1 IN the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father.
3 But he walked in the way 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 from before the children of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am 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.
8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was 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.
9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
13 And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
14 And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the Lord, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of the altar.
15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to inquire by.
16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.
18 And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry without, turned he from the house of the Lord for the king of Assyria.
19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

1In the seuenteenth yeere of Pekah the sonne of Remaliah, Ahaz the sonne of Iotham King of Iudah began to reigne.

2Twentie yeeres olde was Ahaz when hee began to reigne, and reigned sixteene yeeres in Ierusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like Dauid his father:

3But hee walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea & made his sonne to passe through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.

4And hee sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hils, and vnder euery greene tree.

5 Then Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah sonne of Remaliah king of Israel, came vp to Ierusalem to warre: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not ouercome him.

6At that time Rezin king of Syria, recouered Elath to Syria, & draue the Iewes from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there vnto this day.

7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy seruant, and thy sonne: come vp, and saue me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise vp against me.

8And Ahaz tooke the siluer and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the kings house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

9And the king of Assyria hearkened vnto him: for the king of Assyria went vp against Damascus, and tooke it, and caried the people of it captiue to Kir, and slew Rezin.

10 And King Ahaz went to Damascus, to meete Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Uriiah the Priest the fashion of the altar, and the paterne of it, according to all the workemanship thereof.

11And Uriiah the Priest built an altar: according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriiah the Priest made it, against king Ahaz came from Damascus.

12And when the king was come from Damascus, the King saw the altar: and the King approched to the altar, and offered thereon.

13And he burnt his burnt offering, and his meate offering, and powred his drinke offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings vpon the altar.

14And hee brought also the brasen altar which was before the Lord, from the forefront of the house, from betweene the altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the North side of the altar.

15And king Ahaz commanded Uriiah the Priest, saying, Upon the great altar, burne the morning burnt offering, and the euening meate offering, and the Kings burnt sacrifice, and his meate offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meate offering, and their drinke offerings, and sprinkle vpon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.

16Thus did Uriiah the Priest, according to all that king Ahaz commaunded.

17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and remooued the lauer from off them, and tooke downe the sea from off the brasen oxen that were vnder it, and put it vpon a pauement of stones:

18And the couert for the Sabbath that they had built in the house, and the kings entry without, turned hee from the house of the Lord, for the king of Assyria.

19 Now the rest of the actes of Ahaz, which he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the kings of Iudah?

20And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of Dauid, and Hezekiah his sonne reigned in his stead.

I == 2nd Chr 28:1

 

 

 

 

III == Lev 18:21 ; Deut 12:31 ; 2nd Chr 28:3 ; Ps 106:37-38

 

Iv == Deut 12:2 ; 1st Kings 14:23

 

V == Isa 7:1 , 4

 

 

VI == 2nd Kings 14:22

 

 

 

 

 

 

VII == 2nd Kings 15:29

 

VIII == 2nd Kings 12:18 ; 2nd Chr 28:21

IX == Amos 1:5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XII == 2nd Chr 26:16 , 19

 

 

 

 

XIV == 2nd Chr 4:1

 

 

XV == Ex 29:39-41

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVII == 1st Kings 7:23 , 25 , 27-28 ; 2nd Chr 28:24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XX == 2nd Chr 28:27

 

 

 

 

1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah, son of Remaliah, Ahaz, son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.

2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not please the LORD, his God, like his forefather David,

3 but conducted himself like the kings of Israel, and even immolated his son by fire, in accordance with the abominable practice of the nations whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the Israelites.

4 Further, he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on hills, and under every leafy tree.

5 Then Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to attack it. Although they besieged Ahaz, they were unable to conquer him.

6 At the same time the king of Edom recovered Elath for Edom, driving the Judeans out of it. The Edomites then entered Elath, which they have occupied until the present.

7 Meanwhile, Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, with the plea: "I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the clutches of the king of Aram and the king of Israel, who are attacking me."

8 Ahaz took the silver and gold that were in the temple of the LORD and in the palace treasuries and sent them as a present to the king of Assyria,

9 who listened to him and moved against Damascus, which he captured. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.

10 King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria. When he saw the altar in Damascus, King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar and a detailed design of its construction.

11 Uriah the priest built an altar according to the plans which King Ahaz sent him from Damascus, and had it completed by the time the king returned home.

12 On his arrival from Damascus, the king inspected this altar, then went up to it and offered sacrifice on it,

13 burning his holocaust and cereal-offering, pouring out his libation, and sprinkling the blood of his peace-offerings on the altar.

