-pileser III. Cp. 1 Chronicles 5:6 (note). _came … him not_ Some error in the text is probable here. The Hebrew cannot be rendered as in the A.V., but no satisfactory emendation has been proposed.... [ Continue Reading ]
_took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and_out _of the house_ Render, PLUNDERED THE HOUSE OF THE LORD AND THE HOUSE, etc. _but he helped_ R.V. BUT IT HELPED.... [ Continue Reading ]
(cp. 2 Kings 16:10-18). Apostasy of Ahaz 22. _did he trespass … against the LORD: this_is that _king Ahaz_ R.V. DID HE TRESPASS … AGAINST THE LORD, THIS SAME KING AHAZ. For the phrase "this same" cp. 2 Chronicles 32:30; 2 Chronicles 33:23 (R.V.).... [ Continue Reading ]
_the gods of Damascus_ In 2 Kin. the statement is that Ahaz made a copy of an altar which he saw at Damascus and sacrificed upon it. The altar at Damascus was probably the one used by Tiglath-pileser and therefore an Assyrian rather than a Damascene altar. The use of such an altar was an act of apos... [ Continue Reading ]
_cut in pieces the vessels_ Presumably in order to smelt them and put the metal to other uses; cp. 2 Kings 24:13. According to 2 Kings 16:17 Ahaz merely "cut off the borders (-panels" R.V. mg.) of the bases and removed the laver from off them, and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were... [ Continue Reading ]
_in every several city_ Cp. Jeremiah 2:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
(2 Kings 16:19-20). The End of Ahaz 27. _they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel_ According to 2 Kin. Ahaz "was buried with his fathers." It is not clear what distinction the Chronicler wishes to draw here, but cp. 2Ch 16:14; 2 Chronicles 21:20; 2 Chronicles 24:25; 2 Chronic... [ Continue Reading ]