2 Kings 16
DOYLYVer. 3. — made his son to pass through the fire.] Ahaz was far more wicked than any of the preceding kings of Israel, for he imitated those abominable idolaters whom God rooted out of the land of Canaan, who sometimes burnt their children in the fire, as sacrifices to their gods, Deut. xii. 31, &c. Whether Ahaz really did this, or only made his son pass through the fire by way of lustration, cannot be determined. Bp. Patrick. Concerning these impieties, see notes at Levit. xviii. 21, and Deut. xviii. 10.
2 Kings 16:3
- — Shalmaneser] This prince, called Enemessar in
2 Kings 16:4
- — burnt incense in the high places, &c.] We read that, even in the reigns of good kings, (see chap. xii. 3; xiv. 4; xv. 4,) the people sacrificed in high places; but we do not find in any former instance that the kings themselves did so. Ahaz however gave countenance to the practice by his own example, and thereby strengthened this licence of private sacrifice, contrary to the law of God; and, what was worst of all, of sacrificing to other gods; for it is highly probable that they fancied some deity to reside in these high places, and “under every green tree.” Bp. Patrick.
2 Kings 16:6
- — recovered Elath to Syria.] As Elath was situate on the Red sea, and was the port for trading to the East, this loss was of the greatest importance to the Jews: for it included the whole trade of India, Persia, Africa, and Arabia. This trade they had not indeed carried on always with the same success, as in the days of Solomon; but still they derived from it very con-
siderable advantage. After that Rezin thus dispossessed them of Elath, the merchandise which used to be carried to Jerusalem was conveyed to other parts, and the Jews never afterwards recovered the trade. Dean Prideaux.
— the Jews] The Hebrews are here for the first time called Jews, being so named from the tribe of Judah, from which tribe the Messiah was to spring. This tribe returned from the Babylonish captivity in the most flourishing condition; the other ten tribes never returning again. Bp. Wilson.
2 Kings 16:7
- — I am thy servant and thy son:] He means, that he put himself under his protection, and made himself his subject to hold all that he had by his favour. Bp. Patrick.
2 Kings 16:9
- — to Kir.] A place in Media. We read of a city called Cyrene, and Cyropolis, mentioned by writers as lying in those parts, which, it is thought, with some probability, was the place to which the Syrians were carried captive. Dr. Wells.
2 Kings 16:10
- — saw an altar that was at Damascus:] Ahaz on this occasion shewed himself lost to all sense of honour, reason, and true religion: for the mortal enmity which subsisted between him and the Syrians, did not hinder him from worshipping their idols, after they were a beaten and miserable people. His corrupted fancy being struck with great admiration of the beauty and form of a certain altar he saw there, he ordered a pattern of it to be made by the high priest of Jerusalem, on which he offered his own sacrifices, not to the true God, but
Ahaz spoileth the temple. Hoshea’s wicked reign. Before CHRIST 740. were his. altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
2 Kings 16:15
- — the great altar] The new altar he had erected, which was probably larger than the altar of God. — the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.] He would not have it thought, that he intended wholly to lay aside the altar made by Solomon, but rather to do it great honour by reserving it for his own private use, when he pleased to enquire of God by it. Bp. Patrick.
2 Kings 16:16
- Thus did Urijah the priest,] This compliance of a priest of God with an idolatrous king, in setting up an altar of a false god against the altar of the Most High, was most base, and deservedly to be held in detestation. Bp. Wilson. Impiety is still more odious in ministers of religion than in princes: and they become exceeding guilty, when either fear, or complaisance for the great men of the world, or any other consideration whatever, engages them to do what is contrary to the law of God. Ostervald.
2 Kings 16:17
- And king Ahaz cut off &c.] To ingratiate himself still more with the Assyrian king, by contemning the religion of his own country, Ahaz, desperate in wickedness, defaced the very vessels of the temple of God. Pyle.
2 Kings 16:18
- And the covert for the sabbath] This was probably a building or covering made for the purpose, that, when on the sabbath days the crowd of people was too great to be contained in the porch, they might remain under shelter from the injuries of the weather. Locke. There is great difference of opinion about the meaning of the word, which we translate “the covert for the sabbath.” The most probable notion is, that this was a covered place, where the king sat, in the porch of the temple, or at the entrance of it, upon the sabbath, or other great solemnities. Ahaz took this away, intending probably not to trouble himself any more with coming to the temple, but to sacrifice elsewhere. It is also a probable conjecture, that Ahaz did this with a further view of expressing his hatred and contempt of the sabbath; for the worship of idols and the violation of the sabbath are frequently joined together in Scripture, especially in Ezek. xx. 16; xxii. 8, 9; xxiii. 37, 38. Bp. Patrick.
2 Kings 16:19
- Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz] See more concerning him at 2 Chron. xxviii. Chap. XVII. ver. 2. — but not as the kings of Israel] For, whereas the kings of Israel had hitherto maintained guards upon their frontiers, to hinder their subjects from going up to worship at Jerusalem, Hoshea gave them all free liberty to worship there, and probably encouraged them in demolishing the high places, 2 Chron. xxx, xxxi. On this account he has, as to religion, the best character given him in Scripture of all that reigned before him over Israel after the division of the kingdom; for, although he was by no means perfect in the true worship of God, yet his ways were less offensive than the ways of any who had preceded him in that kingdom. Dean Prideaux.