1 Chronicles 8:35 — Word Study
WLCוּבְנֵ֖י מִיכָ֑ה פִּית֥וֹן וָמֶ֖לֶךְ וְתַאְרֵ֥עַ וְאָחָֽז׃
BSAThe sonsbên [descendants, offspring] of MicahMîykâh [who is like God, Micaiah] PithonPîythôwn MelechMelek [king, ruler] TareaTaʼărêaʻ△ and AhazʼÂchâz [one who takes hold, possesses]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּבְנֵ֖י | and [the] sons of | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct |
| מִיכָ֑ה | Micah | Noun proper masculine |
| פִּית֥וֹן | Pithon | Noun proper masculine |
| וָמֶ֖לֶךְ | and Melech | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וְתַאְרֵ֥עַ | and Tarea | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
| וְאָחָֽז׃ | and Ahaz | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. |
| KJV | And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. |
| ASV | And the sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. |
| YLT | and sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz: |
| WEB | The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. |
| BBE | And the sons of Micah: Pithon and Melech and Tarea and Ahaz. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of names — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is straightforward, presenting a main clause followed by a list of names.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 8:35
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Genealogy of Benjamingenerated
1 Chronicles 8:35 provides a record of the descendants of Micah, a significant figure in the lineage of Benjamin. This genealogy highlights the names of Micah's sons: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. Understanding these names helps trace the heritage and familial connections within the tribe of Benjamin, which is crucial for the historical context of Israel's narrative.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Chronicles 9:41 | The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מִיכָה, mi.Khahgenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child', encompassing a broad range of meanings, including descendants and lineage. Its parsing as a common masculine plural construct indicates that it refers to multiple sons or descendants, emphasizing family relationships.
This term is foundational in genealogies, showing connections across generations. The use of this word here underscores the importance of lineage in the Israelite culture, as it establishes identity and inheritance.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the noun phrase וּבְנֵ֖י מִיכָ֑ה, and the sons of Micah, which serves as the subject of the verse. The structure is straightforward, listing the descendants directly after the subject.
The simplicity of the structure reflects the genealogical nature of the text, with a clear focus on lineage and familial ties.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וּבְנֵ֖י as υἱοὶ, which means 'sons' and carries the same familial connotation as the Hebrew. This choice maintains the focus on lineage.
The Greek rendering of names like מִיכָה as μιξια shows continuity in the identification of these figures across both texts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 8:35 lists the sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. This verse is part of a genealogy that traces the lineage of the tribe of Benjamin, emphasizing the importance of family connections.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Listing the sons emphasizes the importance of lineage and inheritance in Israelite culture, highlighting the familial connections within the tribe of Benjamin.
Pithon and Melech are specifically mentioned as descendants of Micah, indicating their roles within the family lineage.
Genealogy establishes identity, inheritance, and the fulfillment of God's promises through specific lineages, which is crucial for understanding Israel's history.
Micah means 'who is like God' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, including a prophet.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding genealogies enhance our comprehension of biblical narratives?
- What can we learn from the lineage of Micah and his sons about family roles in ancient Israel?
- In what ways do genealogies reflect God's faithfulness to His promises?
- How does the meaning of names in genealogies contribute to our understanding of biblical themes?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 8:35 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. The last but one is called Tahrea, 1 Chronicles 9:41, where Ahaz is left out, though supplied in our version.
Read John Gill on 1 Chronicles 8 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 8 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(35) Tarea.—Ta’rea. Tahrea (1 Chronicles 9:41) is a harder pronunciation of the same name. The name Shime’ah, or Shime’am (1 Chronicles 8:32) appears to be a similar softening of the name Shime’ah (2 Samuel 13:3).
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 8 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges35. Tarea] In 1 Chronicles 9:41, Tahrea.
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 8 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
Tyndale line
And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.
And the sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.
And the sons of Micah; Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.
And the sons of Micah were , Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.
And the sonnes of Micah were Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.
Strictly literal
And the sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.
and sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz:
and sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz:
And the sons of Michah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea', and Achaz.
The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melek, Tarea, and Ahaz.
From the Latin
And the sons of Micha were Phithon, and Melech, and Tharaa, and Ahaz.
