2 Chronicles 28
1 Ahaz reigning very wickedly, is greatly afflicted by the Syrians.
6 Judah being captivated by the Israelites, is sent home by the counsel of Oded the prophet.
16 Ahaz sending for aid to Assyria, is not helped thereby.
22 In his distress he grows more idolatrous.
26 He dying, Hezekiah succeeds him.
Ahaz <0271> [A.M. 3262-3278. B.C. 742-726. Ahaz.]
ancestor David <01732 01> [like David his father.]
<03212> [For he walked.]
images <04541> [molten images.]
Baals <01168> [Baalim.]
offered <06999> [burnt incense. or, offered sacrifice. the valley.]
offered <06999 01197> [burnt.]
horrible <08441> [after the abominations.]
God <0430> [his God.]
handed ...................... handed <05414 03027> [delivered him.]
Damascus <01834> [Damascus. Heb. Darmesek.]
Pekah <06492> [Pekah.]
120,000 <03967> [an hundred.]
son ........ warriors <01121 02428> [valiant men. Heb. sons of valour. because.]
king's ............. king's second-in-command <04428 04932> [next to the king. Heb. the second to the king.]
seized <07617> [carried.]
brothers <0251> [brethren.]
went <03318> [he went out.]
Lord ...................... Lord <03068> [Behold.]
To this beautiful speech nothing can be added by the best comment: it is simple, humane, pious, and overwhelmingly convincing; and it is no wonder that it produced the effect here described. That there was much humanity, as well as firmness, in the heads of the children of Ephraim, who joined with the prophet of Jehovah on this occasion, their subsequent conduct, as detailed in the fifteenth verse, sufficiently proves. They did not barely dismiss these most unfortunate captives, but they took that very spoil which their victorious army had taken, and with clothed, shod, fed, and anointed these distressed people, set the feeblest of them upon asses, and escorted them safely to Jericho! We can scarcely find a parallel to this in the universal history of the wars which savage man has carried on against his fellows from the foundation of the world. The compliance also of the whole army, in leaving both the captives and spoil to the disposal of the princes, was really wonderful, and perhaps unparalleled in history. Both the princes and army are worthy to be held up to the admiration and imitation of mankind.
Lord ...................... Lord God <0430 03068> [because the Lord God.]
taken notice <05060> [reacheth.]
enslave <03533> [keep.]
also <07535> [not with.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
Send back <07725> [deliver.]
very <02740> [the fierce.]
leaders <07218> [the heads.]
confronted <06965> [stood up.]
even more sinful <03254 02403> [add more.]
assigned ....... find <08034 05344> [expressed by name.]
clothes ............ clothed <03847> [clothed.]
food <0398> [gave them.]
put <05095> [carried.]
city <05892> [the city.]
King ..... king <04428> [did king.]
King ..... king <04428> [the kings.]
Instead of {malchey,} "kings," the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Vulgate, one MS., and the parallel place, have {mailech}, "king."
Edomites <0130> [the Edomites.]
captives <07628> [captives. Heb. a captivity.]
Philistines <06430> [Philistines.]
Beth Shemesh <01053> [Beth-shemesh.]
Aijalon <0357> [Ajalon.]
[Aijalon. Gederoth.]
Soco <07755> [Shocho.]
[Socoh. Timnah.]
[Timnath.]
Lord ...................... Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
Ahaz <0271> [because of Ahaz.]
Israel <03478> [Israel.]
Judah .......... encouraged Judah <03063 06544> [made Judah.]
Tiglath-pileser <08407> [A.M. 3264. B.C. 740. Tilgath-pilneser.]
[Tiglath-pileser.]
support <06696 02388> [distressed him.]
riches <02505> [took away.]
time <06256> [in the.]
King <04428> [this is.]
offered sacrifices ........................... sacrifice <02076> [For he sacrificed.]
This passage, says Mr. Hallet, greatly surprised me; for the sacred historian is here represented as saying, "The gods of Damascus had smitten Ahaz." But it is impossible to suppose that an inspired author should say this; for the Scripture every where represents the heathen idols as nothing and vanity, and as incapable of doing either good or hurt. All difficulty is avoided if we follow the old Hebrew copies, from which the Greek translation was made: "And king Ahaz said, I will seek to the gods of Damascus which have smitten me."
Damascus <01834> [Damascus. Heb. Darmesek. Because the gods.]
offered sacrifices ....................... helped ..... sacrifice ....... help <02076 05826> [sacrifice to them.]
stumble <03782> [But they were.]
removed <07112> [cut in pieces.]
shut <05462> [shut up.]
erected <06213> [he made.]
offer <06999> [burn. or, offer.]
rest <03499> [the rest.]
bring <0935> [A.M. 3278. B.C. 726. they brought.]
kings ... Israel <03478 04428> [the kings of Israel.]
Or, "the kings of Judah;" the name Israel being sometimes applied by the writer of this book, in a general way, to Judah. The Hebrews were accustomed to honour the memory of those kings who had reigned well, by depositing their remains in the royal cemetery. On the contrary, those who died under the disapprobation of the people, as a mark of posthumous disgrace, were denied interment with their predecessors, and were buried in some other place in Jerusalem. So it was with Ahaz, who, though brought into the city, was not buried in the sepulchres of the kings of Judah. It was doubtless with a design to make a suitable impression on the minds of their kings while living, that such distinctions were observed. They might thus restrain them from evil, or excite them to good, according as they were fearful of being execrated, or desirous of being honoured, when dead.
