INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 16 This chapter contains the reign of Ahaz only, relates his idolatry, 2 Kings 16:1 his hiring the king of Assyria with the treasure of the temple, and his own, to assist him against the kings of Israel and Syria, who besieged him, 2 Kings 16:5, his seeing the altar of an id... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE SEVENTEENTH YEAR OF PEKAH THE SON OF REMALIAH AHAZ THE SON OF JOTHAM KING OF JUDAH BEGAN TO REIGN. Jotham began to reign in the second of Pekah, and he reigned sixteen years, and therefore his last year would fall in the eighteenth of Pekah; but as his first year might be at the beginning of... [ Continue Reading ]
TWENTY YEARS OLD WAS AHAZ WHEN HE BEGAN TO REIGN, AND REIGNED SIXTEEN YEARS IN JERUSALEM,.... The same number of years his father did: AND DID NOT THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD GOD, LIKE DAVID HIS FATHER; his more remote progenitor, nor even like his more immediate father, from whom... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE WALKED IN THE WAY OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL..... Worshipping the calves as they did; which, as it was contrary to the religious sentiments in which he was educated, so against his political interest, which was the only, or at least the principal thing, which swayed with the kings of Israel to co... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SACRIFICED AND BURNT INCENSE IN THE HIGH PLACES, AND ON THE HILLS,.... Which none of the kings of Judah before him ever did; for though they connived at this practice in the people, they never encouraged it by their own example; and very probably he offered sacrifices there to idols, see 2 Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN REZIN KING OF SYRIA, AND PEKAH SON OF REMALIAH KING OF ISRAEL, CAME UP TO JERUSALEM TO WAR,.... To fight with Ahaz, moved to it by the Lord, to chastise Ahaz for his idolatry, 2 Kings 15:37 BUT COULD NOT OVERCOME HIM; so as to take Jerusalem, and set up another king there, as their scheme was,... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THAT TIME REZIN KING OF SYRIA RECOVERED ELATH TO SYRIA,.... A port on the Red sea, that formerly belonged to Edom, taken from them by David, retaken by them when they revolted in Joram's time, and perhaps taken by Amaziah again, since his son Azariah rebuilt it, and restored it to Judah, 2 Kings... [ Continue Reading ]
SO AHAZ SENT MESSENGERS TO TIGLATHPILESER KING OF ASSYRIA,.... Of whom see 2 Kings 15:29 SAYING, [I AM] THY SERVANT, AND THY SON; signifying, that he would be his vassal, and become tributary to him, and serve him as a servant to his master, or a son his father, on condition he would come to his as... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AHAZ TOOK THE SILVER AND GOLD THAT WAS FOUND IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD,.... Which Uzziah and Jotham had put there; for all that was found there in the times of Amaziah was taken away by Jehoash king of Israel, 2 Kings 14:14 AND IN THE TREASURES OF THE KING'S HOUSE; whatever gold and silver he ha... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING OF ASSYRIA HEARKENED UNTO HIM,.... Complied with his request: FOR THE KING OF SYRIA WENT UP AGAINST DAMASCUS, AND TOOK IT; the metropolis of the kingdom of Syria, and so made a powerful diversion in favour of the king of Judah: AND CARRIED THE PEOPLE OF IT CAPTIVE TO KIR; not Cyrene,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KING AHAZ WENT TO DAMASCUS TO MEET TIGLATHPILESER KING OF ASSYRIA,.... When he heard he was come thither, and had taken it, to congratulate him on the victory, and to give him thanks for his assistance; which place from Jerusalem was one hundred and sixty miles, according to Bunting q AND SAW A... [ Continue Reading ]
AND URIJAH THE PRIEST BUILT AN ALTAR ACCORDING TO ALL THAT KING AHAZ HAD SENT FROM DAMASCUS,.... Exactly according to the size, form, figure, and carved work of it, though expressly contrary to the command of God; which fixed both the form and matter of the altar of God, with everything appertaining... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE KING WAS COME FROM DAMASCUS, THE KING SAW THE ALTAR,.... Looked at it, and liked it, being exactly according to the pattern he had sent: AND THE KING APPROACHED THE ALTAR, AND OFFERED THEREON; either by a priest, or it may be in his own person, having no regard to the laws and appointm... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BURNT HIS BURNT OFFERING, AND HIS MEAT OFFERING,.... Which went together according to the law of God, and was imitated by the Heathens: AND POURED HIS DRINK OFFERING; a libation of wine, as probably it was, like what they used according to the Levitical law: AND SPRINKLED THE BLOOD OF HIS P... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BROUGHT ALSO THE BRASEN ALTAR WHICH WAS BEFORE THE LORD,.... That which Solomon made, 2 Chronicles 4:1, which stood in the court by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord, Leviticus 1:5 from the forefront of the house; the frontispiece of the temple, which was at the e... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KING AHAZ COMMANDED URIJAH THE PRIEST, SAYING,.... Who was not to be commanded by the king in matters of worship, but to attend to the laws and institutions of God: SAYING, UPON THE GREAT ALTAR; meaning the new one, which either was of a larger size than the altar of God, or was greater in the... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS DID URIJAH THE PRIEST, ACCORDING TO ALL THAT KING AHAZ COMMANDED. Not only concerning the structure of the altar, but the sacrifices to be offered on it; like king like priest, both apostates and idolaters.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KING AHAZ CUT OFF THE BORDERS OF THE BASES, AND REMOVED THE LAVER FROM OFF THEM,.... In the temple there were ten lavers for the priests to wash in, which are here meant, the singular being put for the plural; and these had bases of brass, on which they were set; and about these bases were borde... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE COVERT FOR THE SABBATH THAT THEY HAD BUILT IN THE HOUSE,.... Used on the sabbath day, either for the people to sit under to hear the law explained by the priests; or for the course of the priests to be in, that went out that day, to give way to the course that entered, which yet did not depa... [ 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?] Some others are written in the canonical book of Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 28:1 and were, it is highly probable, in the annals of the kings of Judah, now lost.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AHAZ SLEPT WITH HIS FATHERS, AND WAS BURIED WITH HIS FATHERS IN THE CITY OF DAVID,.... But not in the sepulchres of the kings of Israel, as David and Solomon, he being such a wicked prince, 2 Chronicles 28:27 AND HEZEKIAH HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS STEAD; of whom much is said in the following part... [ Continue Reading ]