Simplified
The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
And the sons of Micah: Pithon and Melech and Tarea and Ahaz.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all six words matched in the Hebrew text. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, but the content remains consistent.
וּבְנֵ֖י מִיכָ֑ה פִּית֥וֹן וָמֶ֖לֶךְ וְתַאְרֵ֥עַ וְאָחָֽז׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 8:35
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural constructHC/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
מִיכָה (Miykah) is a Hebrew name meaning 'who is like God.' It refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including the prophet Micah, who prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The name is linked to various figures, such as a Kohathite Levite and a descendant of Joel the Reubenite, among others.
H4318 מִיכָה
4318 Miykah mee-kaw'
an abbrev. of 4320; Micah, the name of seven
Israelites:--Micah, Micaiah, Michah.
see HEBREW for 04320
מִיכָה (mi.khah) — Micah.
A man living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.17.1
Also named: mi.kha.ye.hu (מִיכָֽיְהוּ "Micah" H4321I)
§ Micah or Micaiah or Michah = "who is like God"
1) the 6th in order of the minor prophets; a native of Moresheth, he prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and was contemporary with the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah
2) an Ephraimite during the period of the judges
3) a descendant of Joel the Reubenite
4) son of Meribbaal and grandson of Jonathan
5) a Kohathite Levite, the eldest son of Uzziel the brother of Amram
6) father of Abdon, a man of high station in the reign of Josiah
7) son of Imlah and a prophet of Samaria who predicted the defeat and death of king Ahab of Israel
מִיכָה (mi.khah) — Micah.
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Micah
A shortened form of Micaiah, who is like Jehovah? (1.) A man of Mount Ephraim, whose history so far is introduced in Judg. 17, apparently for the purpose of leading to an account of the settlement of the tribe of Dan in Northern Palestine, and for the purpose also of illustrating the lawlessness of the times in which he lived (Judg. 18; 19:1-29; 21:25).
(2.) The son of Merib-baal (Mephibosheth), 1 Chr. 8:34, 35.
(3.) The first in rank of the priests of the family of Kohathites (1 Chr. 23:20).
(4.) A descendant of Joel the Reubenite (1 Chr. 5:5).
(5.) “The Morasthite,” so called to distinguish him from Micaiah, the son of Imlah (1 Kings 22:8). He was a prophet of Judah, a…
(who is like God?), the same name as Micaiah. [MICAIAH] An Israelite whose familiar story is preserved in the 17th and 18th chapters of Judges. Micah is evidently a devout believers in Jehovah, and yet so completely ignorant is he of the law of Jehovah that the mode which he adopts of honoring him is to make a molten and graven image, teraphim or images of domestic gods, and to set up an unauthorized priesthood, first in his own family, (Judges 17:5) and then in the person of a Levite not of the priestly line. ver. (Judges 17:12) A body of 600 Danites break in upon and steal his idols from him. The sixth in order of the minor prophets. He is called the Morasthite, that is, a native of Moresheth, a small village near Eleutheropolis to the east, where formerly the prophet’s tomb…
1. The Morasthite, or of Maresheth, a village near Eleutheropolis, in the west of Judah; the seventh in order of the lesser prophets. He prophesied under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, for about fifty years, if with some we reckon from near the beginning of the reign of Jotham, to the last year of Hezekiah B. C. 750-698. He was nearly contemporary with Isaiah, and has some expressions in common with him. Compare Isa 2:2 with Mic 4:1, and Isa 41:15 with Mic 4:13. His bold fidelity served as a shield to the prophet Jeremiah a century afterwards, Jer 26:18,19 Mic…
poor; humble
פִּיתוֹן (Piythown) refers to a man from the tribe of Benjamin, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:35. He is described as a descendant of Saul, specifically the son of Micah and grandson of Mephibosheth. The name is thought to mean 'harmless.' The entries suggest a connection to the root of another Hebrew word, but details are limited.
