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. read more
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 of this history. read more
Was buried with his fathers in the city of David - But it is expressly declared, 2 Chronicles 28:27 , that he was not buried in the sepulchres of the kings of Israel; and this was undoubtedly intended as a mark of degradation. His reign was disastrous and impious; and it was disastrous because it was impious. He had been a scourge, not a blessing, to his people. He had not only made illegal alterations in the temple, and in the mode of worship prescribed by the true... read more
REIGN OF AHAZ OVER JUDAH . WAR OF AHAZ WITH PEKAH AND REZIN . EXPEDITION OF TIGLATH - PILESER AGAINST THEM . RELIGIOUS CHANGES MADE BY AHAZ . HIS DEATH . read more
Steps in a downward path: the reign of Ahaz. In the opening chapters of Isaiah we have an account of the condition of the kingdom of Judah at the time that Ahaz succeeded to the throne. The prosperity which the country had enjoyed under Uzziah had been continued and increased under the righteous reign of his son Jotham. And now the grandson, Ahaz, a young man of twenty, finds the country abounding in wealth, full of silver and gold. Isaiah says there was no end of their treasure; their land... read more
A people's king and priest; or, kinghood and priesthood. "In the seventeenth year of Pekah," etc. Throughout all lands, almost throughout all times, two functionaries have been at the head of the peoples, too often treading them down by oppression, and fattening on them by their greed. One of these functionaries was not, among the Jews, of Divine ordinations; for the Almighty is represented as saying, "They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not." Let... read more
Religious innovations. The remaining events of the reign of Ahaz recorded in this chapter shed a strong light on the king's frivolous and arbitrary character. I. THE DAMASCUS ALTAR . 1. Ahaz at Damascus . We are now introduced to Tiglath-pileser holding court in Damascus, and Ahaz is there as one of the vassals and tributaries of the Assyrian king. He does not seem to feel the humiliation of his position, but is probably pleased to figure as part of so brilliant an... read more
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? The writer of Chronicles adds some important facts not found in the narrative of Kings. Among them are the following: (1) The complete defeat of Ahaz by Pekah, who "smote him with a great slaughter" ( 2 Chronicles 28:5 ), killing a hundred and twenty thousand of his soldiers, and carrying Off two hundred thousand captives, men, women, and children ( 2 Chronicles 28:8 ... read more
The death of Ahaz . The writer terminates his account of the reign of Ahaz with his usual formulae, which in this instance are wholly colorless. Ahaz's acts were written in the book of the chronicles of the kings; he died, and was buried with his fathers; Hezekiah, his son, reigned in his stead. This is all that he thinks it needful to say. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 16:17-20
Here is, I. Ahaz abusing the temple, not the building itself, but some of the furniture of it. 1. He defaced the bases on which the lavers were set (1 Kgs. 7:28, 29) and took down the molten sea, 2 Kgs. 16:17. These the priests used for washing; against them therefore he seems to have had a particular spite. It is one of the greatest prejudices that can be done to religion to obstruct the purifying of the priests, the Lord's ministers. 2. He removed the covert for the sabbath, erected either... read more