2 Kings 16
PATAnd took Ijon, and Abel-beth-rnaachah. Two strong towns mentioned 1 Kings xv. 20. (Seo there.) And Jamah.] A city in the tribe of Ephraim. (Seo Josh. xvi. G.) And Kedesh, arid Hazor.] Which were in the tribe of Naphtali, (Josh, xii.22. xix. 36.) Arid Gilead.] Which was on the other side Jordan. And Galilee, all the land of Naphtali.] The upper Galilee; which was possessed by this tribe, and by Zebulun. And carried them captive to Assyria.] This was the second deportation of the ten tribes; the first being made by Pul, as I said before, who carried away the two tribes and half beyond Jordan; and this second was made by his son, who carried away two other tribes: then, nine years after, followed a third, in the days of the next king, (xviii. 9.) when the remainder of the ten tribes were carried away from their own land. The tribe ofJudah still remained; but about eight years after the former, part of that was carried away by Sennacherib, when he took all their fenced cities; (xviii. 13.) Ayhich, with respect to the whole country, the Jews call the fourth deportation. Then a fifth followed, (xxiv. 15.) and a sixth; (xxv. 1, &c.) the last is mentioned, xxv. 25. Thus they are reckoned up by Abarbinel; and in this second (the Jews say, in Seder Olam Rabba), Tiglath-pileser carried away the golden calf which was in Dan. But see a more exact account of Judah’s captivity in Mr. Whiston’s learned Chronology of the Old Testament, p. 52.
2 Kings 16:1
Jn the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2 Kings 16:2
Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He was a little more than twenty years old. (See upon xviii. 2.) And did not tJuit which teas right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father.] As might have been expected from the good education.which, no doubt, so pious a man as Jotham his father gave him; who left him an excellent example.
2 Kings 16:3
But he walked in the tvays of the kings of Israel; yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out be- CHAP. XVI.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. fore the children of Israel] He was far worse than any of the preceding kings of Israel; for he imitated those abominable idolaters whom God rooted out of the land of Canaan: who it is most certain sometimes burnt their children in the fire, as sacrifices to their gods, (Deut. xii. 31.) and the children of Israel it is as certain imitated them, (Ezek. xvi. 20, 21.xxxiii.37. 39.) But whether Ahaz did that, or only made his son pass through the fire by way of lustration (as they called it), cannot be determined. It is no argument that he did not offer him as a burnt-sacrifice, because Hezekiah outlived him; for he had more sons, it is likely, than him. See, concerning this horrible impiety, what I have noted upon Lev. xviii. 21. and upon Deut. xviii. 10.
2 Kings 16:4
And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. He added this to all his other sins (of consecrating his son to Moloch by passing him through the fire, if not offering him in sacrifice), that he himself sacrificed in high places, and on hills, and under every green tree; by his example encouraging this practice, which other kings had only tolerated. So we read, that people sacrificed in high places, even in good kings’ reigns, xii. 3. xiv. 4. xv. 4, &c. but, as they sacrificed to God in those reigns, so we never read till now that any of those kings sacrificed there themselves,* as this king did; who not merely suffered this, but gave countenance to it by his own practice, and thereby strengthened this licence of private sacrificing, contrary to the law of God; and, which was worst of all, sacrificing to other gods: it being very probable that he fancied some deity to inhabit under every well-spread flourishing tree.
2 Kings 16:5
Then Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to tear: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. This seems not to agree with 2 Chron. xxviii. 5, &c. where these two princes are represented as getting great victories over him. To which Abarbinel answers, that these things happened at different times. " For the wars mentioned in the book of Chronicles were made severally by these two kings, wherein they prospered; being the ministers of Divine Providence. But when now they joined their forces together, and not only came against other cities, but against Jerusalem, God was pleased to make them miscarry.
2 Kings 16:6
At that time Rezin king of Syria. When ho broke up the siege of Jerusalem, upon intelligence he received that Tiglath-pileser was coming to its relief. Restored Elath to Syria.] This was a considerable port upon the Red Sea. And drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there to this day.] This city had been recovered to the dominion of Judah by Azariah, (xiv. 22.) who took it from the Syrians; who now tookit from them again, that they might not quite lose the fruit of their expedition against Jerusalem.
2 Kings 16:7
So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. There is a learned man of our own, who hath lately given another account of the name of Pilescr, than that abovementioned, (xv. 29.) For he thinks it iscompounded of the names of two of their gods; Pilbcing the same with Bel, and Azcr or Azar was the name of a planet worshipped by the. Persians, viz* Mars: and they much affected to have the names of their gods in their own names; which was a common thing also among the Jews-: for which reason the name of Tiglath was added, which was the name of Tigris (as I observed before), which, as all great. beneficial rivers, mountains, aud trees, was accounted sacred among the heathen. (See Dr. Hyde, Histor. Relig. Vet. Persar. cap. 3.).’ Saying, lam thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the. king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.] He not only put himself and all he had into his protection; but made himself his subject, to hold all he had of him by his favour. For that is the meaning of I am thy servant and thy. son; that is, he was content to be his vassal, if he would be his protector..;;
2 Kings 16:8
And Ahaz took the silver and the gold that mas found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. These treasures had been sent some years ago by Jehoash to the king of Syria; (xii. 18.) but it seems they were well replenished again by the piety of his successors, Amaziah, Azariah, but especially Jotham. ♦.