פִּיתוֹן n.pr.m. descendant of Saul 1 Ch 8:35 = פִּיתֹן 9:41
ref
H6377 פִּיתוֹן
6377 Piythown pee-thone'
probably from the same as 6596; expansive; Pithon, an
Israelite:--Pithon.
see HEBREW for 06596
פִּיתוֹן (pi.ton) — Pithon.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.8.35;
son of: Micah (H4318H);
brother of: Melech (H4429), Tarea (H8390) and Ahaz (H0271H)
§ Pithon = "harmless"
son of Micah, grandson of Mephibosheth, descendant of Saul
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
pi'-thon (pithon): A grandson of Meribbaal, or Mephibosheth (1Ch 8:35; 9:41).
(harmless), one of the four sons of Micah, the son of Mephibosheth. (1 Chronicles 8:36; 9:41) (B.C. 1050.)
mouthful; persuasion
→ Son of Micah 1Ch 8:35; 9:41
מֶ֫לֶךְ (melek) means 'king' and is also the name of a Benjamite man, the son of Micah. The entries indicate that it is derived from a related term and is used in the context of leadership. It appears in genealogical references, specifically noted in 1 Chronicles 8:35.
מֶ֫לֶךְ n.pr.m. son of Micah, a Benjamite
base
H4429 מֶ֫לֶךְ
4429 Melek meh'-lek
the same as 4428; king; Melek, the name of two
Israelites:--Melech, Hammelech (by including the article).
see HEBREW for 04428
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Melech.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.8.35;
son of: Micah (H4318H);
brother of: Pithon (H6377), Tarea (H8390) and Ahaz (H0271H)
§ Melech = "king"
a Benjamite, the 2nd son of Micah and grandson of Mephibosheth
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
me'-lek (melekh, "king"): Great-grandson of Jonathan, son of Saul, grandson of Mephibosheth or Meribbaal (1Ch 8:35; 9:41).
Melech
King, the second of Micah’s four sons (1 Chr. 8:35), and thus grandson of Mephibosheth.
the second son of Micah, the son of Merib-baal or Mephibosheth. (1 Chronicles 8:35; 9:41)
king; counselor
תַּחֲרֵעַ, transliterated as *Ta'area*, refers to an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin, specifically a great-great-grandson of Saul. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 8:35 and is also called *Tahrea* in 1 Chronicles 9:41. The name may mean 'chamber of a neighbor' and is linked to other family members, including his father Micah.
תַּחֲרֵעַ n.pr.m. a great-great-grandson of Saul
base
H8390 תַּחֲרֵעַ, תַּחְרֵעַ
8390 Ta'area` tah-ar-ay'-ah
perhaps from 772; Taarea, an Israelite:--Tarea. See 8475.
see HEBREW for 0772
see HEBREW for 08475
תַּאֲרֵעַ (ta.a.re.a) — Tarea.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.8.35;
son of: Micah (H4318H);
brother of: Pithon (H6377), Melech (H4429) and Ahaz (H0271H); also called Tahrea at 1Ch.9.41;
Also named: tach.re.a (תַּחֲרֵעַ "Tahrea" H8475)
§ Tarea = "chamber of a neighbour"
a Benjamite, son of Micah of the family of Saul
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
ta'-re-a, ta-re'-a (ta'area`, a copyist's mistake (1Ch 8:35) for tacharea, "the shrewd one," in 1Ch 9:41; Codex Vaticanus Theree; Codex Alexandrinus Tharee; Lucian, Tharaa; in 1Ch 9:41, Codex Vaticanus Tharach; Codex Alexandrinus Thara; Lucian, Tharaa; see TAHREA): A descendant of Saul mentioned in a genealogy of Benjamin (1Ch 9:41).
the same as Tahreah, the son of Micah. (1 Chronicles 8:35)
howling; doing evil
The Hebrew word אָחָז (Achaz) means 'he has grasped' and refers to two notable figures: a king of Judah, son of Jotham and father of Hezekiah, and a Benjamite, son of Micah. The entries consistently identify Achaz as a significant historical figure during the Divided Monarchy, first mentioned in 2 Kings 15:38.
