2 Kings 16

2 Kings 16:1

X. King Ahaz of Judah (Chap. 16)Ahaz the son of Jotham was king of Judah for twenty years (735716/15 B.C.; cf. 2 Chron. 28). 16:1-4 Ahaz was coregent with his father for perhaps twelve years. The name Ahaz is a contraction for Jehoahaz. It is by the latter name that the king is known on Assyrian inscriptions. The prefix “Jeho-” stands for Jehovah, and doubtless the Holy Spirit omitted it purposely because Ahaz was an apostate. He followed the kings of Israel in his idolatry, even making his son pass through the fire. In the worship of Molech, it is believed that children were passed between the red-hot arms of the brass idol, signifying cleansing from evil and dedication to the god. Sometimes the children were actually killed and burned (Jer_7:31; Eze_16:21). 16:5-9 In order to force Judah to join them against Assyria, and to install a vassal king on the throne of Judah (Isa_7:6), Syria and Israel united to attack Jerusalem. At the same time Syria captured Elath and planted a colony of Syrians there. In his distress, Ahaz sent a call for help to Assyria, accompanying it with silver and gold treasures from the temple and the palace. Tiglath-Pileser complied by capturing Damascus and killing the king of Syria. This was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. But God would make the Assyrians a curse to Judah (Isa_7:17-25). 16:10-16 On a trip to Damascus to visit Tiglath-Pileser, Ahaz . . . saw a heathen altar and decided to build one like it in Jerusalem. So he sent a model of it to Urijah the priest, and Urijah in turn had the altar . . . built . . . before King Ahaz returned. Ahaz offered various offerings on his new altar (all but sin and trespass-offerings) and then commanded Urijah to use it henceforth instead of the bronze altar. The last clause in verse 15 seems to suggest that Ahaz would use the bronze altar for divination. However, it may also be understood to mean, “As for the brazen altar, it will be for me to enquire (or consider) what I shall do with it.” Urijah the priest sinfully obeyed King Ahaz in his sacrilege instead of fearlessly rebuking him. Uriah (the same as Urijah) is mentioned favorably in Isa_8:2, but this was before the attack on Jerusalem. His wicked acquiescence to the demand of Ahaz to build the altar took place at a later date. 16:17-20 Ahaz . . . removed certain furnishings from the temple area, perhaps for fear that the king of Assyria might take them if he ever captured Jerusalem. Some think he used them to pay tribute. 2Ch_28:24 tells how Ahaz closed the temple entirely toward the end of his reign. Like other apostate kings before him, Ahaz was not buried in the royal tombs (2Ch_28:27) but was buried with his fathers in the City of David.