2 Kings 16:9
And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it. It is very uncertain when king. Ahaz sent to desire this help. Kit was when they were preparing to besiege Jerusalem, it was the effect of his great infidelity; for God had been so gracious to him, as to promise by the prophet Isaiah that those kings should do him no hurt, (Isa. vii. 4.) giving him a sign also to strengthen his faith. Others think, it was after the king of Syria and the king of Israel had miserably harassed Ahaz’s country, though they could not take Jerusalem, as we read 2 Chron. xxviii. 5, 6, &c. Whensoever it was, the king of Assyria gave a powerful diversion to the king of Syria, invading his country, and besieging the chief city of it, of which he made himself master. * And carried the people of it captive to Kir.] A place in the country of the upper Media, as Josephus tells us: from whence he brought some people to plant in Damascus. • And slew Rezin.] Who was the last of their kings; for the Syrians never got up again, as the Jews observe in Seder Olam Rabba, cap. 20. Whether, he was legal successor to Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, or an usurper, is not certain.
2 Kings 16:10
And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria. To compliment him upon his success; and perhaps to do him homage, and to request him to do as much against Pekah as he had done against Rezin. For some think that after this he went and took all those places from Israel which are mentioned in the foregoing chapter, ver. 29. And after all he fell upon Judah itself, and made great spoil there also, as is suggested in 2 Chron. xxviii. 20, 21. And he saw an altar that was in Damascus.] A beautiful altar, both for the matter and form of it. And king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof] Not only tho height, and breadth, and shape of it; but all the carvings, I suppose, with the figures and images wherewith it was adorned. Ver* 11. And Urijah the priest built an altar, according
And Hoshea the son o/Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah. Who Hoshea was, or what was the ground of his conspiracy, is not recorded; but we may suppose it to have been because he governed ill, and, by his cruel war with Judah, had brought the king of Assyria upon his own kingdom, (2 Chron. xxviii. 1G.) and thereby lost a great part of it. And smote him, and slew him.’] As Pekah had served Pekahiah. And reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham Icing ofJadah.] These words create adifiiculty; for it is said, ver. 33. that Jotham reigned but sixteen years. Which Seder Olam Rabba thus reconciles (for none can think any writer whatsoever would so soon contradict himself), that this conspiracy was begun in the latter end of Jotham’s reign, but not put in execution till four years after his death* So that these words are to be understood as if he had said, Twenty years after Jotham began’ to reign over Judah Pekah was slain. Dr. Lightfoot gives another account of it; that the wickedness of Ahaz was so great, that the holy writer would not mention him on this occasion, but rather speaks of his good father, as if he were yet alive, in which he follows R. Solomon Jarchi. But this hath no show, of truth in it; since so much is said of Ahaz in (he following part of this history. A late very learned writer (in his Short View of the Chronology of the Old Testament, p. 47.) hath given a better, account of it, in these words: u Because there had been yet no mention made of Ahaz’s reign, therefore the old cpocha of his predecessor Jotham is still made use of." But the plain truth is, that Jotham reigned four years with his father Azariah.
And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. In that book which is now called by the name of Chronicles his wf: with Judah is recorded, (2 Chron. xxviii.)
In the second year of Pekah the son ofRemaliah king of Israel, began Jotham the son of Uzziah king ofJudah to reign. Why he should be all along called Azariah, and here only Uzziah, and ver. 34. no account can be given; unless it were to shew he had two names, as I have observed, 2 Chron. xxvi.l. And it appears by the book of Chronicles, that Uzziah was as much used when that book was written as the other.
Twenty-five years old was he when he began to reign. Alone by himself; for he reigned some time with his father during his leprosy. (See Dr. Lightfoot in his Prolegom. to the Harm, of the Evang. sect. G.) And he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and his mothefs name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.] It is not said of what place, as is usual: this Zadok being so well known, that there was no need to set down his dwelling.
And he did that tvhich was right in the sight of the Lord. OvStutac aperfe a7riXdirero, he wanted no virtue belonging to a good prince, as Josephus writes; (lib. ix. Antiq. cap. 11.) being (saith he) " pious towards God, just towards men, and studious of the public good." He did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.] That is, according to all the good he had done; but did not imitate him in invading the priests* office.
Howbeit, the high places were not removed: the people’ sacrificed and burnt incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the Lord. Which was between the house of the king and the house of the Lord, (xviii. 20.) It was built by Solomon; but this king added a noble structure to it. Vcr.3G. Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are theynot written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?] See 2 Chron. xxvii.
(In those days the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Rcmaliah). These two kings entered into a confederacy against Judah, and made preparations for war before Jotham died; buthewassohappyas to belaid in his grave in peace; their design being not executed until the reign of the next king.
And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.