אָחָז n.pr.m. (he has grasped)
king of Judah, son of Jotham, father of Hezekiah
son of Micah, & great-grandson of Jonathan
base
H271 אָחָז (he has grasped)
271 'Achaz aw-khawz'
from 270; possessor; Achaz, the name of a Jewish king and of
an Israelite:--Ahaz.
see HEBREW for 0270
אָחָז (a.chaz) — Ahaz.
A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.15.38;
son of: Jotham (H3147H); married to Abi (H0021);
father of: Hezekiah (H2396) and Maaseiah (H4641J)
Also named: Achaz (Ἀχάζ "Ahaz" G0881)
§ Ahaz = "he has grasped"
1) king of Judah, son Jotham, father of Hezekiah
2) a Benjamite, son of Micah, and great grandson of Jonathan
אָחָז (a.chaz) — Ahaz.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.8.35;
son of: Micah (H4318H);
brother of: Pithon (H6377), Melech (H4429) and Tarea (H8390);
father of: Jehoaddah (H3085)
§ Ahaz = "he has grasped"
1) king of Judah, son Jotham, father of Hezekiah
2) a Benjamite, son of Micah, and great grandson of Jonathan
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
a'-haz ('achaz, "he has grasped," 2Ki 16; 2Ch 28; Isa 7:10 ff; Achaz).
1. Name:
The name is the same as Jehoahaz; hence appears on Tiglath-pileser's Assyrian inscription of 732 BC as Ia-u-ha-zi. The sacred historians may have dropped the first part of the name in consequence of the character of the king.
2. The Accession:
Ahaz was the son of Jotham, king of Judah. He succeeded to the throne at the age of 20 years (according to another reading 25). The chronology of his reign is difficult, as his son Hezekiah is stated to have been 25 years of age when he began to reign 16 years after (2Ki 18:2). If the accession of Ahaz be placed as early as 743 BC, his grandfather Uzziah, long unable to perform the functions of his office on account of his leprosy (
Ahaz
Possessor. (1.) A grandson of Jonathan (1 Chr. 8:35; 9:42).
(2.) The son and successor of Jotham, king of Judah (2 Kings 16; Isa. 7-9; 2 Chr. 28). He gave himself up to a life of wickedness and idolatry. Notwithstanding the remonstrances and warnings of Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah, he appealed for help against Rezin, king of Damascus, and Pekah, king of Israel, who threatened Jerusalem, to Tiglath-pileser, the king of Assyria, to the great injury of his kingdom and his own humilating subjection to the Assyrians (2 Kings 16:7, 9; 15:29). He also introduced among his people many heathen and idolatrous customs (Isa. 8:19; 38:8; 2 Kings 23:12). He died at the age of thirty-five…
(possessor), eleventh king of Judah, son of Jotham, reigned 741-726, about sixteen years. At the time of his accession, Rezin king of Damascus and Pekah king of Israel had recently formed a league against Judah, and they proceeded to lay siege to Jerusalem. Upon this Isaiah hastened to give advice and encouragement to Ahaz, and the allies failed in their attack on Jerusalem. Isai 7,8,9. But, the allies inflicted a most severe injury on Judah by the capture of Elath, a flourishing port on the Red Sea, while the Philistines invaded the west and south. 2Kin 16; 2Chr 28. Ahaz, having forfeited God’s favor by his wickedness, sought deliverance from these numerous troubles by appealing to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, who forced him from his most formidable enemies. But Ahaz had to purchase this help at a costly price; he became tributary to Tiglath-pileser. He was weak, a gross idolater…
Son of Jotham, and twelfth king of Judah. He ascended the throne at twenty years of age, and reigned sixteen years, 2Ki 16:1,2,20. B. C. 738. He was distinguished for his idolatry and contempt of the true God; and against him many of the prophecies of Isaiah are directed, Isa 7.1-25. He made his own children pass through the fire to idols; he introduced the Syrian gods into Jerusalem, altered the temple after the Syrian model, and even closed it altogether. Having thus forfeited the aid of Jehovah, he met various repulses in battle with Pekah and Rezin; the Edomites revolted, and the Philistines harassed his borders. He turned yet more away from God in his distress, and sought aid from Pul, king of Assyria. This fatal step made him tributary to Pul, and to Tig-lath-pileser his successor. Ahaz was reduced to great extremities, in…