14 The bronze altar that stood before the LORD he brought from the front of the temple - that is, from the space between the new altar and the temple of the LORD - and set it on the north side of his altar.

15 "Upon the large altar," King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, "burn the morning holocaust and the evening cereal offering, the royal holocaust and cereal offering, as well as the holocausts, cereal offerings, and libations of the people. You must also sprinkle on it all the blood of holocausts and sacrifices. But the old bronze altar shall be mine for consultation."

16 Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had commanded.

17 King Ahaz detached the frames from the bases and removed the lavers from them; he also took down the bronze sea from the bronze oxen that supported it, and set it on a stone pavement.

18 In deference to the king of Assyria he removed from the temple of the LORD the emplacement which had been built in the temple for a throne, and the outer entrance for the king.

19 The rest of the acts of Ahaz are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

20 Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Hezekiah succeeded him as king.

v 1-4. Apparently Ahaz was vice-regent under Jotham four years. Jotham was unable to remove the high places, but Ahaz sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places and promoted a proliferation of them. He was wicked and even sacrificed one of his sons (Obviously not Hezekiah) as a burnt offering as the heathen did, particularly in worship of Molech.
 2 Chr. 28:1-4 add that more than one child was offered, and the most prominent place was the Valley of Hinnom, later called Gehenna. (Because of these sacrificial offerings as well as garbage constantly burning, it became another name for Hell.)

v 5-6. Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel tried to force Ahaz into joining them in an alliance to resist Assyria. They did not succeed in this, but they did take Elath on the Gulf of Aqaba from him, which had been built up by Azariah a few years before. Thus it passed into Syrian hands, and later to the Edomites.
2 Chr. 28:5-15 add considerable detail. It was because of Ahaz’s wickedness that the Lord allowed Rezin and Pekah to come against him. They slew 120,000 valiant men in one day, because Judah had forsaken God. Zichri from Ephraim killed prince Maaseiah, also the governor of the house and the kings assistant. Israel also took to Samaria 200,000 women and children for slaves, and much spoil. The prophet, Oded, met the returning group and rebuked them for taking captives from Judah. They had been delivered because of Judah’s sin, but Israel had also sinned and the wrath of God was upon Israel. The named princes of Ephraim stood up against them and forbade them to bring the captives or they would incur great wrath from God. The army left the people in the hands of the princes and congregation, who fed, clothed and anointed the captives. Then they were put on donkeys and returned as far as Jericho from where they would be repatriated to their homes.

v 7-9 Instead of calling on God for help, Ahaz called on Tiglath-pileasar king of Assyria, but it was at a high price of the silver and gold from the house of the Lord and treasures that were in the King’s house. In response, Assyria took Damascus, carrying away captives to Kir to relocate them, and killing king Rezin.

v 10-16. Then Ahaz went to Damascus to see King Tiglath-pileasar, and was so impressed by a large heathen altar that he sent instructions to Urijah the priest to construct another just like it. The priesthood had so declined that he readily complied and had it built before Ahaz returned. When he returned he moved the old altar aside to give the new one a more prominent place, and offered on it. He instructed that all other offerings be made on that great altar, and the old one would only be used when he wanted guidance from the Lord. (When all else fails, turn to the Lord, as some say.)

v 17,18. He took the basins from the ten movable stands of 1 Ki. 7:23-26, and took the bronze oxen from under the bronze sea and placed it on a pavement of stones. He also removed a special covering for use on the Sabbath, the royal entry way into the temple, probably because he didn’t intend to use it much, and it somehow seemed to offend the king of Assyria. All these actions desecrated the temple and seemed to limit the purification  of the priests. 2 Chr. 28:16-25 add to verses 7-18: Ahaz was not satisfied that Israel would not come after him again, and because of his wickedness, Edom and Philistines began to cause trouble. Instead of calling on God, he called upon the king of Assyria. Isaiah tried to talk him out of it, Isa. 7:4-9, but he wouldn’t listen. The king of Assyria came and pressured Ahaz into some of the destruction at the temple, probably taking the above mentioned bronze items as well as other treasures for bribe, but didn’t help him. As times got tougher, Ahaz just turned farther from the Lord. Since the Syrians had overpowered him, he decided the Syrian gods were the powerful ones, so he started worshiping them. After making merchandise of the vessels of the temple, he barred the doors and made heathen altars all over Jerusalem and Judah, incurring more wrath from God.

v 19,20. Ahaz was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal sepulchers, which would indicate there were still some people in Judah who did not approve of Ahaz. His  son Hezekiah will be a sharp contrast by his obedience to God.