2 Chronicles 27
DOYLYChap. XXVIII. ver. 3. — of the son of Hinnom,] That is, of Molech, who was so called as being worshipped in the valley of Hinnom, close to Jerusalem. See note on 2 Kings xxiii. 10.
2 Chronicles 27:3
- — the wall of Ophel] The meaning of this is uncertain; some understand by Ophel, “a palace;” others, “a high place or cliff, where there was a tower;” and others again understand from this expression, that he beautified and repaired the porch of the house of the Lord. Bp. Patrick.
2 Chronicles 27:5
- — the Lord his God] The Lord is called his God, from the peculiar dominion which He exercised over the Israelite kings and people, and from the kindness which He shewed to him for his father’s sake. Bp. Patrick.
2 Chronicles 27:6
- — because he prepared his ways before the Lord] Because he directed his counsels and actions according to the rule of God’s word. It has been observed, that Jotham is the only one of the kings of Judah who has not some evil laid to his charge. David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Jehoshaphat, &c. all committed some trespass of greater or less magnitude; but of Jotham no fault or error is recorded. Bp. Patrick. the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.
2 Chronicles 27:9
- — because the Lord — was wroth with Judah,] He thus warns the Israelites not to be too much elated with the victory, which was not to be ascribed to their valour and means of strength, but to the anger of God against the people of Judah, which induced Him to abandon them to the fury of their enemies. — a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.] Meaning, a rage that hath no measure, and that crieth to heaven for vengeance. Bp. Patrick. Judah is captivated. CHAP. XXVIII. Ahaz sendeth for aid from Assyria. Before CHRIST about 741. and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.
2 Chronicles 27:10
- — but are there not with you — sins] He desires them to consider, that they, who thought themselves God’s favourites because He had made them victorious, had sins enough to answer for; for which, if He punished them as they deserved, they might be soon reduced to the same condition with their brethren of Judah. Bp. Patrick.
2 Chronicles 27:11
- — the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.] It hence appears, that, though God uses one nation as the instrument of another’s punishment, yet He does not approve of the inhumanities committed by an enemy. Bp. Wilson.
2 Chronicles 27:14
- So the armed men &c.] Here was a wonderful instance of obedience, in restoring not only the captives which were valuable, but all the spoil also which was no doubt considerable; and a remarkable proof of the great power of the Prophet, that he turned the barbarous cruelty of the Israelites to the tenderest humanity. How lamentable it is, that they were not to be so easily converted from idolatry, to which their inclination was so strong, that nothing could persuade them to forsake it. Bp. Patrick. Thus compassionate was God towards the people of Judah, who so little deserved mercy at His hands. Pyle.
2 Chronicles 27:19
- — because of Ahaz king of Israel.] King of Judah, which was a part of Israel. See note at chap. xxi. 2. We read six times “the king of Israel” thus put for “the king of Judah."—“For he made Judah naked,” that is, deprived it of the divine protection by his foul transgressions. Bp. Patrick.
2 Chronicles 27:20
- — distressed him, but strengthened him not.] At
2 Chronicles 27:22
- — this is that king Ahaz.] The expression here in the Hebrew is an expression of great contempt, with which Ahaz well deserved to be branded, as the most notorious offender that had ever been among the kings of Judah. Bp. Patrick. In the disastrous condition in which he was, he was guilty of a piece of stupidity, not Ahaz groweth more idolatrous. Hezekiah restoreth religion.
of † Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
2 Chronicles 27:27
- — they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings] The Israelites were accustomed to honour, in a peculiar manner, the memory of their good kings; but they inflicted marks of posthumous disgrace on their wicked kings, by not suffering them to be interred in the usual sepulchres of the sovereigns. This custom
was singular; the effect must have been powerful and influential; it was doubtless intended to make a suitable impression on the minds of the kings while living. The Egyptians had a custom similar to this of holding an inquest on the bodies of persons when dead. The sovereign himself was not exempt from this inquest: as the publick peace was interested in their lives, it was deemed for the publick welfare that they should suffer an impartial scrutiny by a publick trial; and some of them were not ranked among the honoured dead, and consequently were deprived of publick burial. The conformity between this practice of the Egyptians, and the practice of the Israelites, incidentally noticed in Scripture, is remarkable. Burdur.
Chap. XXIX. ver. 5. — Hear me, ye Levites.] In this religious and pathetic address, Hezekiah exhorts the Levites and priests to set immediately about cleansing the temple, and seeing all its apartments, vessels, and utensils, made fit for use, calling to their minds into what miseries and calamities the profaneness of former times had plunged the whole nation, and how the contempt of God and of holy duties had rendered the kingdom of Judah the very scorn and derision of men; and finally, how highly it became them, who were God’s ministers, to be peculiarly zealous to unite all their endeavours with his for procuring a reformation, which was the only means of preventing their destruction. Pyle.